Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Andrew Mwenda, the Managing Director of Independent Publications Limited and a leading political commentator, has registered as a member of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and says he seeks a ticket to be its president and presidential candidate in next year’s election. Soon after …
Read More »Uganda’s politics of self-destruction
Why Uganda’s opposition is going to hand Museveni an easy victory next year THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | As we approach the 2021 general elections, it is apparent that the opposition, as expected, has handed an easy victory to President Yoweri Museveni and his party, the NRM. …
Read More »When enemies feed each other
Why Uganda’s pro-democracy activists get it wrong when they support radical extremist cults as alternatives to Museveni THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | In their misguided (even though, perhaps, well-intentioned) war against President Yoweri Museveni, many pro-democracy (but mostly pseudo-democracy) “activists” bring three fundamentally erroneous assumptions. First, that …
Read More »Elections in the age of COVID
How a scientific election opens opportunities for the opposition in Uganda to perform better THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | There is a popular Chinese saying that a wise person looks for an opportunity in every problem while a stupid looks for a problem in every opportunity. …
Read More »Inside Uganda’s election budget
Why opportunities that theoretically exist to cut wasteful public spending are politically impossible THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | This year, Uganda has been hit by three major disasters: a locust invasion, floods and COVID-19; a combination of which will shrink economic growth. COVID-19 has been the most …
Read More »Uganda’s misguided COVID response
Why the utopian dream of a COVID-free Uganda may have become a springboard for private profiteering THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | On June 24 morning I walked into Kikuubo, the epicenter of Uganda’s trade, in Kampala city. I found tens of thousands of people congested on …
Read More »One year later
Reflections on the passage of an icon who did so much to shape who I am today THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | It is exactly one year this week since our mother, Mrs Constance Kabakali Muhangazima, left us! While we were happy that she had retired from …
Read More »The trouble with URA
Why Museveni’s focus on corruption as the biggest problem of tax administration misses the big picture THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | During his national address after the reading of the 2020/21 Budget, President Yoweri Museveni decried the low ratio of tax to GDP in Uganda, which …
Read More »Mr President, open boda bodas NOW
Why we need to examine the contribution of boda bodas to public safety and livelihoods in this COVID fight THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | This week, in his regular COVID19 briefings, President Yoweri Museveni claimed boda bodas are not an effective means of public transport! Who decides …
Read More »The Uganda oil debate
A short reply to Mwenda and Co. COMMENT | Prof. Dr. Eng. KANT ATEENYI KANYARUSOKE | In one recent NBS program, President Yoweri Museveni talked about many things: health, economy, succession etc. On oil, which was only a small part of the interview, he gave his opinion on the refinery-pipeline …
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