Africa’s competition chiefs forge united regulatory front NEWS ANALYSIS | JULIUS BUSINGE | Four of Africa’s most influential regional competition authorities have signed a cooperation pact that could reshape how cross-border mergers, consumer protection and market conduct are regulated across 38 countries. The Memorandum of Understanding, signed in Livingstone, Zambia …
Read More »COMESA launches 2025 Competition and Consumer Protection Regulations
Livingstone, Zambia | JULIUS BUSINGE | The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has officially launched the COMESA Competition and Consumer Protection Regulations 2025 in Livingstone, Zambia, marking a significant shift in the region’s competition and consumer protection framework. The launch, which began on February 24, has drawn …
Read More »Buy Uganda, Build Uganda @12
However, experts warn that protectionist tendencies risk undermining COMESA’s regional market Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Twelve years after its conception, Uganda’s Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (BUBU) policy has become both a symbol of the country’s industrial ambition and a test case for how far national preference can stretch …
Read More »Yusuf Nsibambi joins NRM after meeting Museveni
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda’s political battlefield was jolted Wednesday after Mawokota South legislator Yusuf Nsibambi formally defected from the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to the ruling National Resistance Movement, a move analysts say deepens the widening cracks inside the country’s opposition ranks. Nsibambi was officially …
Read More »Uganda nears oil era as Stanbic calls for inclusive growth
The $4 billion-plus pipeline, now about 79% complete, is designed to export crude from Uganda’s Lake Albert oilfields to Tanzania’s Indian Ocean port of Tanga Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda is approaching a pivotal economic moment, according to Stanbic Bank Uganda Chief Executive Mumba Kalifungwa, who said the country must …
Read More »Why it is hard to avoid the internet in the world today
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | When the Government of Uganda shut down internet access for four days during the recent election week, it reignited a national debate about how deeply digital connectivity has become embedded in modern life. Authorities, through the Uganda Communications Commission, justified the decision as necessary to curb …
Read More »COMESA watchdog issues alert on Nestle baby formula recall
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | A regional consumer protection authority has issued an alert regarding a global recall of specific Nestle infant formula products. The COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission announced that Nestle voluntarily recalled multiple batches of its SMA brand formulas due to the potential presence of cereulide. Nestle …
Read More »The Uganda national flag debate
Globally, citizens often display their national flags at homes, offices, and public spaces as expressions of pride. Uganda is no exception COMMENT | JULIUS BUSINGE | As Uganda journeys toward the January 15 general elections, the national flag has once again taken centre stage in public debate—raising questions not only …
Read More »Uganda in 2025: A resilient economy facing hard fiscal truths
Gold continued to dominate export receipts, contributing over 40 percent of merchandise exports, although much of this reflected re-exports. Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda’s economy in 2025 closed the year on a relatively strong footing, marked by steady growth, low inflation and cautious macroeconomic management, but beneath the …
Read More »Uganda’s aviation boom
Uganda’s aviation sector eyes tripling passenger capacity, 300+ million liters of sustainable fuel potential, and 64 global air service pacts to propel economic ascent by 2030 Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda’s aviation industry is charting an ambitious growth path, underpinned by major infrastructure upgrades, strategic international partnerships, and …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price