THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | At the beginning of January, I drove from Kabale to Rukungiri, Bushenyi, Kaseese, Fort Portal, Kyenjojo, Mubende, Mityana and Kampala. Then in the last week of the election, I was joined by Prof. Melina Platas of New York University and Prof. Jude …
Read More »The outcome of 2026 elections
How Museveni is going to shock many by recapturing Buganda and Busoga from Bobi Wine while keeping the West and North THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Less than a week from now we shall hold an election that will depress many Ugandans, especially those in the opposition. …
Read More »On Trump’s National Security Strategy
How the US president is breathing fresh air into international affairs that had been poisoned by too much moralism THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | For the first time in my adult life, I have read a United States National Security Strategy that speaks sense. What President …
Read More »The paradox of Museveni’s failure
How our president greatest failure has been inability to manage his own success THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Recently, I drove to Busia, then to Bushenyi. I often drive to Gulu, Hoima and Fort Portal via Mubende. These experiences both stress and depress me. Kampala and …
Read More »On Uganda’s 2040 Vision
How our country lacks the policies and institutional rules to achieve its ambitious development goals THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | The Ugandan government has set itself a very ambitious goal: to expand the economy by 1,000% in 15 years. This means the economy must grow at an annual …
Read More »On new ways of communication
How it is intriguing that Museveni’s campaign has not sought to use new information weapons effectively THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Look at social media, where most Ugandans have migrated to for information about campaigns. Both campaigns, President Yoweri Museveni and his NRM and Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi …
Read More »Museveni’s campaign strapline
Why “Protecting the Gains” demonstrates how the president and his communication team are talking to themselves THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | President Yoweri Museveni’s campaign strapline, “Protecting the Gains,” shows NRM’s lack of a vision for the future of the country. But let me begin with the truths …
Read More »On bread-and-butter issues
Lessons for Bobi Wine from Zohran Mamdani’s campaign to become New York City mayor THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Zohran Mamdani, son of our own Prof. Mahmoud Mamdani of Buziga, Kampala, is poised to win the race for New York City (NYC) mayor. At 34, Zohran has …
Read More »Europe’s self-defeating policies
The costs and consequences of isolation by the very continent that globalized the world THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | I have written before that Europe is facing an existential crisis and a creeping irrelevance. It has moved from a strategic dependence on the American security umbrella to a …
Read More »Raila, life of a statesman
Lessons for politicians from the life of a man who should have been president of Kenya THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | I have always been fascinated by Raila Odinga. It was therefore a big shock to me to hear of his death on October 15. Raila towered …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price