Column

Why the president’s defence of squatters is humane but economically retrogressive THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | During his New Year speech, President Yoweri Museveni reiterated his commitment to defend squatters being evicted by “land grabbers”. Yet he also promised to protect the ownership rights of title holders. In …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The son of DR Congo’s veteran opposition leader, Felix Tshisekedi has taken the prize that eluded his late father — the presidency. On Thursday he was named by election officials as the provisional winner of an historic election in the country. He is the …

THE LAST WORD: Why the President’s emphasis on hairstyles to assert the African identity addresses the form and ignores the substance THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | On December 30, 2018, President Yoweri Museveni tweeted thanking Miss World Africa, Quiin Abenakyo, for heeding his “advice” to keep her hair …

Why the president’s efforts against corruption may be politically appealing but are strategically of little value THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Last week, President Yoweri Museveni launched an “anti-corruption unit” in his office. This is one in many efforts the president has tried and failed in the last …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer etched himself into Manchester United folklore in the manic closing seconds of their Champions League win against Bayern Munich in 1999. Alex Ferguson’s team had wrapped up the Premier League title and won the FA Cup but their dreams of a …

Why the always-blame-government-for-every problem mantra is popular but destructive THE LAST WORD | ANDREW MWENDA | Many Ugandans are angry feeling the country is not going in the right direction. This is especially so among those who feel they can do better, which is understandable. However, they always attribute their frustrations …

Why accidents like the one that killed tens of revellers will continue to happen THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | The sinking of a boat in Lake Victoria killing many revellers on November 24 was a classic tragedy. And typical of the Ugandan character, social and traditional media have …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | In Democratic Republic of Congo, they call him “Doctor Miracle” for his surgical skill and dedication in helping women overcome the injuries and trauma of sexual abuse and rape. Denis Mukwege is a crusading gynaecologist who has spent more than two decades treating appalling …

Kampala, Uganda | AGNES E NANTABA  | Ramathan Ggoobi is Policy Analyst, and political economist who spearheaded the arm ‘economics that works in Uganda. He lecturers economics at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) and has co-authored several studies on Uganda’s economy. Aside from living his career dream, he is also …

Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Catherine Wines is a Co-founder of World Remit – a global money transfer company. She spoke to The Independent’s Julius Businge about the trends in the international money transfer market. How big is your business at the moment?  WorldRemit processes more than one million …