I&M Bank (Uganda) Limited has appointed Amanda Musoke Nkole as the new Communications and Outreach Programs Officer.
In her new role, Amanda will lead the bank’s internal and external communications, oversee stakeholder engagement and drive community outreach initiatives. She will be responsible for developing and delivering clear, consistent and impactful messaging that enhances the bank’s reputation while deepening relationships with customers, partners and the wider community.
Amanda joins I&M Bank (Uganda) Limited with more than eight years of experience in marketing and communications across diverse industries.
Her appointment comes at a pivotal time for the bank as it continues to execute its growth strategy, including the rollout of its “On Your Side” thematic campaign, which brings the bank’s customer-centric brand promise to life. The bank is also preparing to launch the second season of Tukikube ne I&M Bank campaign, an initiative focused on empowering SMEs through asset financing, financial literacy, among others.
Amanda welcomed her appointment, describing it as an opportunity to contribute to the bank’s continued growth and brand development.
“I am excited to join I&M Bank (Uganda) Limited at such an important moment for the business. I look forward to adding a brick towards building the brand in ways I hope will take it to new heights. I look forward to working with the amazing team, to create fresh, compelling communications that drive growth,” she said.
Commenting on Amanda’s appointment, I&M Bank (Uganda) Limited Head of Marketing – Annette Nakiyaga, said her expertise will strengthen the bank’s communications function as it continues to expand its market presence.
“Amanda joining the team is an important next step for the Marketing Department. She brings a strong track record spanning almost a decade and her experience will be a great asset as we build on our momentum and continue to grow in the market,” Nakiyaga said.
Outside work, Amanda enjoys swimming, spending time with her family, supporting personal growth initiatives and contributing to community development.
Lil Pazo has explained why he has never felt the need to hide his longtime partner, Patricia Nareeba, popularly known as Mama Farid, from the public.
Unlike some public figures who keep their wives and partners away from the spotlight, the singer proudly appears with Mama Farid and says the reaction she receives whenever she is on camera speaks for itself.
People love and appreciate Mama Farid because she is presentable in front of the camera. She is a mother of three, but she still looks very good.
To Lil Pazo, that kind of admiration begins long before the cameras start rolling.
He says many men fail to take good care of their wives, leaving them with little confidence to introduce them to the public.
Men out there should take good care of their wives because many of them forget to. That is why I have no problem bringing Mama Farid in front of the cameras for people to see her because she looks good.
His comments ended with a challenge to fellow celebrities.
Rather than keeping the women in their lives out of the public eye, Lil Pazo believes they should proudly introduce them to the fans who have supported their journeys.
Men, especially those who have made names for themselves, should also bring their women. I have actually challenged them to introduce their wives and let them speak to the people who support them.
The Embassy of the Republic of Uganda in the Russian Federation has intensified its strategic campaign to position Uganda as a premier tourism destination for the Russian market through a series of innovative promotional initiatives led by Uganda’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, H.E. Moses Kizige.
The campaign, which commenced earlier this year, is designed to strengthen Uganda’s presence in the Russian tourism market by engaging key travel industry stakeholders, media professionals, content creators, and influencers through immersive experiences that showcase the country’s rich cultural and culinary heritage.
As part of these efforts, the Embassy recently hosted an exclusive signature dinner for leading Russian travel agents and travel designers at a restaurant renowned for its authentic Ugandan cuisine and game delicacies. The evening offered guests a unique opportunity to experience the flavours of Uganda while learning about the country’s diverse tourism attractions, vibrant culture, and world-renowned hospitality.
The event attracted Ugandan content creators and influencers based in Russia, members of the media, and representatives from Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, creating an ideal platform for networking and promoting Uganda’s tourism potential.
The dinner was hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda in the Russian Federation, represented by Ms. Georgina Nakowombe, and coordinated by Ms. Felly Mbabazi, and Forking Around Kampala, whose expertise in promoting Uganda’s culinary heritage helped curate an authentic and memorable dining experience.
Guests described the evening as a true gourmet festival, celebrating the richness of Uganda’s cuisine and reinforcing the country’s reputation as one of Africa’s most exciting travel destinations.
The Embassy of the Republic of Uganda in the Russian Federation is committed to expanding Uganda’s visibility in the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Republic of Belarus, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Georgia and Moldova through strategic partnerships with the travel trade, media, and digital influencers.
“This campaign is about creating meaningful connections and showcasing the authentic Uganda experience. By introducing Russian travel professionals and opinion leaders to our cuisine, culture, wildlife, and warm hospitality, we are building lasting relationships that will inspire more visitors to discover the Pearl of Africa, contributing to her ten -fold growth strategy.
The travel agents and the travel designers will be on a 10 day trip to Uganda exploring Uganda’s most beautiful parks including Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi National Park.
The Embassy will continue rolling out a series of promotional activities throughout the year aimed at increasing awareness of Uganda’s exceptional tourism offerings, including its breathtaking landscapes, abundant wildlife, adventure tourism, cultural heritage, and investment opportunities.
The war of words between the P-Square brothers is showing no signs of slowing down.
Peter Okoye, popularly known as Mr. P, has accused his twin brother, Paul Okoye, also known as Rudeboy, of exploiting every controversy surrounding him to damage his reputation.
The latest clash erupted after Mr. P came under fire for asking, “Who Naija language help?” in response to a fan, a remark that sparked widespread criticism online.
As the backlash mounted, Rudeboy shared a series of posts on X that many interpreted as a reaction to the controversy.
I’m a ‘nobody’. I repeat! A nobody! Without the culture, native, language.
Mr. P has now responded, accusing his brother of repeatedly taking advantage of moments when he is under public attack.
But again, bro, you’re at it again, using this moment as another opportunity to pull me down. Just like I wrote in my open letter two years ago, doing everything possible to make people hate me will never work.
Although he accepted the criticism directed at his own remarks, Mr. P insisted Rudeboy crossed the line by deliberately twisting his words.
Yes, people are dragging me over my statement, and that is okay. I accept that. But deliberately twisting my words and using petty tactics to damage my reputation says a lot.
He added that he cannot understand why Rudeboy continues to seize every opportunity to criticize him whenever he faces public backlash.
I don’t know why you look for every opportunity to make derisive comments or jump on the bandwagon whenever I am being attacked.
Tanzanian singer Zuchu has sent social media into a frenzy after appearing to announce that she is expecting a baby, just weeks after revealing that she had parted ways with Bongo Flava superstar Diamond Platnumz.
The Sukari hitmaker surprised fans by sharing a series of photos on social media showing what appeared to be a prominent baby bump, ultrasound scans and baby items, fueling speculation that she is preparing to welcome her first child.
She accompanied the post with the caption: “Growing Love and Eating for Two… pls be a chubby baby,” followed by a laughing emoji.
The announcement caught many by surprise, coming shortly after Zuchu publicly declared that her relationship with Diamond had come to an end.
Moments later, Diamond Platnumz added to the intrigue by sharing a cryptic post on his own social media pages.
“New heartbeats in the family,” he wrote alongside an image featuring Zuchu and her apparent baby bump.
The posts immediately reignited debate about the pair’s relationship, with fans questioning whether their reported breakup was genuine or whether the two had quietly reconciled away from the public eye.
Others, however, urged caution, noting that neither artist has explicitly confirmed a pregnancy or addressed the nature of their current relationship.
Zuchu and Diamond have remained one of East Africa’s most talked-about celebrity couples since the singer joined Wasafi Records several years ago. Their relationship has repeatedly made headlines through public declarations of love, dramatic breakups, reconciliations and engagement speculation.
Their latest posts have once again placed them at the centre of online conversation, with fans dissecting every detail for clues about what is really happening behind the scenes.
Whether the pregnancy reveal marks a genuine new chapter in their lives or another twist in one of East Africa’s most closely followed celebrity relationships remains unclear, but for now, the mystery has only intensified.
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Rwandan President Paul Kagame has warned young people to stay away from alcohol, saying it is destroying lives before many have the chance to achieve their dreams.
Speaking during the 16th cohort of the Itorero Indangamirwa civic education program, Kagame urged the youth to protect their health and remain focused on their ambitions instead of falling into harmful habits.
He noted that alcohol consumption has become so common that many people now encourage others to drink without considering the consequences.
We need you, we love you, but first and foremost, take care of yourselves. Alcohol is killing you. It is killing young people. It has killed so many old ones like us. I want to warn you and beg you that this thing will kill you before you realise your ambitions.
Kagame urged the participants to set meaningful goals and avoid choices that could derail their future before they have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
The remarks came during the 16th cohort of Itorero Indangamirwa, Rwanda’s national civic education program that equips young people with leadership skills, patriotism, discipline, and a strong sense of national responsibility.
Since its establishment, the program has trained thousands of young Rwandans, including students from across the country and the diaspora, many of whom have gone on to serve Rwanda in different sectors.
Complaints about underweight cement bags are linked to tampering and contamination along the supply chain rather than underfilling by licensed manufacturers, the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has said. The bureau says all six authorised cement manufacturers produce cement that meets the required quality and quantity standards, but some bags are allegedly siphoned, adulterated or otherwise interfered with after leaving the factory.
The explanation follows widespread public concern triggered by viral videos showing cement bags weighing between 40 and 42 kilogrammes instead of the standard 50 kilogrammes. The videos sparked debate over product quality and consumer protection, with one consumer who shared such footage later arrested over allegations of damaging a cement brand.
Construction industry players have also alleged that some traders buy empty branded sacks, remove cement from original bags, or mix genuine cement with fillers such as clay dust and sand. Speaking to journalists at the UNBS headquarters in Bweyogerere, Executive Director Engineer James Kasigwa said the integrity of cement is often compromised by actors elsewhere in the value chain, including transporters, traders, engineers and masons.
“We have been working with the six manufacturers to ensure good quality and quantity, but the problem comes from other parts of the value chain—transporters, stores, engineers and masons. Cement can easily be reduced or contaminated after leaving the factory,” Kasigwa said.
Kasigwa said it was unfortunate that complaints about product quality and quantity continue to persist despite UNBS being mandated to develop, promote and enforce standards for quality, safety, health, environmental protection, consumer protection, fair trade and competitive local products. He argued that maintaining standards should not be left to UNBS alone, saying manufacturers, transporters, traders and consumers all have a role to play in protecting product integrity.
The UNBS boss also acknowledged that the bureau is constrained by inadequate laboratory capacity, staff shortages and outdated testing technology, saying the institution is currently operating at only about 50 percent of its required capacity. “We need to automate our systems and get modern technology. Right now we destroy a tyre to test it. If you buy four tyres and we cut one, you lose it. With non-destructive technology we can test without damage, certify faster, and support trade and industry better,” he said.
Kasigwa added that UNBS is also working to develop standards for products that currently do not have them, including fruit wine and other emerging locally manufactured goods.
UNBS Deputy Executive Director Patricia Bageine Ejalu said the bureau needs specialised equipment to speed up product testing and certification. She noted that businesses currently wait up to 14 days to receive certification results.
Addressing concerns about certification costs, Ejalu said small and medium-sized enterprises are charged Shs500,000 per product while medium and large firms pay Shs1 million. She explained that the fees are largely used to operate existing laboratories, leaving little funding for investment in modern technology even as businesses continue to complain that the costs are too high.
Ejalu said UNBS plans to review and lower certification fees to encourage more businesses to seek certification, which would in turn increase laboratory revenue. She also urged young innovators to focus on perfecting one product at a time rather than launching multiple products that attract additional certification costs.
The remarks were made during the 7th Heads of Government Agencies meeting hosted by UNBS on Wednesday. The initiative, spearheaded by the Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, is aimed at strengthening collaboration among government agencies. During the meeting, officials toured the bureau’s Chemistry, Microbiology, Mechanical, Materials and Building laboratories, as well as the Electrical and Meter Testing Laboratory.
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A suspected love triangle has left two people dead in Kibaale District after a man allegedly hacked his former lover and another man with whom he found her in bed before fleeing the scene. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday in Kiheheba B Village, Kiheheba Parish, Kasimbi Sub-county.
The suspect, identified as Julius Shema, 40, also known as Brown, allegedly attacked his former lover, Climitin Buliwariya, 46, and Emmanuel Muhirwe, 40, after finding them together in Buliwariya’s house. The couple had reportedly separated for some time.
According to preliminary police findings, Shema used a panga to attack the two. Buliwariya died instantly, while Muhirwe sustained severe cuts to the head, back and left hand. He was rushed to Kasimbi Health Centre III before being referred to Kakindo Health Centre IV.
However, he died at Kitemba Trading Centre in neighbouring Kagadi District while being transferred for further treatment. Speaking to our reporter, Beneta Twizeri, Muhirwe’s widow, Beneta Twizeri, said her husband was attacked by Shema at around 3:00 a.m.
The LC I Chairperson of Kiheheba B Village, Emmanuel Ndayambaze, said residents alerted him about the attack and he rushed to the scene before helping to transport the injured Muhirwe to Kasimbi Health Centre III.
Kasimbi Sub-county LC III Chairperson Omuhereza Ategeka Tibaingana condemned the killings and urged members of the public to avoid engaging in extramarital affairs and instead resolve relationship disputes peacefully.
Kibaale District Assistant CID Officer Arishaba Benjamin appealed to members of the public to shun domestic violence and urged anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station.
The bodies of the deceased were taken for postmortem examination as police continued with investigations. The suspect was still on the run at the time of publishing this story.
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Uganda has entered into debt, trade and investment agreements that have disadvantaged the country because of poor decisions by technocrats and policymakers involved in the negotiations, First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga has said.
Kadaga says some deals signed for the country reflect either a lack of knowledge on the issue or that the negotiators sign without reading through what they are committing the country to. This, according to her, has cost the country many opportunities, as well as securing costly loans. She called on economic and trade think-tanks like SEATINI Uganda to help the government to build a pool of capable negotiators.
Kadaga was speaking at the event to mark 30 years of SEATINI in Uganda, and the commemoration of economist Yash Tandon’s contribution to national, regional and global economic equity efforts. The events are under the theme: Advancing Africentric Alternatives for Equitable and Sustainable Development. It is aimed at advancing the continent’s move for independence from the Western-backed decisions that influence the global financial architecture.
Kadaga, also Uganda’s Minister for East African Community Affairs, also called for support for her view on a regional currency. She wants this expedited, but says the pace is being affected by the bureaucratic processes of the East African Community.
Among the considerations is the harmonisation of monetary policies across all the eight member states and the convergence criteria. The primary targets under the convergence criteria are the 8 percent inflation target, fiscal deficit within 3 percent, a gross public debt cap at 50 percent of the GDP, and a foreign reserve cover of not less than 4.5 months of import cover.
There are also several secondary targets, and Kadaga says it might take forever for all the countries to simultaneously meet these targets. She prefers the European Union model where the euro was launched, and countries played catch-up as they continued using their currencies alongside the EU currency.
At their last meeting in Uganda last week, the EAC monetary affairs committee agreed on 2031 as the new deadline for a single currency. The single currency is aimed at facilitating cross-border trade, which Kadaga says is difficult under the current conditions and even expensive due to currency conversions.
She also called for faster abolition of trade barriers across the borders.
In his view, Dr Ezra Suruma, presidential advisor and former Finance Minister, said the problem with regional integration is the love for sovereignty, where each country wants to cling to its interests like currency. According to him, this is not only in the EAC or Africa, but that all regional economic blocs encounter it as a challenge. This makes it difficult for one country to influence things at the regional level.
But Suruma, who was among the negotiators for the revival of the EAC, advises that Uganda should continue making policies that cater for its interests, while also taking into consideration the need to enhance regional integration.
On debt and capital availability, Suruma says this will continue to be a challenge for as long as capital is still controlled by the West, which itself is capitalistic by nature. And this, he says, does not only affect state borrowing but also the local private sector, which wants to borrow from the domestic market.
Suruma explained how he was sacked by the government as Chairman/Managing Director at the then Uganda Commercial Bank for opposing its privatisation against the Western (IMF and World Bank) backed government position of privatising all state parastatals. He says that the only solution to capital is having a strong local financial industry independent of Western capitalist influence.
He says Africa must have the knowledge, capacity, and confidence to define and pursue its own development pathway. Suruma commended SEATINI’s 30-year contribution to strengthening Africa’s voice in global economic governance. He emphasized that lasting economic transformation depends on building productive economies, creating jobs for young people, and ensuring Africa shapes, not merely responds to, the global trade agenda.
SEATINI Uganda Executive Director Jane Nalunga reaffirms the organisation’s commitment to advancing Africentric alternatives for equitable and sustainable development through research, policy influence and strategic partnerships. This, she says, is more important today as the countries of the world are becoming more inward-looking, with each one seeking to influence the world order to their own benefit.
According to her, collaboration amongst all African regional economic blocs will be vital to strengthen the negotiation capacity of the continent as it seeks African solutions to its own needs.
David Luke, Director, Firoz Lalji Institute for African at the London School of Economics and Political Science, says the multiple crises and volatility facing countries today mean poorer regions like Africa must rethink their economic and political strategies.
“The consensus era that followed the Second World War — with its norms of multilateralism, non-discrimination, and special treatment for developing countries including development aid — is giving way to a world shaped by contestation, fragmentation, and strategic rivalry,” he says, adding that emerging tensions related to national economic security considerations are reshaping the rules-based global order, including the multilateral trading system itself.
“The role of the WTO has diminished as a forum for the negotiation of trade agreements. Its dispute settlement system is no longer effective.” The commemoration also featured the launch of the Yash Tandon Trade and Development Knowledge Hub, a continental platform for Africentric policy research, knowledge exchange and policy engagement. Also launched was the Africentric Trade and Development Policy Academy, aimed at strengthening Africa’s capacity in trade, fiscal and investment policy leadership while nurturing “a new generation of progressive thinkers and practitioners”.
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