COMMENT | ANDREW PI BESI | In western Uganda lies Kasese — home to the country’s highest peak, Margherita Peak, the crowning summit of Mount Stanley within the majestic Rwenzori Mountains. That our highest point bears the name of an Italian queen is perhaps history’s subtle reminder that even geography …
Read More »“The Safety of the People”
COMMENT | ANDREW PI BESI | Lately, I have been reflecting on the Roman Empire and its establishment some 27 or so years before the birth of Christ the Messiah. One of its most enduring political thinkers was Marcus Tullius Cicero. When, like many, I read on social media of Ms. …
Read More »The failure of Congo and Africa’s moral reckoning
Why East and Southern Africa Must Choose Justice Over Silence, and Regional Truth Over Convenient Sovereignty COMMENT | ANDREW PI BESI | On July 4, 1876, American Congressman James A. Garfield declared, “The people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If it is corrupt, it is because the …
Read More »Africa’s youth versus the tyranny of age
“Perhaps contexts are far less universal than circumstances” — S.R. Karugire COMMENT | ANDREW PI BESI | Africa, our ancient continent, has since 2024 witnessed no fewer than twenty presidential elections. This year alone, Tanzania, Malawi, Cameroon, Gabon, and Côte d’Ivoire have all held polls. In Uganda, our electoral season is …
Read More »A tycoon, a transplant, and a national diagnosis
COMMENT | ANDREW PI BESI | For the past few days, a video showing Hassan Bassajabalaba addressing mourners at his mother’s funeral has been trending on social media. It has been trending because in it, Hassan B, as he is commonly called, decries the inefficient state of our healthcare system. The …
Read More »Of chiefs and caparisoned saddles
COMMENT | ANDREW PI BESI | In 1974, the Congo’s grand dictator completed his “Africanisation” of the Congo by renaming it Zaire. He discarded his birth name and crowned himself Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga — “the invincible warrior cock who leaves no chick intact.” To prove …
Read More »Understanding the GKMA Urban Development Program.
COMMENT | ANDREW BESI | One year ago, in September 2024, Vice President Jessica Alupo arrived at the headquarters of Kira Municipality and launched the 5-year UGX 2.2 trillion Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Program (GKMA-UDP). This program is an initiative of the Government of Uganda, with …
Read More »Let us support Dr Musenero’s push to make science speak to economics
Leveraging the Power of Partnerships in Science, Technology and Innovation to foster Socio-Economic Transformation: The Road Ahead COMMENT | ANDREW BESI | “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” – Sir Arthur C Clarke The name Dr. Monica Musenero evokes mixed emotions amongst many Ugandans. For some, she is, in …
Read More »RAPEX fast becoming Uganda’s Lehman Brothers moment
A recent report by the Inspectorate of Government concluded that each year, sh10 trillion (nearly 10% of GDP) is stolen by traitors in the Civil Service working with saboteurs on House Committees and favored private sector players. COMMENT | ANDREW BESI | It began, we are told, with the arrival on …
Read More »Corruption: A crisis of eroded trust
Uganda’s causes of disunity mainly spring from fears that public officials are cutting up the national cake among themselves. During the last 12 years, most people especially the top brass had been grabbers- Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, September 1979 COMMENT | ANDREW BESI | On July 23, Ugandans marched to parliament in …
Read More »
The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price