Author: Steven Nuwagira

LeO Africa Institute Founder and former Director of the Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC) Mr. Awel Uwihanganye has criticized big tech companies such as Facebook for doing business unchecked in the country and meddling in the nation’s sovereignty. Uwihanganye, who was appearing on Day 1 of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Uganda and South Sudan sixth (6th) edition of the Uganda Social Media Conference criticized Facebook for blocking Ugandan accounts during the 2021 General Elections. Clarifying that he did not support the ban on Facebook that was effected by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) after NRM leaning supporters were suspended permanently off the…

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has welcomed the new Permanent Secretary Maj. Gen. David Kasura-Kyomukama who is taking over from Mr. Pius Wakabi. Maj. Gen. Kasura-Kyomukama was appointed to the office by President Museveni in a recent reshuffle of Permanent Secretaries that saw other new entrants Lt. Gen. Joseph Musanyufu and Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi take over Internal Affairs and Finance respectively. Before his appointment to MAAIF, Kasura-Kyomukama has been Director of the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi where he had served for over a decade. His predecessor Mr. Wakabi had been PS since 2016. Speaking…

The government of Uganda has announced that the Minister of State for Sports Hon. Hamson Obua will travel to Japan to “co-ordinate” the search for missing Ugandan athlete Julius Ssekitoleko. Mr. Ssekitoleko travelled with the Ugandan team to participate in the Olympic Games but was reported missing from the training camp a few days ago. According to our sources in the Ugandan camp in Japan, the weight lifter left behind a note apologizing for absconding from the team and explained that he wished to live and work in Japan. His country of choice, Japan and that of his origin, Uganda…

Makerere University Business School (MUBS) lecturer Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi has been appointed the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development or as he will be otherwise know, Secretary to the Treasury. Mr Ggoobi, an Economics lecturer at the Nakawa based institute, replaces Mr Keith Muhakanizi who has been taken to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). FULL LIST Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet – Lucy NakyobeDeputy Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet – Deborah KaturamuState House Comptroller – Jane BarekyePrinciple Private Secretary to the President – Dr. Kenneth OmonaPrinciple Private Secretary…

National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U), the government body established under the NITA-U Act 2009, to coordinate and regulate Information Technology services in Uganda has launched a Cyber Security Awareness Campaign aimed at increasing the public awareness and vigilance about the day-to-day cyber threats. The campaign, that has been dubbed #BeSafeOnlineUg is funded by the World Bank as part of the Regional Communications Infrastructure Project (RCIP). RCIP Uganda is focused on complimentary infrastructure investments to ensure greater access to affordable, high quality Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and development of a range of enabling e-Government foundations such as shared infrastructure…

The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon. Frank Kagyigyi Tumwebaze has said Government is planning to boost grape farming in Uganda as one of the ways to help Ugandans improve their household incomes. Acting on the directive of President Museveni, the minister was on a one-day field visit to grape farmers at Nyakayojo and Katojo Cells in Mbarara City South Division and he explained that the intention of his tour was to help farmers to produce good yields that would fetch them good market both locally and internationally. “I came with a team of experts from NARO and…

Frank Kagyigyi Tumwebaze, the newly sworn-in Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), has pledged to use what he termed as a “proactive approach” in his duties where he intends to directly engage farmers on ministry policies. Mr. Tumwebaze, who was formerly the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development said this on June 22 after taking office at the Ministry of Agriculture headquarters in Entebbe. “In this term, we will spend more time with the farmers in the fields than in conferences,” he said. The handover ceremony, whose attendance was limited due to the COVID-19 protocols, was presided…

Twitter has today announced that they’re setting up physical presence in Africa to help support and build conversation and free speech on the African continent. On a blogpost put up by the American microblogging and social networking site, they have announced that they will set up physical presence in the west African country of Ghana. “Twitter’s mission is to serve the public conversation, and it’s essential, for the world and for Twitter, to increase the number of people who feel comfortable participating in it. To do this, we need to make it easier for everyone to join in and provide…

By now, I expect that we have all watched that footballing masterclass displayed by Uganda U-20 player and artiste Bebe Cool’s son, Alpha Thierry Ssali. If you haven’t, we have attached the video in the story. Alpha (with respect to his shirt name choice, we have opted to use that instead of his last name) is by all standards a deeply talented footballer that we all pray achieves the heighest honours in the game. You can’t watch what he did in that Stanbic Uganda Cup game of Proline Vs MYDA FC and you stay the same. I’ve told my friends…

On Friday March 26th, 2021, I was part of a media crew that set out for White Sand Beach in Entebbe for the launch of the new Mirinda Orange flavour. Everything on the journey to the destination prepared me mentally and emotionally for the tasting experience. I have to mention that we went there aboard the Kampala Sight Seeing double decker bus whose crew accorded us a 15 min tour of Kampala. I have been a resident of the Capital City for close to 7 years now but until then, I didn’t even know the story behind the name “Kampala.”…