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A high-profile international research project studying privately managed cash transfers in Africa has come under the spotlight after the Auditor General uncovered financial management weaknesses involving misallocation of project funds, raising fresh questions about internal controls and budget discipline within the initiative.

The findings are contained in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending December 31, 2024, which examined the CASH-IN – Privately Managed Cash Transfers in Africa Project, a multi-country research programme involving Makerere University, Roskilde University in Denmark and the University of Dodoma in Tanzania.

Although the project received an unqualified audit opinion, the Auditor General identified financial irregularities showing that expenditure was not charged to the correct budget lines as approved under the project’s financial plan.

According to the audit, expenditure amounting to USD 6,387.40, equivalent to approximately UGX 23.4 million, was charged to budget lines that did not correspond with the approved budget code allocations.

The Auditor General found that project costs were instead posted to administrative budget lines contrary to their intended purpose under the approved project budget.

The findings suggest weaknesses in financial management and budget implementation, with expenditure being recorded against incorrect budget categories rather than those approved for the specific activities.

Such misallocations distort the accuracy of financial reporting and make it difficult to determine whether project resources are being utilized exactly as approved by funders.

The audit comes at a time when the CASH-IN project is undertaking one of the most ambitious studies on privately managed cash transfers in Africa.

Launched on September 1, 2020, for a five-year period, the research is led by Associate Professor Lars Buur of the Department of Social Sciences at Roskilde University in Denmark, working in partnership with Makerere University in Uganda and the University of Dodoma in Tanzania.

The project was established to investigate whether privately managed cash transfer programmes are less susceptible to political capture by ruling elites than publicly managed programmes, and how such programmes influence poverty reduction, inclusive economic growth and state-society relations.

Researchers are examining how recipients of privately managed cash transfers are selected, who makes those decisions, whether the programmes are politicized, how cost-effective they are compared to publicly managed cash transfers and whether they contribute to long-term sustainable economic development.

The project also seeks to generate policy recommendations for governments and development partners on the use of privately managed cash transfers, particularly in humanitarian and development interventions.

Uganda was selected as one of the principal case study countries because researchers classify it as a competitive clientelist state, allowing comparisons with Tanzania, which is generally regarded as a dominant party-state system.

The study focuses on both humanitarian cash assistance and long-term development programmes, including initiatives implemented through international non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies.

Beyond its research objectives, the project is also intended to strengthen research capacity at Makerere University and the University of Dodoma through PhD training, academic collaboration and institutional networking between Uganda, Tanzania and Denmark.

However, despite the project’s international significance and its focus on improving accountability in cash transfer programmes, the Auditor General’s findings indicate that weaknesses emerged within its own financial management systems.

The discovery that approximately UGX 23.4 million was charged to incorrect budget lines raises concerns about adherence to approved financial plans and the effectiveness of internal controls governing project expenditure.

Although the audit did not indicate any loss of funds, the misallocation of expenditure to administrative budget lines instead of the approved budget codes represents a departure from the project’s approved financial framework.

The findings are likely to increase pressure on project management to strengthen budget controls, improve financial reporting and ensure that all future expenditure is charged to the correct budget allocations in accordance with donor requirements and approved project budgets.

For a project dedicated to studying transparency, accountability and the effectiveness of cash transfer systems, the Auditor General’s report now highlights the need for equally rigorous financial discipline within its own operations.

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Zuena Kirema has given fans a rare glimpse inside the family’s stunning new mansion, and social media cannot stop talking about it.

The socialite and wife of Ugandan music star Moses Ssali, popularly known as Bebe Cool, unveiled the luxurious residence on her social media platforms, where she also paid tribute to the man she says made it all possible.

Sharing photos and videos of the home, reportedly valued at about $1 million, Zuena credited Bebe Cool’s years of hard work, resilience, and commitment to providing for their family.

For her, the mansion represents far more than bricks and mortar.

It reflects years of sacrifice, consistency, and determination behind one of Uganda’s longest-running entertainment careers.

The unveiling has also revived memories of the criticism Bebe Cool faced over the years, particularly from those who frequently compared his lifestyle with that of fellow musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine.

Now, many of those conversations have taken a different turn.

Fans have flooded social media with congratulatory messages, describing the mansion as a reward for decades of persistence in the music industry.

While some continue to debate the comparisons, others see the home as proof that success looks different for everyone and often arrives on its own timeline.

Who really owns “Bwolikowa Olida“?

That question has sparked a growing dispute between singers Flash Love and Racheal Namiiro, with both artists claiming the song as their own.

Namiiro says she secured the song from songwriter Sammie, paid for its production, and later financed the official music video.

Her claim went unchallenged until she discovered Flash Love promoting the same song.

I am not letting go of this song because it belongs to me.

Despite the disagreement, Namiiro says she still hopes they can resolve the matter privately before taking any further action.

Flash Love, however, tells a different story.

According to the singer, the journey of “Bwolikowa Olida” began with a personal story shared by an American friend, inspiring her to approach Sammie and turn the idea into a song.

Before she could clear the remaining UGX 150,000 for the composition, she says Rachel Namiiro released the track.

Flash also alleges that Sammie handed the same composition to more than one female artist, shifting the spotlight to the songwriter at the center of the dispute.

She insists the original concept was hers and says she has no intention of walking away from the project.

If Sammie fails to resolve the matter, she says she will pursue legal action against the songwriter.

A flagship international tuberculosis research project aimed at developing a smartphone application capable of detecting tuberculosis through cough sounds has come under the spotlight after the Auditor General uncovered a series of financial management weaknesses stretching across three consecutive financial years, exposing overstated expenditure, unbudgeted spending and persistent failure to utilize available project funds.

The findings, contained in the Auditor General’s reports covering the financial years ending June 2022, June 2023 and June 2024, paint a troubling picture of accountability gaps within the Automated Smartphone-Based Cough and Audio Classification for Rapid Tuberculosis Triage Testing (CAGE-TB) Project.

The project is implemented in Uganda by Makerere University under the leadership of Site Principal Investigator Professor Moses Joloba, alongside international partners including Professor Frank Cobelens of the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Professor Grant Theron of Stellenbosch University and Professor Lutz M. Kolbe of the University of Göttingen.

The multi-country initiative is funded under the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) and seeks to validate an innovative cough audio signature capable of identifying active pulmonary tuberculosis using smartphone technology before eventually supporting global adoption of the technology.

However, despite the project’s ambitious health objectives, the Auditor General found recurring weaknesses in financial reporting and expenditure management throughout the three-year audit period.

For the financial year ending June 2022, auditors established that indirect costs equivalent to approximately UGX 62 million (€14,755.90) had not actually been paid.

Despite this, the same costs were reported as paid in the Income and Expenditure Statement, resulting in an overstatement of project expenditure.

The audit further established that additional direct costs amounting to approximately UGX 5.6 million (€1,330) were paid despite not having been budgeted for.

The Auditor General also questioned the project’s extremely low utilization of available funds.

Out of total available funding equivalent to approximately UGX 1.53 billion (€364,331.58), the project spent only about UGX 310 million (€73,779.53), leaving an unspent balance of approximately UGX 1.22 billion (€290,552.05).

This represented an absorption level of only 21 percent, meaning nearly four-fifths of the available project funds remained unused during the financial year.

The pattern continued during the financial year ending June 30, 2023.

According to the Auditor General, a review of the cashbook and payment vouchers established that indirect costs actually paid amounted to approximately UGX 22.9 million (€5,443).

However, the Income and Expenditure Statement reported indirect costs of approximately UGX 109.8 million (€26,070.66), overstating expenditure by roughly UGX 86.9 million (€20,627.66).

Auditors also established that additional direct costs equivalent to approximately UGX 1.3 million (€300.73) were paid without having been budgeted for.

Although the project improved its utilization of available resources during the year, significant funds still remained idle.

Out of available funding amounting to approximately UGX 1.22 billion (€290,552.05), only approximately UGX 549 million (€130,353.31) was spent.

This left an unspent balance of about UGX 675 million (€160,198.74), representing an absorption level of 55 percent.

The Auditor General again returned to the same project during the financial year ending June 30, 2024 and found similar weaknesses in financial reporting.

The audit established that indirect costs actually paid amounted to approximately UGX 124.6 million (€29,585.39).

However, the Income and Expenditure Statement recorded indirect costs of approximately UGX 152.6 million (€36,241.44), overstating expenditure by roughly UGX 28 million (€6,656.05).

The report also found that out of total available funds equivalent to approximately UGX 675 million (€160,198.73), only approximately UGX 549 million (€130,353.31) was utilized.

An unspent balance of approximately UGX 126 million (€29,845.42) remained at the end of the financial year, translating into an absorption level of 81.4 percent.

Although this represented a significant improvement from previous years, the audit nevertheless shows that project funds continued to remain unutilized even as implementation progressed.

The repeated findings over three consecutive financial years suggest recurring weaknesses in financial reporting, expenditure recording and budget management.

The Auditor General consistently identified instances where expenditure was reported above actual payments, payments were made outside approved budgets and substantial portions of available funding remained unused.

These findings come at a time when the CAGE-TB project is expected to play an important role in transforming tuberculosis diagnosis in high-burden countries.

The four-year project is developing an innovative mobile health application capable of analysing cough sounds to identify active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Researchers hope the technology will meet the World Health Organization’s target product profile for TB triage tests while reducing diagnostic costs and making early screening easier in resource-limited settings.

The project also aims to generate evidence on the cost-effectiveness of cough audio technology, package it into an easy-to-use smartphone application and lay the foundation for future clinical trials that could eventually influence global tuberculosis policy.

Patient recruitment targets include approximately 1,504 participants in Kampala and about 1,704 participants in Cape Town, focusing on patients aged 12 years and above who have experienced a cough lasting at least two weeks.

The initiative forms part of the EDCTP Programme supported by the European Union together with Global Health EDCTP3 and its member countries.

However, even with its potentially groundbreaking contribution to tuberculosis diagnosis, the Auditor General’s findings indicate that financial management systems require strengthening to ensure project resources are managed transparently and accurately.

Across the three audit periods, auditors identified repeated overstatements of expenditure, unbudgeted payments and billions of shillings in project funds that remained idle despite the project’s important public health objectives. The findings are likely to increase pressure on project management to tighten financial controls, improve reporting accuracy and ensure that every shilling committed to advancing tuberculosis research is managed in full compliance with approved financial and accountability requirements.

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After six weeks of romance, heartbreak and dramatic recouplings, Trinity Tatum and Bryce Alakai Dettloff won Love Island USA Season 8.

Viewers voted the couple their favourites during Sunday’s finale, earning them the $100,000 (approx. UGX 369 million) grand prize.

Before the final results, the remaining four couples went on their last dates and reflected on their time in the villa.

During the finale, Trinity and Bryce exchanged “I love you” for the first time, creating one of the season’s most emotional moments.

After the win, Bryce looked ahead to their future together outside the villa.

I’m just so grateful to be with you. I do love you so much and every day feels so special with you. And I can’t wait for life outside of this.

Trinity then thanked Bryce for his patience throughout their relationship.

I’m very glad that he’s always been very patient with me. I’m very blessed. I’m very tongue-tied. Usually I have stuff to say, but I don’t even know what to say right now.

Aniya Harvey and Carl Schmidt finished as runners-up, while Melanie Moreno and Sincere Rhea claimed third place. Kayda Bosse and Zach Georgiou completed the top four.

Ariana Madix hosted the Peacock dating series, while Iain Stirling returned as narrator. The season premiered on June 2 and featured Casa Amor twists, dramatic recouplings and emotional eliminations before viewers picked their winning couple.

Peacock will bring the Islanders back together for the Love Island USA Season 8 reunion on August 31, giving fans another chance to catch up with the finalists and revisit the season’s biggest moments.

Zuchu has announced that she and fellow Bongo Flava star Diamond Platnumz have ended their relationship after six years together.

The Tanzanian singer, whose real name is Zuhura Othman Soud, announced on her Instagram Stories that she and Diamond Platnumz, whose real name is Naseeb Abdul, have ended their relationship and are going through a divorce.

Hello my GPG. Mimi na aliyekuwa mwenzangu, we are now separated and going through a divorce.

Zuchu said making the announcement was not easy, but she had decided to put herself first after years of trying to make the relationship work.

I announce this with a heavy heart. After 6 years of being together, I have finally decided to choose myself. Namtakia aliyekuwa mwenzangu Naseeb Abdul na familia yake kila la kheri.

She added that her focus has now shifted to healing, her health and her music career.

As for me muda huu ni wa kupona na kufocus zaidi kwenye afya na kazi zangu. Riziki imeisha Alhamdulillah. Tulijaribu lakini Allah ana mipango yake na sina budi kuikubali.

Translated from Swahili, it reads:

As for me, this is a time to heal and focus more on my health and my work. My chapter has come to an end, Alhamdulillah. We tried, but Allah has His own plans, and I have no choice but to accept them.

The announcement came a day after fans noticed Zuchu’s absence from the birthday celebration of Diamond Platnumz’s mother, Mama Dangote, fueling speculation about the state of their relationship.

Zuchu and Diamond have had one of East Africa’s most closely followed celebrity relationships, with the couple repeatedly making headlines over the years amid reports of breakups and reconciliations.

This is not the first time Zuchu has publicly announced the end of their relationship, although they have reconciled after previous splits.

The Integrated Biorepository of the H3Africa Uganda Project at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, one of Africa’s leading research facilities established to preserve biological samples for life-saving scientific research, has landed in the spotlight after the Auditor General uncovered financial accountability gaps involving tens of millions of shillings.

The findings contained in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending May 31, 2024 reveal weaknesses in documentation, payment processing and procurement procedures, raising fresh questions about financial controls within a project entrusted with supporting high-impact health research across the continent.

The audit findings place pressure on the project’s leadership headed by Principal Investigator Prof. Moses Joloba, after auditors identified unsupported expenditure and procurement irregularities involving substantial sums of project funds.

According to the Auditor General, fuel expenditure equivalent to UGX 87.6 million (USD 24,000) was not supported by fuel consumption orders or fuel statements issued by the supplier.

Without these supporting documents, auditors were unable to verify whether the fuel consumed matched the quantities purchased or whether the expenditure complied with the project’s accountability requirements.

The audit further established that another UGX 177.1 million (USD 48,510.03) in expenditure lacked basic supporting documents such as receipts.

Receipts are among the most fundamental records required to confirm that payments were properly made and that the goods or services paid for were actually received. Their absence created accountability gaps running into hundreds of millions of shillings.

The Auditor General also questioned payments amounting to UGX 32.9 million (USD 9,000), after discovering that the transactions were not supported by payment vouchers.

Payment vouchers provide the official authorization and record for expenditure. Without them, auditors could not establish whether the payments had followed the required approval process.

The accountability concerns did not end there.

The Auditor General further established that UGX 21.9 million (USD 6,000) was paid to a non-project staff member under Voucher Number 64759 without following the proper procurement procedures required for outsourcing a consultant.

The audit found that the engagement bypassed the prescribed procurement process, raising concerns over compliance with established financial and procurement regulations governing project resources.

The findings come at a time when the Integrated Biorepository of H3Africa Uganda has positioned itself as one of Africa’s strategic scientific resources supporting biomedical research and disease surveillance.

Located at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, the Integrated Biorepository operates under the H3Africa Biorepository Initiative and serves as a repository for well-characterized and quality-controlled biological specimens used in both communicable and non-communicable disease research.

The facility works closely with Makerere University College of Health Sciences, one of Africa’s leading medical research institutions, and benefits from its close collaboration with Mulago National Referral Hospital, which handles more than half a million patients annually.

The biorepository was established with the long-term objective of improving disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment by preserving biological samples that can support future scientific discoveries.

Its stored biospecimens are expected to help African scientists study diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and Human Papillomavirus (HPV), investigate genetic characteristics of microorganisms, understand disease transmission patterns and support future analysis whenever new diseases or research questions emerge.

The facility has also become an important platform for collaborative research between African institutions and international partners, contributing to efforts aimed at strengthening scientific capacity on the continent.

However, despite the project’s important scientific mission, the Auditor General’s report suggests that weaknesses in financial documentation and procurement compliance risk undermining confidence in the management of project resources.

With UGX 87.6 million in fuel expenditure lacking fuel consumption orders and supplier statements, UGX 177.1 million in expenditure unsupported by receipts, UGX 32.9 million in payments processed without payment vouchers and UGX 21.9 million paid to a non-project staff member without following proper procurement procedures, the audit paints a picture of accountability gaps that demand urgent corrective action.

The findings are likely to increase pressure on the project management to tighten internal controls, strengthen documentation practices and ensure that every shilling allocated to one of Uganda’s flagship biomedical research initiatives is fully accounted for in accordance with public financial management and procurement requirements.

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The anti-corruption operations led by Hon. Balaam Barugahara and Hon. Justine Nameere in Mbale and Bulambuli have sparked debate over their methods. Yet beyond the controversy, they have exposed a deeper reality: corruption in Uganda is often sustained by powerful administrative elites rather than ordinary citizens.

Before commending Hon. Balaam Barugahara and Hon. Justine Nameere for their fresh approach to exposing and combating corruption, it is worth considering a 2025 study by Peter Adoko Obicci titled “Corrupt Elites, Administrative Cadres and Public Service in Africa.” Obicci argues that public service delivery across Africa faces a serious threat from persistent corruption sustained by dishonest public officials and elites. This assessment closely aligns with findings from the KACC Department for Critical Thinking and Alternative Analysis, whose reports consistently conclude that corruption in Uganda is largely driven by elite administrative cadres.

A careful examination of what Hon. Balaam and Hon. Nameere exposed in Mbale, and Bulambuli districts strongly reinforces this argument. In both districts, those implicated in alleged corruption were prominent members of the local institutional elite. As the Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition, we commend the ministers for taking decisive action and, importantly, for resisting the tendency to blame the appointing authority for every corrupt act committed by rogue public officials.

Admittedly, some observers disagree with the direct, high-visibility methods adopted by the ministers. They question whether political leaders should personally participate in exposing corruption or facilitating the arrests of suspected officials. Yet defeating systemic corruption demands innovation and bold leadership. Uganda must move beyond rigid, outdated bureaucratic approaches and embrace assertive strategies that directly confront entrenched networks protecting individuals accused of corruption.

However, exposing wrongdoing addresses only part of the problem. The deeper challenge is the urgent need to reform District Service Commissions (DSCs). A 2019 study by Aloysius Mutebi on the functionality of DSCs in Uganda notes that these commissions are legally mandated to advertise vacancies, shortlist candidates, conduct interviews, and appoint district staff. Yet persistent indicators of corruption continue to undermine their institutional credibility.

As Obicci observed, anti-corruption efforts often tackle symptoms rather than root causes. Weak oversight of recruitment and promotion processes has created fertile ground for favoritism, patronage, and bribery. I therefore urge Hon. Balaam and Hon. Nameere to champion reforms that eliminate these institutional vulnerabilities and replace them with transparent, accountable systems. The practical pathway to achieving this deserves a dedicated national conversation.

Ayub Mukisa, PhD
Executive Director, Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition (KACC)
Email: [email protected]

 

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Joseph Ngooma has added his name to the growing list of artists who have turned Lugogo Cricket Oval into a sea of people.

The gospel singer attracted thousands of worshippers and music lovers to his “Joseph Ngooma Live in Concert” on July 11, delivering a turnout that has quickly become one of the biggest talking points in Uganda’s entertainment industry.

Long before the final performance ended, photos and videos of the packed venue had already begun circulating across social media, with many fans arguing that Ngooma had delivered one of the most impressive crowds ever witnessed at Cricket Oval.

The concert has also reignited a familiar debate.

Music fans have once again begun comparing attendance figures from some of the venue’s biggest shows, placing Joseph Ngooma alongside artists such as King Saha, Ray G, Cindy Sanyu, Sheebah Karungi, Spice Diana, Jose Chameleone, David Lutalo, Pallaso, Winnie Nwagi, Acidic Vokoz, and Gravity Omutujju.

For many supporters, the concert carried an even bigger message.

They believe Ngooma proved that gospel music can attract crowds on the same scale as mainstream entertainment concerts, challenging the long-held perception that such audiences belong exclusively to secular artists.

Beyond the numbers, “Joseph Ngooma Live in Concert” has become a defining moment in Joseph Ngooma’s career and another landmark event in Lugogo Cricket Oval’s history.

As fans continue debating which artist has drawn the biggest crowd at the venue, Joseph Ngooma has ensured that his name remains firmly part of that conversation.