COLUMNISTS

By Alvin Cheng-Hin Lim Facts belie America’s critique that China is in Africa for resource extraction only In his recent state visit to Kenya and Ethiopia—his fourth presidential visit to the African continent—US President Barack Obama argued that Africa’s economic engagement with the US offers the best opportunity for economic …

By Mike Ibrahim Okumu The culture of earning without effort leads to low productivity, more shirking and theft at work Corruption can be categorised as grand, bureaucratic/petty, and legislative. Grand corruption involves the executive undertaking public policy choices that do not necessarily benefit the general public but rather are in …

By Agather Atuhaire How politics defeated financial logic In the run-up to the last presidential and parliamentary elections in 2011, Irish Times reporter Jody Clarke wrote a story under the headline “How to keep winning elections –Uganda style”. It reported on the frustration caused by last-minute demarcation of new electoral …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How corruption becomes a necessary vice for successful politicians who win elections by denouncing it Here is a thought experiment. Imagine you are a presidential candidate for the 2016 elections in Uganda. You have all the good policies and ideas. And you want to build a …

By Gerald Padde Auku Only 16% own any form of land and formal government processes marginalize this majority working force To Ugandan’s, land means more than just a piece of soil or real estate, it is a link to the past and long seeded heritage that combines a sense of …

By Morris DC Komakech Focus should be less on colourful campaigns and more on safeguarding the ballot boxes Many commentators have criticised opposition leader Kizza Besigye’s decision to run for President for the fourth time after he had vowed never to contest in the same elections with President Yoweri Museveni, …

By Agather Atuhaire How dangerous can confusion between Leader of Opposition and Opposition Chief Whip be? But not one opposition MP followed him out.   Only four of the 67 opposition MPs ended up outside with their leader. In fact, even the Opposition Chief Whip, Cecilia Ogwal (Dokolo Woman) who is …

By Patrick Kagenda Delegates feted as National Council meeting confronts party financing organ Self-declared Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) president, Jimmy Akena, won some and lost some on Aug. 15 in two events linked to his fight to control the party. Starting Aug.13, Akena hosted his faction to a National Council …

This article was written for The Guardian How regurgitating stereotypes and prejudice about Africa easily gets you audience in Western media So I chanced upon an article by a one Patience Akumu (`Why Obama doesn’t understand the lust for power of our African leaders’, The Guardian UK, Aug.2). To Akumu, …

By Enock Twinoburyo Uganda’s Central Bank may soon face a challenge in its conduct of monetary policy In recent times, the media has been awash with digital migration, a term that has cascaded into politics, with digital and analogue presidential candidates. Kampala waved good bye to the analogue signal in …