New American sanctions target the commercial networks that turn Congo’s conflict minerals into global business NEWS ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | For years, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s wars have been fought with rifles, rockets and militias. Increasingly, however, Washington believes the conflict is being sustained somewhere else …
Read More »Kigali to host 26th EAC Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Trade Fair
This year’s fair will spotlight leather and horticulture, two sectors viewed as critical to the region’s industrial ambitions By The Independent The East African Community (EAC) will bring its flagship Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Trade Fair to Kigali in late October, as regional policymakers seek to accelerate industrialisation, …
Read More »On Lawrence Muganga’s citizenship controversy
Why the treatment of Muganga’s citizenship question is suspect and echoes deep-seated anti-Banyarwanda prejudice COMMENT | NNANDA KIZITO SSERUWAGI | For all its legalistic shadings, the recent citizenship controversy faced by Dr Lawrence Muganga, the vice chancellor of Victoria University, who was appointed State Minister for Internal Affairs by …
Read More »Rwanda unveils 2026/27 budget prioritizing agriculture, economic stability
KIGALI | Xinhua | Rwanda’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Yusuf Murangwa has unveiled the national budget for the fiscal year 2026/27 beginning on July 1, with estimated resources projected at nearly 7.8 trillion Rwandan francs (about 5.3 billion U.S. dollars), prioritizing agriculture, jobs, and economic stability. Presenting the …
Read More »Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia test interoperable cross-border payment system
Ghana, Rwanda, and Zambia have launched a pilot digital trade corridor aimed at enabling instant cross-border payments and reducing reliance on dollar-mediated settlement systems. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Ghana, Rwanda, and Zambia are testing a unified digital trade corridor that allows cross-border payments to move instantly …
Read More »HIV integration must not come at the cost of access, experts warn
According to the World Health Organization, the African region remains home to nearly two-thirds of all people living with HIV globally Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | As Uganda and other African countries seek to integrate HIV prevention into mainstream health systems, experts are warning that the shift …
Read More »East Africa’s accountability problem
Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda have transparency laws, but corruption persists NEWS ANALYSIS | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Uganda records some of the lowest levels of compliance with access to information requests in East Africa, highlighting a persistent gap between transparency laws and their enforcement across the region. Between 2018 …
Read More »China’s zero-tariff treatment gives Africa’s development boost
Workers work at the agricultural factory Fisher Global in the Rwamagana Industrial Park, Eastern Province, Rwanda, April 14, 2026. (Xinhua/Ju Yinhe) BEIJING | Xinhua | In the rolling, lush fields of Ibiza Village in Kayonza District, eastern Rwanda, farmers are busy cultivating red chili peppers. Growing demand …
Read More »The cost of lack of red lines
How Uganda came so late and lonely to acquire a cash and carry government where every citizen is for themselves THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | My column last week titled “When illness strikes a leader” attracted a lot of attention and commentary. In it, I …
Read More »Uganda, Rwanda agree to move on from recent quarrels
Kampala, Uganda | URN | Uganda and Rwanda have agreed to “move on” from diplomatic conflicts that threatened their historical friendship in recent years. This came at the just-concluded Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) meeting in Kampala, at which four new memoranda of understanding were signed, in the areas of health, …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price