English singer James Blunt has pushed back after online speculation linked him to a disturbing incident described by American actress Hayden Panettiere in her memoir.
Panettiere wrote about an unsettling experience involving a “very famous” man on a boat when she was 18.
After her death earlier this month, internet users began speculating about the man’s identity. Some pointed to Blunt after old photos showed the two together on a boat.
However, Blunt publicly rejected the speculation by sharing an article that challenged the theory. Journalist Dean Piper pointed out that the timeline did not match Panettiere’s account, noting that photos linking her to Blunt came from 2009, when she was nearly 20.
The article also argued that details of their interaction did not match the experience Panettiere described in her memoir.
The singer did not offer a lengthy statement of his own. Instead, he used the article to make his position clear as the speculation spread online.
KAMPALA – A new study by the Kampala Capital City Authority has revealed a worrying surge in HIV infections, with at least 211 people in the capital contracting the virus every week over the past 12 months.
The findings, presented at the 2026 Kampala HIV/TB Stakeholders’ meeting, show that 11,241 new infections were recorded between July 2025 and June 2026. This translates to roughly 844 cases per month or about 30 new infections every day. The study reviewed testing data from 649,570 individuals across various health facilities in the city.
Dr. Douglas Tuhumwire, Care and Treatment Lead at KCCA, said the spike is suspected to be driven largely by unregulated sexual activity in massage parlours, spas and lodges. Other contributing factors cited include domestic violence, structural inequalities and exposure influenced by digital platforms and social media. He stressed that these drivers still require deeper investigation to establish the exact causes.
Women made up 64 percent of those tested and accounted for 62 percent of the new positive cases. Men represented 38 percent of the new infections. While most people tested were aged 20 to 24, the highest number of new positives was concentrated among those aged 30 to 39.
Stakeholders at the meeting expressed alarm over the figures, especially amid declining funding for HIV programmes. Josephine Kaleebi, Executive Director of Reach Out Mbuya Community Health Initiative, described the numbers as deeply concerning. She noted that many adolescents who were protected from mother-to-child transmission at birth are now acquiring HIV due to limited awareness of the risks. Kaleebi called for renewed focus on prevention and stronger efforts to re-engage young people who have grown up in an era of widely available antiretroviral treatment.
Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo urged government and development partners to prioritise funding for the city, citing its dense day and night population. He pushed for a better coordinated referral system among NGOs, support to digitise health facilities, and encouraged residents to test regularly so they know their HIV status.
Dr. Christopher Oundo, KCCA HIV/TB Focal Person, acknowledged progress in care and treatment but pointed out that stigma, discrimination and continuous new infections remain major obstacles. He emphasised the need for multi-institutional collaboration if the city is to end the epidemic.
The meeting was organised under Reach Out Mbuya’s five-year PEPFAR-supported HIV/TB project in Kampala, which aims to help the country reach the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets by 2030. Current data shows Kampala at 88 percent for people knowing their status and 78 percent of diagnosed individuals enrolled on antiretroviral therapy. The city has already exceeded the third target, achieving 97.5 percent viral suppression among those on treatment.
Health experts are now calling for urgent, targeted prevention measures, particularly those aimed at young adults and the regulation of high-risk venues such as massage parlours, spas and lodges, if the current trajectory is to be reversed.
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KAMPALA — The Kawempe NRM Youth Brigade has nominated Kawempe Division Deputy Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Rotarian Kagenyi Lukka for a Transformational Leadership Award, citing his role in strengthening the party’s performance and organisational structures in the division.
The nomination recognises what the youth brigade describes as Lukka’s contribution to the NRM’s growing electoral performance in Kawempe, as well as his efforts to strengthen the party’s grassroots mobilisation and representation.
According to the achievements cited in support of his nomination, the NRM’s presidential performance in Kawempe increased from 23 per cent in 2021 to 47.2 per cent in the 2026 polls.
The youth brigade also credits Lukka with contributing to the election of Hajjati Madinah Nsereko as the NRM Member of Parliament for Kawempe South, marking the party’s return to parliamentary representation in the area after about 25 years.
The NRM last held the Kawempe parliamentary seat in 2001.
At the division council level, the nomination document says the NRM secured 38 of Kawempe Division’s 48 councillor positions, leaving opposition parties with 10 seats.
The document further credits Lukka with helping the NRM secure representation at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) headquarters, with three of the five councillors from Kawempe Division reportedly elected to the authority.
The NRM also registered strong results in the recently concluded LC1 elections in Kawempe Division, according to figures cited by the youth brigade.
Out of 120 villages, NRM candidates reportedly won 77, while NUP secured 10, PFF three and DP two. A further 28 positions were won by independent candidates described by the nominators as NRM-leaning.
At the LC2 level, the nomination document states that NRM candidates were fielded and led by Lukka across all 22 parishes in Kawempe Division.
The youth brigade says the results demonstrate the impact of sustained grassroots mobilisation and leadership in rebuilding the party’s presence in the division.
The nomination comes as political parties continue to strengthen their grassroots structures following the 2026 general and local council elections.
In the message accompanying the nomination, the Kawempe NRM Youth Brigade commended Lukka for what it described as tireless service, commitment and leadership, saying his contribution had helped transform the division’s political landscape.
The proposed award seeks to recognise leaders whose work is considered to have delivered measurable organisational and community-level results.
If selected, Lukka would be recognised for his contribution to leadership, mobilisation and organisational development within Kawempe Division.
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President Yoweri Museveni has forgiven former Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among and directed that criminal prosecution against her will not continue, according to Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Among had been under house arrest for more than 100 days as security agencies investigated allegations surrounding corruption and the acquisition of wealth.
The development was revealed by Gen. Muhoozi on X after a user, Joshua Kamusiime, asked whether the criminal prosecution against Among would continue.
“Is the criminal prosecution continuing?” Kamusiime asked.
Muhoozi responded: “No. We shall not prosecute AAA. She made mistakes, but Mzee has decided to forgive her.”
The announcement follows Museveni’s earlier directive for Muhoozi to release Among from house arrest, potentially bringing an end to the restrictions she had faced for more than three months.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has approved the establishment of three new Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs in Ntungamo, Bushenyi and Kalangala districts as the government moves to expand access to vocational training for vulnerable young people.
Two of the new hubs will be established in Ntungamo and Bushenyi districts in the Ankole sub-region, while the third will be constructed in Kalangala District to serve young people in the island district.
The expansion follows concerns from regional leaders over stiff competition for the limited training opportunities available at existing Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs.
State House Comptroller, Ms. Jane Barekye announced the development on Monday, August 24, 2026, during stakeholder engagements at the Ankole Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub and the Greater Masaka Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub.
The Ankole Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub currently serves 17 administrative units, including districts, municipalities and a city, creating intense competition for the available training slots.
Ms. Barekye said some administrative units receive an average of only 14 slots per intake, compared with more than 25 slots allocated to some other zones.
She noted that the establishment of additional hubs is expected to ease pressure on existing centres and enable more young people to acquire practical skills that can improve their employment and income prospects.
In Greater Masaka, the new hub in Kalangala is expected to address the unique challenges faced by young people in the island district, particularly the difficulties and costs associated with travelling to mainland training centres.
The existing Greater Masaka Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub serves 10 administrative units. Once the Kalangala facility is established, the administrative units will be shared between the two centres, with each hub serving five administrative units.
According to Ms. Barekye, the construction of the three facilities will commence once the respective local governments identify and formally provide suitable land for the projects.
The Director of Presidential Projects and Industrial Hubs at State House, Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, said the expansion will also be accompanied by the introduction of new vocational courses.
On the directive of President Museveni, four additional courses are being introduced: weaving and knitting, plumbing, electrical installation and electrical wiring.
The new courses are intended to broaden the range of practical skills available to beneficiaries and equip young people with competencies that can be applied directly in the labour market or used to establish small businesses.
The State House also relaxed admission requirements for vulnerable young people who do not possess National Identification Cards.
Eng. Kamugisha said applicants without National IDs can now present recommendation letters from their respective LC1 chairpersons and be admitted while efforts are made to help them acquire the required identification documents.
The measure is aimed at ensuring that a lack of national identification does not prevent vulnerable young people from accessing skills training.
Meanwhile, Eng. Kamugisha further raised concerns over the low uptake of SACCO loans by graduates of the skilling programme, despite funds being made available to help beneficiaries establish income-generating activities.
He urged graduates to take advantage of the available financing opportunities and translate the skills acquired through the programme into sustainable businesses and employment.
Greater Masaka Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub Chairperson, Mr. Rodgers Bulegeya called for an increase in enrolment, proposing that the number of beneficiaries be raised from the current 24 young people per district to 100.
Mr. Bulegeya said the growing demand for vocational training demonstrates the need for the government to expand both the number of training centres and the number of beneficiaries admitted in each intake.
The proposed hubs in Ntungamo, Bushenyi and Kalangala are expected to reduce pressure on existing centres while bringing vocational training closer to vulnerable young people who might otherwise struggle to access such opportunities.
The expansion reinforces the government’s focus on practical skills development as a pathway to youth employment, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
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Tyrese Gibson, a famous American singer and actor, arrived in Uganda at Entebbe International Airport on Tuesday morning.
Welcomed by dignitaries from the Uganda Tourism Board, Talent Africa Group, and others, Tyrese Gibson, with the Ugandan flag over his shoulders, couldn’t stop smiling.
He expressed his excitement about returning to the Pearl of Africa.
Tyrese Gibson was first in Uganda in 2012, and he returns now for a series of activities promoting the country’s tourism industry.
The race for Uganda’s tourism crown has officially begun, with 35 young women and nine men unveiled as contestants for the 2026 Miss Tourism Uganda and Man of Tourism competitions.
The contestants were introduced to the public over the weekend at Kampala Serena Hotel in a colourful ceremony that turned the pageant into a celebration of Uganda’s cultural diversity.
Representing different regions and cultural backgrounds, the contestants took turns on the runway in traditional outfits, giving the audience a glimpse of the heritage, they will be expected to champion if crowned.
The applause grew louder with each introduction, with several contestants receiving standing ovations as they showcased the cultures and identities of the communities they represent.
For the organisers, however, this year’s competition is about more than beauty, confidence and a glamorous crown.
Miss Tourism Uganda public relations officer Saina Musasizi thanked the audience for showing up to support the contestants, describing the unveiling as an important step in their journey.
“We would like to thank you all for coming out to support and showing love for our contestants tonight,” Musasizi said.
With the contestants now known, the competition moves into its more demanding phase. The 35 women will enter a boot camp where they will undergo preparations ahead of the grand finale, while the nine men battle for the Man of Tourism title.
The finale will be held on September 4 at Kampala Serena Hotel under the theme “AI, Culture and Tourism.”
The choice of theme gives this year’s pageant a more contemporary edge. Rather than treating culture and technology as opposing forces, the organisers want to explore how artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies can help Uganda package, preserve and promote its cultural heritage.
Culture remains the keeper of Uganda’s history, traditions and identity, but technology increasingly offers new ways to tell those stories to audiences far beyond the country’s borders.
That intersection is likely to give the contestants more to prove than their appearance and stage presence. They will also be expected to demonstrate how they understand Uganda’s tourism potential and how they can use their platforms to contribute to its promotion.
Beyond the title and responsibilities that come with becoming Miss Tourism Uganda, the 2026 winner will receive a fully furnished rented house in Bwebajja along Entebbe Road for the duration of her reign.
For the contestants, the runway unveiling was only the beginning. The real contest now moves to the boot camp, where confidence, cultural knowledge, intelligence and their ability to represent Uganda’s tourism story will increasingly matter.
On September 4, one woman will walk away with the crown, while one of the nine male contestants will claim the inaugural spotlight as Man of Tourism.
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In Uganda today, the most daring ministers and public servants who have chosen to confront corruption head-on are finding themselves in the crosshairs of a vicious smear campaign. It is a paradox as old as politics itself: those who rise to defend the public good are painted as villains, while the true culprits slip away with their loot. The courage of men and women like Balaam Barugahara, Fred Byamukama, Justine Nameere, and officials in the Ministry of Works and the Auditor General’s office has become the very reason they are being targeted. Their determination to expose rot has triggered a counter-offensive from entrenched interests who thrive on taxpayer money, and now, through paid journalists and influencers, these patriots are being portrayed as incompetent, corrupt, or even criminal. It is a deliberate strategy: if the public can be convinced that the clean ones are dirty, then the dirty ones walk free.
Take the case of Minister Fred Byamukama, whose loyalty to President Museveni and his five years of service had never been questioned until he tipped off the President about corruption trails in the Ministry of Works. Billions of shillings were at stake, with procurement scandals and inflated contracts threatening to drain the treasury. Byamukama’s intervention was timely, and it saved the taxpayer from yet another hemorrhage. But almost immediately, articles began to surface branding him “the most incompetent minister,” questioning his education, and even prying into his private life. The timing was no accident. For years, no one had written against him. Only when he dared to look into the saucepans of the corrupt did the knives come out. This is the classic playbook of corruption cartels: discredit the whistleblower, so the whistleblower’s revelations lose credibility. Yet the facts remain—Byamukama’s vigilance exposed rot, and his courage is precisely why he is being attacked.
The Ministry of Works itself has been a battleground. Officials credited with standing firm against corruption have suddenly found themselves under siege. Articles have called for them to step aside “like their dirty counterparts,” a cynical attempt to blur the line between the guilty and the innocent. Consider the scandals of ghost bridges and idle equipment, where billions were lost on projects that never materialized or machinery that never moved. It was clean officials who raised alarms, who resisted contractor cartels, and who refused to sign off on fraudulent deals. Yet instead of being celebrated, they are now accused of incompetence. The smear campaign is designed to confuse the public, to make it seem as though everyone is equally guilty, so that no one is held accountable. But the record is clear: those officials who resisted corruption saved billions, and their persecution is proof of how deeply the rot fears exposure.
In local government, the story is no different. Minister Balaam Barugahara, a man whose bluntness has unsettled corruption godfathers, has been cast as reckless and lawless. Before Parliament, he lamented how officials implicated in abuse of office find it easy to walk out of prison, aided by corrupted legal procedures. His frustration was not with the law itself but with its manipulation by powerful networks. Yet detractors have twisted his words, painting him as a minister who disregards the law. This is deliberate misrepresentation. Balaam’s real crime, in the eyes of the corrupt, is that he refuses to play along. He has confronted thieves directly, and he has exposed the ease with which they exploit loopholes. That is why he is being targeted. His courage threatens the comfort of those who have long treated public office as a personal ATM.
Justine Nameere has faced similar pressure. Her severity in confronting corruption has been reframed as arrogance, her insistence on accountability as disregard for procedure. Paid influencers have been deployed to portray her as a problem rather than a solution. Yet the truth is that Nameere has stood firm where others have compromised. She has refused to bend to the networks that protect corruption, and for that, she has been cast as an enemy. It is a familiar tactic: when you cannot defeat someone’s arguments, you attack their character. But the public must see through this. Nameere’s record speaks louder than the smear campaigns. She has fought corruption with consistency, and her persecution is evidence of her effectiveness.
Even the Auditor General’s office, the very institution tasked with safeguarding accountability, has not been spared. Officials there have been targeted for exposing irregularities, their integrity questioned in the press. This is not coincidence. It is strategy. The corrupt know that if the Auditor General is discredited, then audits lose their power. If audits lose their power, then billions can be stolen without consequence. That is why the office has been attacked. It is not because the officials are corrupt, but because they are incorruptible.
The smear campaigns are sophisticated. Paid journalists and influencers have been recruited to preach hate and lies, to flood the public space with narratives that confuse and mislead. Ministers are portrayed as incompetent, arrogant, or corrupt. Their education is questioned, their private lives scrutinized, their loyalty doubted. The goal is not to prove anything but to sow doubt. If the public can be convinced that these ministers are no better than the thieves they fight, then the thieves win. It is psychological warfare, and it is being waged with precision.
Yet there is one assurance that remains: President Museveni is fully behind these anti-corruption heroes. His ongoing cleanup has already implicated staff at Works in corruption cases, and he has stood by those who exposed the rot. Byamukama’s tip-off was not ignored; it was acted upon. Balaam’s frustrations were not dismissed; they were acknowledged. Nameere’s severity has not been punished; it has been recognized. The President knows that these ministers are fighting for the taxpayer, and he has refused to abandon them. That is why the smear campaigns are so intense. The corrupt know that as long as the President stands with these ministers, their loot is threatened. They are fighting not just the ministers but the President’s resolve.
The public must resist the manipulation. It must recognize the pattern: clean officials are attacked only after they expose corruption. Before they speak out, they are left alone. After they speak out, they are smeared. This is not coincidence; it is cause and effect. The timing tells the story. Byamukama was attacked only after he tipped off the President. Balaam was attacked only after he confronted thieves in Parliament. Nameere was attacked only after she refused to bend. The Auditor General’s office was attacked only after it exposed irregularities. The pattern is clear, and it must be exposed.
Uganda’s fight against corruption is not just about laws and audits; it is about courage. It is about men and women who are willing to risk their reputations, their careers, and even their safety to protect the taxpayer. These ministers and officials are not perfect, but they are patriots. They are being devoured by the very vice they dare to fight, and that is proof of their effectiveness. The corrupt do not waste energy attacking the weak; they attack the strong. That is why these ministers are under siege. Their persecution is not evidence of their guilt but of their success.
The smear campaigns will continue. Paid journalists will write, influencers will post, and narratives will be spun. But the public must hold fast to the truth. The truth is that corruption has godfathers who fear exposure. The truth is that ministers like Byamukama, Balaam, and Nameere have dared to confront them. The truth is that the Auditor General’s office has refused to compromise. And the truth is that President Museveni has stood by these patriots. That is the assurance the public retains, and it must not be lost.
In the end, history will not remember the smear campaigns. It will remember the courage. It will remember the ministers who stood firm, the officials who refused to bend, the audits that exposed rot, and the President who backed them. It will remember that in a time of corruption, there were patriots who dared to fight. And it will remember that their persecution was proof of their effectiveness. They are being devoured by the vice they fight, but they will be remembered as heroes.
The writer is a patriot, veteran Journalist and public servant. Contact him on 0772342782
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Case Hospital has broken its silence over the controversial death of Hillside Schools Naalya principal, Dr Henry Stanley Okia, confirming that the educationist died at the facility but declining to disclose the medical details surrounding his final hours.
In a statement dated August 23, the hospital said Dr Okia died on Thursday, August 20, and expressed condolences to his family, friends and the wider community he served.
The statement comes amid growing questions over what happened to the longtime Hillside Schools boss after he reportedly went to hospital for medical checks ahead of a planned school trip to South Africa.
Case Hospital, however, insisted that patient confidentiality prevents it from discussing specific clinical details in the media.
The hospital said its doctors had provided Dr Okia’s family with a full medical report, while stressing that its medical team provided him with “high-quality, dedicated care” from the moment he was received at the facility.
But the hospital’s carefully worded statement has done little to stop questions surrounding the sudden death.
Sources familiar with the events leading to Dr Okia’s death told RedPepper what may have gone wrong,
although several of the claims remain independently unverified.
According to the sources, Dr Okia had initially gone for a medical check-up ahead of a planned Hillside Schools term two holiday trip to South Africa. Learners and staff expected to travel were reportedly required to undergo medical examinations before the trip.
Dr Okia was reportedly among those undergoing the checks and is said to have visited Mulago Hospital on Wednesday afternoon for a heart-related examination.
Sources claimed the examination was conducted by a doctor personally known to Dr Okia and who is also a parent at Hillside Schools. The doctor reportedly works at both Mulago and Case Hospital.
Following the Mulago examination, Dr Okia was allegedly advised to proceed to Case Hospital for further cardiovascular assessment.
It was reportedly at Case that he was informed that his Mulago results, which had delayed, were available and that the condition identified meant he could not proceed with the South Africa trip.
Sources further claimed that a doctor advised him to undergo what was described as a minor heart procedure at Case Hospital.
Because it was already late, he was reportedly advised to spend the night at the hospital, with the procedure expected to be conducted at about 9:00am the following morning.
Then came the dramatic twist.
On Thursday morning, sources claimed, Dr Okia was taken into theatre in a wheelchair for the procedure.
The same sources alleged that no family consent forms had been signed before he was taken into theatre, although Red Pepper could not independently verify the claim.
About 20 minutes later, according to the sources, a nurse reportedly emerged from theatre and informed a relative attending to Dr Okia that he had died.
The sudden death has since left relatives, friends and the Hillside Schools fraternity demanding answers about what happened between the medical examination and the fatal outcome.
The emerging account also differs from some versions circulating on social media suggesting that Dr Okia simply went to hospital for routine tests before collapsing.
However, Red Pepper has not independently established the exact nature of the procedure, the medical findings, whether consent requirements were followed, or the precise cause of death.
It also remains unclear whether the procedure contributed to the death or whether Dr Okia suffered a complication linked to an underlying medical condition.
Case Hospital’s latest statement does not address those specific questions, citing patient confidentiality and the privacy of the bereaved family.
Attention is now turning to the medical records, the tests reportedly conducted at Mulago, the treatment administered at Case and the circumstances surrounding the procedure that preceded Dr Okia’s death.
The name of Dr Nabbale has also featured prominently in accounts surrounding the events but this is a story for another day.
For now, Case Hospital says it has handed the family a full medical report.
But with questions still hanging over Dr Okia’s final hours, the medical report could become central to efforts to establish exactly what happened to the Hillside Schools boss.
More details to follow.
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Political and social critic Frank M. Gashumba has challenged public figures who brand themselves as “celebrities” to live up to the status that comes with the title.
Speaking during one of his regular talk shows, Gashumba aimed at self-proclaimed celebrities who wear second-hand clothes, urging them to stop referring to themselves as celebrities if they cannot match the image associated with the title.
He also had strong words for those who use charcoal stoves to cook at home, arguing that such individuals should reconsider calling themselves celebrities.
“Stop branding yourselves as celebrities when you still wear second-hand clothes. And if you consider yourself a celebrity while using a charcoal stove at home, never regard yourself as one. When you give yourselves that title, you have to look and live it.”
Gashumba also used the platform to make a personal declaration about his marriage, insisting that he has only one wife, Patience Malaika, and that she is the only woman he considers his wife.
“I only have one wife. This is a will I’m making from here. If I happen to have more than one wife, Allah should punishment me. She also knows my children. Thirty years from today, no one should ever come out and claim to have been my wife. Malaika knows my children.”
He acknowledged that he had dated other women before marrying Malaika, noting that some of them left with gifts he had given them during their relationships.
“Those that I dated before marrying her, there are things I gave them that they went with.”
Gashumba further revealed that his late father once advised him against marrying more than one wife, drawing from his own experience of having multiple wives.
“One time my father walked me around a hill and advised me never to marry more than one wife. He cautioned me that those are only challenges you bring to yourself in life. My dad had many wives, and gave birth to us from many wives as he shared the challenges he faced.”
According to Gashumba, Malaika is also the only woman whose family he formally visited and to whom he was introduced through the traditional marriage processes of Kukyala and Kwanjula.
“Malaika is the only wife that I visited (Kukyala) and got introduced to her family (Kwanjula). I’ve never visited any other woman’s parents’ home in my lifetime.”
