In The Magazine

Analysts urge government on business environment as written off non-performing loans erode bank profits In 2015, Standard Chartered Bank, Uganda’s second-largest bank by assets, saw its profits decline by 75% compared to the previous year. The year was even worse for Crane Bank, the second biggest indigenous bank and the …

 Stop faking …. you supported and defended a government that banned all activities of political parties THE LAST WORD by Andrew Mwenda Last week, Oxfam Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, accused me of losing my soul by “supporting dictatorship” and “defending gross human rights abuses”. This was after she said police …

Uganda’s insurance industry premiums are expected to grew 20% to Shs733 billion this year on the back of sustainable economic expansion and demographic shifts and new opportunities. Five years ago, the insurance industry in Uganda could barely raise Shs 500 billion in total premiums. Across the border in Kenya, total …

`Chicken thief’ can be both a literal description of a crime and a metaphor of petty crimes often involving poor people. Unfortunately, it is such petty crimes that clog the judicial system and congest prisons. In a judiciary that has fewer judges and magistrates and fewer and poorly distributed courts …

Rev Diana Mirembe Nkesiga is the Vicar of All Saints’ Cathedral Kampala the highest position to be held by a female Anglican priest. She spoke to Agnes E Nantaba Born Diana Mirembe Barlow in 1960 to Mary Nantongo and Hugo Barlow, Rev Diana Mirembe Nkesiga remains the first woman to …

Last year, the government revised the current budget from Shs 18.3 trillion to Shs 23.9 trillion citing the upcoming general elections, which it was claimed required more funding.  The national budget that will be presented next month will be worth a record Shs 26.3 trillion, an increase of 9%. What …

Foreign mission heads to sign new trade charter as concern grows over appointment of political `failures’ Uganda is to introduce a new trade charter for its foreign missions, according to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Sam Okuonzi. Under the new programme, which is scheduled to start …

Why the competition for power is always a quarrel over delusions rather than a contest over public policy I argued in this column last week that governments in poor countries cannot govern by delivering a large basket of public goods and services associated with a modern state because they don’t …

Cover story: Museveni gets Shs70bn telecom monitoring gadget An investigation by The Independent reveals that State House is closing in on a procurement of high-tech gadgets meant to forestall fraud among telecoms, which is costing government colossal sums in tax revenue. Last Word: Fight over misguided objectives Andrew Mwenda carries …

Report exposes rich professionals, government officials not paying income tax. URA now plans to tax better, not more. Do you often transfer large sums of money in banks, drive a posh car, live in a palace, buy land often, travel abroad often and travel either business or First Class? Are …