Category: News

Kampala — Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has publicly expressed gratitude to prominent businessmen Godfrey Kirumira and Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia for their longstanding support, following their formal endorsement of his 2031 presidential ambitions.

In a statement on X on the morning of 9 September 2026, Muhoozi wrote: “I thank my big brothers Kirumira and Sudhir. Thank you for the love you have always shown me. I will not forget it.”

The public message follows a major political development on Monday, 7 September 2026, when Kirumira and Sudhir visited the headquarters of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU)—the political mobilisation group chaired by Muhoozi. During the visit, both business leaders signed endorsement registers backing his bid for the presidency as part of an ongoing nationwide signature collection drive.

Both tycoons hold central figures in the Kwagalana Group, an influential coalition of Kampala’s business elite.

Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia, Chairman of the Ruparelia Group, and Uganda’s wealthiest figure, has routinely backed the General’s initiatives. In April 2026, Sudhir contributed UGX 100 million to Muhoozi’s “Run for Hope” birthday charity event at Kololo Independence Grounds, prompting the General to describe him as “the richest and smartest businessman in Africa.”

Godfrey Kirumira, Honorary Consul of Namibia to Uganda and Chairman of the Kwagalana Group, maintains extensive interests across petroleum, real estate, and trade sectors.

 

The combined endorsements signal growing alignment between key players in Uganda’s private sector and the First Son’s political ambitions. While PLU loyalists view the move as a vote of confidence from the business community, critics and observers note that it underscores the tightening nexus between corporate interests, military leadership, and political succession ahead of 2031.

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The Bank of Uganda (BoU) has strengthened internal controls following security breaches, Governor Michael Atingi-Ego, has told Parliament.

Atingi-Ego said the central bank had reviewed its controls and addressed weaknesses following incidents that included the reported loss of laptops and allegations of systems being hacked.

He made the disclosure on Monday, 07 September 2026, while leading BoU officials before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), chaired by Hon. Muwada Nkunyingi.

Nkunyingi pressed the Governor to explain what had been done to safeguard the central bank and restore public confidence following reports of breaches at its headquarters.

In response, Atingi-Ego said: “We have looked at them and where there are any perceived weaknesses, we have strengthened them. And we are confident in that,” he added.

The Governor, however, rejected the description of one of the incidents as hacking, saying the matter involved fraudulent payments.

“First of all, can I correct you? There was no hacking in Bank of Uganda. There were fraudulent payments,” Atingi-Ego said.

He declined to disclose details of the controls introduced, saying doing so publicly could expose the bank to further risks.

“Chair, we cannot share our controls because the bad boys are out there. They will know what our controls are,” he said, adding that the details could be shared with the committee in camera.

The exchange came as COSASE scrutinised BoU’s financial statements and audit matters for the financial year ended 30 June 2025.

Atingi-Ego told the committee that the Auditor-General had issued an unmodified, or clean, audit opinion on the bank’s financial statements, saying the accounts gave a true and fair view of its financial position, performance and cash flows.

He said the two key audit matters identified expected credit losses on financial assets and litigation and contractual claims did not result in a qualification of the audit opinion.

The committee also raised concerns over loan terms, excessive recovery charges, manipulation of customers’ accounts and limited access to the central bank’s complaint-resolution mechanisms.

He described reliance on customer complaint boxes as “a lacklustre response”, asking BoU to establish a more accessible system through which members of the public can directly raise and have their complaints resolved.

Hon. Eliab Naturinda, the Ndorwa County West MP also challenged the central bank to take a stronger regulatory position against commercial banks accused of mistreating customers. He tasked the institution to regulate money lending using the mobile money.

The committee further questioned how borrowers were protected from unfavourable loan terms and aggressive recovery practices.

Nkuyingi cited complaints received by the committee alleging that some banks deduct money from customers’ accounts for recovery costs and bailiff fees while the underlying loans remain outstanding.

“You will find a customer who borrowed Shs5 million being charged Shs20 million for recovery and it went to a bailiff, but the loan is still existing,” he said.

He challenged BoU to demonstrate “practical and tangible efforts” to protect customers and investigate such practices.

Responding, Hannington Wasswa who represented the bank’s Executive Director for Supervision said the central bank had issued consumer protection guidelines requiring financial institutions to provide borrowers with a key facts document detailing the interest rate, repayment frequency, collateral and repayment schedule.

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Over 5.4 million national identity cards are yet to be collected following a major service-delivery bottleneck faced by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Parliament has learnt.

Rosemary Kisembo, the NIRA Executive Director, attributed the backlog largely to inadequate staffing following the expiry of a temporary mass-enrolment and renewal programme.

NIRA is now asking Government to increase its approved establishment from 571 to 998 positions, while providing at least 2,700 temporary workers for 18 months.

“The authority’s existing workforce is insufficient for the scale of its statutory responsibilities,” she stated while appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises – COSASE on Monday, 07 September 2026.

“NIRA currently has an approved establishment of 571 positions, of which only 418 are filled, including just 201 staff directly facing clients,” she told the committee.

The temporary workforce had been deployed during the mass enrolment and renewal exercise that began on May 27, 2025. The authority initially operated with about 9,800 temporary workers, although the number fluctuated between roughly 9,800 and 12,000 because of high attrition.

Kisembo told MPs that, even with temporary workers available, the authority estimates it would require approximately nine months simply to distribute the outstanding cards, assuming personnel were devoted exclusively to card issuance.

The proposed temporary workforce would be deployed to complete the renewal of approximately six million people, register about 10.9 million people who are not yet on the national register, process changes of particulars and support birth and death registration.

But that arrangement, she acknowledged, offers only temporary relief. “At the end of three months, we shall go back to the point of 418 staff, of which 201 are client-facing.”

Under the Registration of Persons Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, NIRA is responsible for maintaining the National Identification Register and registering citizens, lawful non-citizens, births and deaths.

The 2024 amendments further transferred civil-registration functions, including marriage registration, to NIRA as part of the Government’s rationalisation of public agencies.

According to Kisembo’s testimony, NIRA has printed approximately 15.4 million new identity cards, but only about 10 million have been issued, leaving roughly 5.4 million cards within the authority’s custody. “The workload vis-à-vis the staffing structure does not match,” she said.

Hon. George Musisi, COSASE Deputy Chairperson and MP for Kira Municipality, said complaints from citizens suggested that motivation, efficiency and internal service standards were also contributing to delays.

Musisi recounted his own experience at a NIRA office, saying he arrived early but still encountered difficulties obtaining service. “It is not just about the numbers of the staff…..just picking a card, not registration, picking a card is problematic.”

Hon. Muwada Nkunyingi, the committee chairperson queried cases in which citizens with newly issued national IDs were allegedly being told that their identification details were not yet activated or linked to the relevant systems.

Hon. Geofrey Wokuri, MP for Bungokho County South, told the committee that young people seeking driving permits could lose money because training-related payments may expire while they wait for identity information to become operational.

NIRA acknowledged that the driving-permit system is still being connected to the new identification system but said it has introduced an interim workaround.

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For 25 years, the people of Busoga have patiently waited for the completion of the Mbulamuti–Kamuli–Bukungu road after it was promised by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in 2001.

The good news is that this long wait is now closer to an end following last Thursday’s approval by parliament of Government’s request to borrow funds for the road’s construction. As a leader from Buyende and representative of the people of Budiope West, this is a significant milestone not only for Busoga, but also for Uganda’s wider economic transformation agenda.
Therefore, I commend Members of Parliament who supported the motion authorising Government to borrow up to €207.77 million (approximately Shs842.71 billion) from Citibank and other financial institutions to finance the project.
I also specially commend the Parliamentary Committee on National Economy, chaired by Hon. Jane Pacuto, for supporting the fast-tracking of this important project so that its economic benefits can be realised sooner.
The financing will facilitate the upgrading of the 127-kilometre Mbulamuti–Kamuli–Bukungu road, together with 10 kilometres of roads in Jinja City. It will also cater for land compensation and construction supervision.

More than a road
The Mbulamuti–Kamuli–Bukungu road must not be viewed simply as a stretch of tarmac connecting districts. It is an economic artery with the potential to transform the fortunes of entire communities. The road connects Jinja and Kamuli through Budondo Sub-county before passing through Mbulamuti on the banks of the River Nile and reaching Bukungu in Buyende District. But its strategic importance extends beyond Busoga. Once completed, it will provide an important alternative transport link between northern and southern Uganda, connecting Busoga to the Lango and Teso sub-regions through Bukungu.

This will reduce travel time, lower the cost of transporting goods and improve access to markets. Farmers, traders, manufacturers, students, workers and ordinary travellers will all benefit.

The areas through which the road passes, such as Budondo and Butagaya sub-counties are also economically important; they are among the key food baskets supplying Jinja City and, indirectly, Kampala. Improving the road will therefore facilitate the movement of food from farms to markets. For the people of Buyende, it will open a much-needed connection to larger markets and economic opportunities in Jinja, Teso, Lango, and beyond.

The road will also give a major boost to tourism in Busoga as it is the principal access route to Kyabirwa and Itanda Falls on the River Nile, one of the region’s important natural attractions, particularly for visitors interested in water sports.
A good road will enable tourists to reach these destinations more easily, safely and conveniently, hence stimulating investment in accommodation, restaurants, tour operations, transport and other businesses along the tourism value chain.

A project whose time has come
Socio-politically, this project is particularly important to me and many people in Busoga because it is also a lesson in patience and constructive engagement. In 2013, some people were incited to demonstrate demanding the road. While I understand the frustrations of communities that wait for development projects, citizens must appreciate that Government has many competing national priorities to address with limited resources.
The fact that the project has now reached this stage after 25 years demonstrates that Government commitments can be pursued through patience and constructive engagement. President Museveni has demonstrated over the years that he does not make promises simply to win applause.

His approach has been to prioritise projects according to available resources and implement them when conditions permit.
The road now comes to fruition at a time when Buyende district is the site for the country’s maiden nuclear energy project, a critical pillar of Uganda’s future development as envisaged by the NDP IV and Vision 2040. As we speak now, government already eased L. Kyoga transport by commissioning the Bukungu–Kagwara–Kaberamaido ferries. This means the road will further shorten the already shorten distance between the capital Kampala and the northern region through Busoga. This is important for internal trade and also transportation and access to better markets of produce for our people engaging in government programmes such as PDM and Emyooga, among others.

Guarding every shilling
As we celebrate this progress, however, we must remain vigilant. Government is borrowing substantial resources to construct this road, and every shilling must therefore deliver value to the taxpayer. I am particularly encouraged by the commitment of the Ministry of Works and Transport to ensure that Project Affected Persons are equitably and smoothly compensated in accordance with the law and established Government policies.

Fair, transparent and timely compensation of our people whose land and property are affected by the project will protect them from unnecessary disruption to their livelihoods, while at the same time protecting government’s image.

But even most encouraging is that this project matures at a time when the president, supported by our dear CDF, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, have intensified the fight against corruption. This gives us great confidence that the Mbulamuti–Kamuli–Bukungu road project will be protected from wanton abuse that is usually fomented by corrupt behavior by implementers as we have witnessed in the ongoing crackdown on the corrupt.

On that front, I urge the district leadership and Resident District Commissioners, particularly in Kamuli and Buyende, to remain vigilant. They must closely monitor the project and ensure that every penny allocated to it is accounted for and used for its intended purpose.
Road projects must no longer become opportunities for a few individuals to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers. Success will require cooperation among the Central Government, local governments, technical officers, cultural and community leaders, Project Affected Persons and the people themselves.

A new chapter for Busoga
During last Thursday’s debate for this road project, the Finance Minister made a compelling economic case for the project, indicating that it has an Economic Internal Rate of Return of 16.7%. He noted that this is significantly above the 11% economic opportunity cost of capital, which makes this road not simply a political promise but an economically viable investment capable of generating substantial returns for the country.

For Budiope West and Buyende in particular, Bukungu will increasingly become a gateway to opportunities beyond our traditional geographical boundaries. We should therefore welcome this development with optimism, but also with responsibility. The approval of the borrowing is an important step, but it is not the end of the journey. We must ensure that construction is delivered to the required standards, within agreed timelines and without corruption.

For the people of Busoga, the Mbulamuti–Kamuli–Bukungu road represents more than asphalt, bridges and drainage channels. It represents connectivity, markets, tourism, jobs and hope.
We must therefore be thankful to the president that after 25 years of waiting, government still holds onto the promise to give us this precious enabler of development. We can’t thank you enough, Mr. President!

The author is the Minister for the Presidency and MP for Budiope West County, Buyende District.

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Mukono District Headquarters –

Mukono District Local Government has held a Local Economic Development (LED) meeting bringing together Heads of Department, stakeholders and officials from the Ministry of Local Government to strengthen economic planning, investment and implementation of development programmes in the district.

Local Economic Development is a process through which local governments, the private sector and communities form partnerships to mobilise, manage and invest resources in economic ventures aimed at stimulating growth within their localities, as provided for under the National Local Economic Development Policy, 2014.

Representing the Ministry of Local Government, Mr. Julius Muhairwe, Senior Development Officer, encouraged participants to embrace production and investment, describing productive ventures as a form of long-term wealth creation that provides sustainable livelihoods and economic security.

Muhairwe emphasized that LED is a participatory process that requires involvement of government institutions, the private sector, communities and other development partners in identifying local economic opportunities and addressing barriers to growth.

He outlined key Terms of Reference for LED, including planning and conducting local economy and business assessments, developing area economic profiles, mapping investment opportunities, and facilitating identification and development of viable and bankable projects.

He added that LED also involves promoting public-private and community partnerships, and identifying suitable land for development of industrial and business parks.

Muhairwe further highlighted the role of LED in implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM), noting that effective local economic development contributes to food security, wealth creation, employment and improved service delivery at parish and ward level.

He said successful PDM implementation requires strong institutional structures, inclusive stakeholder engagement, capacity building, coordinated planning, sustained resource mobilisation and proper utilisation of available resources.

He urged Heads of Department and other stakeholders to consistently attend LED meetings to coordinate interventions, share information and ensure effective implementation of local economic development initiatives.

Meanwhile, District Commercial Officer Ms. Beatrice Owembabazi appreciated the Ministry of Local Government for facilitating the meeting. She called for increased involvement of development partners and funders to support LED initiatives, noting that greater investment would create opportunities for the private sector and the wider community.

Mr. Moses Ekoru, Vice President representing manufacturers, pledged to continue reviewing and applying knowledge acquired from the meeting. He encouraged stakeholders to embrace knowledge sharing and collaboration to develop practical solutions and innovative economic ventures.

Ekoru described the engagement as an important opportunity for manufacturers and other stakeholders to gain knowledge that can contribute to economic progress, pledging to support translation of lessons discussed into practical actions.

The meeting provided a platform for Mukono District Local Government, the Ministry of Local Government, the private sector and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration in promoting local economic growth.

Stakeholders were urged to move beyond discussions and translate knowledge, opportunities and partnerships generated through LED into practical and measurable actions that will improve livelihoods and accelerate economic development across Mukono District.

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Police at Old Kampala have arrested eight suspects in connection with a viral social media video in which a group of individuals allegedly boast about carrying out violent attacks against members of the public.

In the video, about six individuals are seen allegedly praising themselves for attacking several people, claiming to have broken victims’ jaws and teeth.

The suspects also allegedly demand that dentists share with them money earned from treating victims of the attacks, while threatening to attack medical practitioners who fail to comply.

Following intelligence-led investigations, police conducted an operation on September 8, 2026, at Gojo Gym in Namungona, Lubya Parish, Rubaga Division, Kampala District, where eight suspects were apprehended.

Police said four of those arrested are allegedly seen in the viral video.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects allegedly use the gym, purportedly for boxing training, as a meeting point and are suspected of involvement in a range of violent criminal activities.

These allegedly include robberies, housebreaking, theft, phone snatching, use of deadly weapons and unlawful possession of narcotic substances.

The suspects arrested have been identified as Matiti Mohammed, also known as Beast-Commander; Nurudin Kasule, also known as 2 I/C; Umar Mubiru; Lukooya Adams; Kiyimba Martin; Alinda Yosam Junior; Walumu James; and Elvis Simanya.

Police said the last four suspects were found at the gym, with some allegedly in possession of suspected narcotic substances.

The suspects are currently in police custody pending court proceedings.

Police said efforts are continuing to identify and apprehend other individuals allegedly appearing in the viral video and to establish their possible involvement in the reported criminal activities.

Members of the public have been urged to provide police with any information that could help identify other suspects or victims linked to the alleged attacks.

Police said such information will assist in advancing investigations and bringing all those responsible to account.

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