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Eulogising Pope Francis, a Champion of LGBTQ+ Rights

By James Kabengwa Laid to rest today, I want to pay tribute to Pope Francis, a man who has left an indelible mark on the fight for equality. As a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, I am deeply grateful for Pope Francis's unwavering commitment to love, acceptance, and inclusivity. Pope Francis' words and actions have been a beacon of hope for many in the LGBTQ+ community. When asked about gay priests, he said in July 2013, "If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them?" These words resonated deeply with his like-minds, reflecting a recognition that every individual deserves dignity and respect, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Pope's commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion was evident in his actions. In June 2015, he joined 90 prison inmates for lunch, including 10 from the […]

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Pope Francis has died aged 88

VATICAN CITY, April 21 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday, ending an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the hidebound institution. He was 88, and had survived a serious bout of double pneumonia. The Pope's death comes fewer than 24 hours after he made an appearance at the Vatican's St Peter's Square for Easter Sunday. He came out in a wheelchair and waved from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica to cheering crowds and said: "Dear brothers and sisters, happy Easter." Pope sitting in wheelchair on balcony. His traditional Easter address and blessing was read by an aide while he sat, watching. Following the blessing, he was driven around the square. As he passed […]

Richard Kizza Lugobwa
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Museveni using corruption as form of repression

By Richard Kizza Lugobwa The recent controversy surrounding the alleged Shs 100m bribe given to legislators has brought to light the deep-seated corruption in Uganda's parliament. The money, reportedly given out by the Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Anita Among, was intended to thank legislators for passing the coffee bill and as an advance payment for the UPDF amendment act. The opposition leader, Hon Joel Senyonyi, released a video showing NRM legislators sneaking into parliament at night to collect the bribe, sparking widespread criticism and public outrage. The controversy highlights the extent to which corruption has permeated Uganda's parliament, with legislators more interested in serving their personal interests than those of their constituents. This is not the first time President Museveni has used bribes to achieve his objectives. In 2017, MPs were given Shs 200m to scrap the presidential age […]

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Chinese envoy to Trump: We shall not cause trouble but we are not afraid of trouble

KAMPALA: Chinese ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong has warned the US against the "so-called reciprocal tariffs", insisting that his country stands against such economic coercion. Zhang who on Thursday officiating at celebrations to mark the UN International Chinese Language Day said his country was ready to work with other Global South partners to enhance cooperation. "The US government has unilaterally imposed these tariffs on its trading partners, including China, severely undermining the rule-based multilateral trading system, the economic order and the welfare and interests of other nations," Zhang said. "The essence of these actions is unilateralism, protectionism and economic coercion, and China firmly stands against these actions," he added. According to the envoy China has always upheld true multilateralism and remained committed to building an open world economy. "We will never turn to unilateralism or protectionism. China will not cause […]

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AIDS Commission in disarray as minister cancels job interviews with nepotism claims flying high

KAMPALA: Uganda could witness another scandal where top officials hand public jobs to relatives as thousands of Ugandans who applied for jobs at the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) this year being left in tears following a suspicious cancellation of scheduled interviews. A letter by the Minister for the Presidency, Babirye Milly Babalanda, to the commission halted the exercise with concerns over the commission’s restructuring process and the delay in implementing recommendations from the Uganda AIDS Commission’s review report. The March 25 letter addressed to Dr. Nelson Musoba, the Director General of UAC, Babalanda said she was disappointed with the slow progress in executing the recommendations outlined in the review report. She highlighted the necessity of a comprehensive restructuring of the UAC before proceeding with recruitment. The minister contended that rushing the hiring process without restructuring would lead to inefficiencies and […]

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Mrs Museveni hails women in construction industry

KAMPALA: The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Ms Janet Kataha Museveni, has applauded the inclusion of women in the country’s construction industry. The First Lady commended companies such as SMS Construction, Steal & tube for their outstanding service and commitment to gender inclusion. Mrs Museveni who was inaugurating the Women in Construction Symposium 2025 at the Kololo Independence Grounds on Friday Mrs. Museveni commended women for delivering quality of work. The symposium was organised by the Uganda National Association of Builders, Suppliers, and Engineering Contractors (UNABSEC) together with the Pan-African Chamber of Commerce (South Africa). “We believe in quality service delivery as a government, and SMS Construction, along with Steel & Tube, Roofings, Uganda Baati, Simba Cement, and others, have demonstrated that commitment under the guidance of UNABSEC,” the First Lady said. “I encourage you all to […]

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Lands commissioner punched, attacked with panga over unfair title cancellation

A lands commissioner at the line ministry survived death twice in a space of one month for reportedly cancelling genuine land titles in favour of wealthy individuals. Reports from the commissioner's office indicate that the first attack happened last month when a furious man entered the office, locked the door and punched the corrupt man severally. The officer managed to yell for help before policemen broke in and saved him from his tormentor. The second incident happened last week when an angry man travelled all the way from Bunyoro with a machete in a jacket (in the late Tamale Mirundi style). "What saved the commissioner was simply that he had been summoned for grilling by Afande Magambo of CID over other dubious deals," our source said. "The man with the panga waited for his target in vain before revealing to […]

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MP Mawanda tells Muhoozi uncle Toyota to stick to his lane

KAMPALA: A verbal clash has ensued at the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) with the Director of Mobilisation there Michael Mawanda coming under pressure to explain his meeting with Speaker Anita Among's political nemesis Hellen Adeke Akor. PLU National vice chairman Michael Nuwagira Toyota called Mawanda to order after the mobilisation office posted about a meeting between Adeke and Mawanda. The post on X read thus: "Our Director Mobilization Hon. @MichealMawanda1 held a meeting with Hon. Hellen Adeke Akor the aspiring Woman MP, Bukedea District (PLU Leaning), who paid him a courtesy visit at the PLU secretariat in Naguru." Mawanda's office further posted: "She updated him on the progress of PLU mobilization in Bukedea district and the Director was impressed with her tremendous work on ground." However Toyota, a brother of President Museveni and uncle to Muhoozi Kainerugaba, shot up […]

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Mukono Land Dealers Remanded Over Forced Land Acquisition

MUKONO. Two renowned land dealers in Mukono, Kityo Seruma Green Way Edward and Kazibwe Yusufu, have been arraigned before the Grade 1 Magistrates Court in Nakifuma on charges of forcible entry and conspiracy to commit an offense. The accused were brought to court this afternoon, April 9, 2025, by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, working in conjunction with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). According to the charge sheet, between 2020 and 2023, the duo, along with others still at large, allegedly violently entered Kamundu Martin's land in Nakasajja Village, Kyampisi sub-county, Mukono district. They purportedly destroyed property, trees, and crops with the intent of taking possession of the land. Furthermore, they conspired with one of the land administrators to subdivide the land into plots and sell it to different individuals. […]

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Uganda’s Parliament and the shadow of bribery

Our Parliament has become a microcosm of the nation’s governance crisis. Despite constitutional safeguards, accountability mechanisms like the Leadership Code Tribunal and Inspectorate of Government remain toothless. The ruling NRM’s dominance, coupled with a fractured opposition, enables a culture of impunity.