New ministers, old questions, and Uganda’s unfinished state-building project. COMMENT | ANDREW PI BESI |Â Â It is to the late John Nagenda (RIP) that I owe my introduction to Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, an intriguing literary figure of 19th-century France. From his modest but enduring body of work emerged one …
Read More »Why Uganda Airlines is turning to Boeing
COMMENT |Â DEREK NSEKOÂ |Â Â Uganda Airlines has been drifting strategically for years. But the national airline is finally making a decision grounded in the realities of African aviation after the announcement of its 10-aircraft mega-deal with Boeing. One of the clearest signs that Uganda Airlines was changing direction …
Read More »‘For Sale’ or ‘Not For Sale’?
COMMENT | CRISPIN KAHERU | Somewhere in Kampala today, a signboard reads “For Sale”. Passersby are nodding knowingly. They have worked it out. The name is right there, embedded in the transaction. Sale. Salim “Sale(h)”. It is practically a confession. Somewhere else, another board reads “Not For Sale.” The nodding continues. …
Read More »Traffic Police: Time to declare operation ‘towa ujinga’ on our roads
COMMENT | OBED K KATUREEBE |Â Lately, Uganda is experiencing gruesome road accidents that are claiming many Ugandans in what seems to be reckless behavior by the drivers and riders on the road. Whereas the government has made good progress in constructing paved roads across the country, Ugandan drivers think it …
Read More »Inside Uganda’s back-to-school reality and the race to keep children in class
OPINION | THE INDEPENDENT |Â By the time the school bell rings to signal a new term in Uganda, many parents have already been in silent preparation for weeks. Every available shilling is accounted for, personal needs are put on hold, and family conversations quietly revolve around one pressing question, how …
Read More »On Museveni’s response to my article
How I share the president’s vision even though we disagree on the details in its implementation THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | I was on a flight to Beijing when President Yoweri Museveni published his “missive” against my criticism of his policies supporting private businesspersons with government …
Read More »X-ARTICLE: Tugume and Magoola are NOT Uganda’s version of John D Rockefeller
President Yoweri Museveni has issued a forceful response to a recent opinion piece by journalist Andrew Mwenda titled “When Old Age Strikes a Leader” (Issue No. 915, April 17–23, 2026), rejecting claims about his leadership capacity and defending his government’s economic and industrialisation agenda. Elison Karuhanga (@elisonk), “a learner and …
Read More »X-ARTICLE: Kaguta, Mwenda and the brutal truth about nation-building
President Yoweri Museveni has issued a forceful response to a recent opinion piece by journalist Andrew Mwenda titled “When Old Age Strikes a Leader” (Issue No. 915, April 17–23, 2026), rejecting claims about his leadership capacity and defending his government’s economic and industrialisation agenda. In the unusually direct statement, Museveni …
Read More »Rethinking how Ugandan SMEs engage with finance
OPINION | ZAKARIAS IDIRO | Uganda’s conversation around SME financing has for years revolved around one central issue: access. Discussions often focus on who qualifies for financing, what banking products exist, and the conditions businesses must meet before receiving support. While these concerns remain important, I believe the bigger issue today …
Read More »Uganda’s oil will create opportunity, but without liquidity many will watch it pass
COMMENT | TIMOTHY WILKINS OKANYA | For years, Uganda’s oil story has been told in the future tense. We’ve navigated a decade of discoveries in the Albertine Graben, sat through marathon negotiations, and watched the rigs rise with a mix of patience and prayer. But the wait is over. …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price