NEWS ANALYSIS

But who will pay for the new status? Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The former municipalities of Arua, Gulu, Jinja, Mbarara, Fort Portal, Mbale, and Masaka will become cities effective July 01. The leaders of most of these municipalities pursued city status as a means of increasing their budgets; …

It can’t afford to lose resources to coronavirus | FREDROS OKUMU | Today, another 1,100 people will die from malaria. The number will be repeated tomorrow, and the day after. As a public health researcher, I embrace the idea that all lives have equal value. That our goal is much …

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has not been seen in public for more than two weeks, missing commemorations for a key political anniversary, and reports he underwent a cardiovascular procedure have spiralled into speculation he could be incapacitated or even dead. Both Seoul and …

How to ensure poor people in cities can still get it | ASTRID R.N HAAS | More than half of all African countries have now imposed lockdown measures aimed at flattening the curve of new COVID-19 infections. The reason for taking such drastic measures while infection rates are still relatively …

As Africa heads towards recession, it’s not easy to know where to invest. Akinyi Ochieng and Isaac Kwaku Fokuo, Jr. highlight three areas that are likely to fare better during the downturn  Back in January, Africa’s economic outlook for the year was bright. African Development Bank projections predicted 3.9% growth in 2020 and …

Survey shows Uganda response leading in Africa Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A study of the response of Sub-Saharan governments to the spread of the Corona virus disease COVID-19 sweeping across the globe has ranked Uganda higly. The survey by GeoPoll which is the world’s largest mobile survey platform …

Coronavirus underscores what’s missing in Africa | MOSES NGWARE | Almost universally, one of the first measures taken to contain the spread of COVID-19 was the closure of schools, colleges and universities. This has affected over 1.576 billion learners, constituting slightly over 91% of enrolment. In Africa, about 297 million …

Dr. Mary Goretti Kitutu, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development noted in a short statement released yesterday that:  “The agreement is a significant milestone in Uganda’s oil and gas sector and is a critical development that takes the sector towards the final investment decision (FID) that the country is …

DR. Silver Mugisha is the Managing Director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC). He spoke to The Independent about strategies NWSC is using to continue serving Ugandans despite the economic challenges created by the raging COVID-19 pandemic. QUESTION: How is NWSC coping with COVID-19 pandemic? ANSWER: It is a tough time that requires innovation and …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & AFP  | Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization who has been criticised by the US for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, warned for years that countries were not prepared in case one broke out. The most shocking outbreak at …