Success on stage often comes with sacrifices behind the scenes, and Vinka says motherhood has been her biggest balancing act yet.
The Swangz Avenue singer recently reflected on life after welcoming her daughter in 2021, revealing that she returned to work after breastfeeding for four months because of the demands of her music career.
One of those commitments took her to South Sudan for a performance that promoters had booked before she gave birth.
I started questioning whether what I was doing as a mother and what my child would think of me. Balancing is the hardest thing, but with time you get used to it.
Vinka said she now prefers leaving her daughter at home whenever she travels for work instead of taking her along.
Although she once travelled with her to Los Angeles for a performance, handling both motherhood and professional responsibilities at the same time proved exhausting.
Motherhood and work, balancing all that is very hard, but we try.
Vinka says she continues to navigate both worlds, learning how to give her daughter the attention she deserves while keeping her music career moving forward.
Relatives of the Kadongo Kamu legend Paul Kafeero have begun searching for land where the excluded claimants in the recent DNA test can settle, saying they want to give them a place to call home despite the test results.
The initiative comes weeks after DNA testing confirmed only four of the people who claimed to be Kafeero’s children as his biological offspring.
Nende Abubaker, accompanied by local land brokers, spent the day inspecting several pieces of land in Nkokonjeru.
Their search started in Mada Village before they moved to Salye Village, where they identified land they believe suits the group’s needs.
The mission is to ensure that these kids settle somewhere.
Negotiations with the landowners were still ongoing at the time of reporting as the group worked to agree on a purchase price. According to Nende, they hope to acquire about 20 acres.
Their next hurdle will be raising the money needed to buy the land. To achieve that goal, they plan to organize a fundraising concert.
Nende explained that the individuals chose the Bukunja area because they want to live near Kafeero’s burial site, allowing them to look after it whenever necessary.
Karim Ntegge, who previously organized Kafeero’s concerts, said supporting them is a responsibility he feels he owes his late friend. Several residents also welcomed the initiative and praised the effort to help the group settle.
Jim Iyke says there was a time when he believed the overwhelming attention from fans made him special.
The veteran Nollywood actor recalled people crying and even fainting whenever he walked into a room, admitting that he mistook their admiration for something far greater than it really was.
When you extol yourself to god-like status when you think you should be worshipped or the laws should not apply to you anymore, you are literally worshipped. I have been there. I have seen people cry when I walked into a room and I look at them and I think I am special. No you are not.
Looking back, Iyke says that experience taught him one of the biggest dangers of celebrity culture.
It also shaped the way he now views the entertainment industry.
During a conversation with media personality Joey Akan, the actor argued that the business often celebrates self above everything else, making it difficult for people to stay grounded in their faith.
There is no bigger enabler than the entertainment industry. This is where demons live. Entertainment is totally created and orchestrated to extol the virtues of Satanism.
For Iyke, the problem is not creativity itself. He believes the trouble begins when creatives start chasing their own glory instead of the One who gave them the gift.
As a creative, to create is to mimic God. But in the entertainment structure many serve self. You cannot serve God and serve self. That is a conflict of interest. Serving self is satanism itself.
That, he says, is why anyone who wants to keep God at the centre of their life must make a deliberate choice, regardless of the pressures that come with fame.
What in the entertainment industry glorifies God except you intentionally or consciously pursue him? Is it the blatant life? What do we extol that is godly? I am not saying God doesn’t exist in the entertainment industry, I am saying the entertainment industry is predominantly created for satanism.
Years after reaching the height of his fame, Jim Iyke says he measures success differently.
Rather than the applause of fans, he believes finding God is the greatest achievement anyone can experience.
Once you find your place with God, you will understand what is special. What is special is being able to find God in this place that is devoid of his presence.
In many churches, congregants affectionately refer to their spiritual leaders as “Mama” and “Papa.”
Pastor Isaac Rwomushana, however, believes the practice has no place in Christian leadership.
During an interview on Sanyuka Uncut, Rwomushana called on believers to address pastors by their names, arguing that titles should never become more important than the message pastors preach.
Calling leaders in church Mama and Papa is not called for. Call them their names.
The preacher argued that some ministers have become too comfortable with the honor and recognition that accompany church leadership.
In his view, that mindset encourages people to elevate pastors instead of focusing on Christ.
Rwomushana said church leaders should distinguish themselves through humility, integrity, and service rather than through titles that set them apart from the congregation.
He maintained that every believer stands equal before God, making faithful leadership far more important than honorifics.
Although many Christians use “Mama” and “Papa” to express respect and spiritual affection, Rwomushana believes those qualities should shine through a pastor’s conduct, not through the title people use to address them.
Busitema University has officially released its Admission List for the 2026/2027 academic year, admitting thousands of applicants across its various academic programmes through entry schemes including National Merit and Special Entry.
The university has congratulated all successful candidates, welcoming them into what it describes as a vibrant academic community built around teaching, research, innovation, and community engagement.
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Newly admitted students are being urged to verify their admission status and carefully review the details provided on the list before proceeding with registration. Busitema University has directed all admitted candidates to follow the official registration and reporting procedures that will be issued through university channels.
Applicants have also been advised to regularly check the Busitema University admissions portal, along with the institution’s official communication platforms, for updates on admission letters, reporting dates, orientation programmes, and registration requirements.
Busitema University says it remains focused on offering quality higher education and equipping graduates with practical skills to tackle both national and global development challenges, positioning itself as a hub for applied and industry-relevant training.
Congratulations to all the newly admitted students. Newly admitted candidates are encouraged to keep checking official Busitema University channels for the latest guidance as the semester approaches.
Shalom Namagembe, daughter of National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) and author Barbie Kyagulanyi, has added a new professional milestone to her name after qualifying as a Certified Phlebotomy Technician in the United States.
Shalom announced that she had fulfilled all requirements set by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) and was awarded her Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) credential on June 26, 2026. The certification runs through to June 26, 2028, after which she would need to renew it.
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The CPT credential clears her to work as a phlebotomy technician in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, blood banks, and other healthcare settings that require blood collection. Phlebotomy technicians are healthcare workers trained specifically to draw blood for lab testing, donations, transfusions, and research purposes.
Beyond the actual blood draw, the role also involves correctly verifying patient identities, properly preparing samples for lab analysis, following strict safety protocols, and helping put patients at ease during the procedure.
The National Healthcareer Association, which issued the credential, is regarded as one of the top certifying bodies for allied health professionals in the US. Employers across the American healthcare system widely recognise its Certified Phlebotomy Technician qualification as proof that a holder meets national standards in blood collection, patient care, infection control, and lab safety.
BUSIA MUNICIPALITY — On the outskirts of Busia Municipality, where trucks, traders and travellers cross the Uganda–Kenya border daily, a quieter transformation is unfolding. Away from the busy customs yards and commercial centres, Sikuda Seed Secondary School is emerging as a symbol of government efforts to expand access to secondary education in one of Uganda’s fastest-growing border districts.
Established under President Yoweri Museveni’s Seed Secondary School Programme, the institution is providing hundreds of learners with an opportunity to study closer to home while reducing pressure on older schools that have struggled with rising enrolment.
For local leaders, Sikuda Seed Secondary School represents more than an infrastructure project. They view it as a long-term investment in human capital, community development and the future workforce of Busia District.
According to Mr. Moses Mangen, the Busia District Communication Officer, the school has transformed access to education by bringing government services closer to communities that previously had limited opportunities for secondary education.
“The school has improved access to education for learners in Sikuda and neighbouring areas. It is part of government’s efforts to ensure that no child is denied secondary education because of distance,” Mangen said.
Busia District currently has 14 government-aided secondary schools and 117 government-aided primary schools serving thousands of learners. The government has also established two Seed Secondary Schools—Sikuda and Majanje—which are awaiting formal commissioning but are already admitting students.
Sikuda Seed Secondary School currently has an enrolment of about 300 students and sits on approximately three acres of land that was previously owned by the Anglican Church before being allocated for public education development.
The school was completed in March last year at an estimated cost of Shs3 billion under the national Seed Secondary School Programme, which aims to expand access to secondary education in sub-counties that previously lacked government secondary schools.
The institution is headed by Mr. Ojiambo Godfrey Akyoka, who oversees academic and administrative operations as student numbers continue to rise.
Mangen said the school has significantly reduced the distance learners previously travelled to access secondary education. This, he added, has improved retention rates and encouraged more pupils completing primary school to continue with their studies.
Beyond education, the school is also contributing to local economic growth, with increased demand for accommodation, transport, retail services and other businesses around the institution.
Busia’s education sector continues to experience rising enrolment pressures. Madibira Primary School currently has more than 5,000 pupils, making it one of the largest government primary schools in the district.
Meanwhile, Busia Secondary School, the oldest government secondary school in the district, has approximately 3,000 students, reflecting the growing demand for public education within the municipality.
The District Education Officer, Mr. Wanyama Anthony, supervises government-aided schools across the district, including teacher deployment, school inspection and implementation of education programmes.
Despite improvements in education access, some areas still face shortages of secondary schools. Sub-counties such as Lumino and Namungodi continue to call for additional government institutions to serve their growing populations.
The expansion of education infrastructure is also taking place alongside improvements in other public services.
Mr. Idro Basir, the In-Charge of healthcare services at Sofia Health Centre III, said government investment in schools and health facilities is improving the quality of life for residents by bringing essential services closer to communities.
“When schools and health facilities are established nearer to the people, families spend less on transport and children are more likely to remain in school while communities access healthcare more easily,” he said.
Education stakeholders, however, acknowledge that challenges remain. Newly established schools continue to face shortages of teachers, limited laboratory facilities, inadequate classroom space and insufficient learning materials.
Nevertheless, local leaders remain optimistic that continued investment in education infrastructure will improve learning outcomes and create greater opportunities for young people in Busia.
As one of Uganda’s busiest border municipalities continues to grow, Sikuda Seed Secondary School is becoming part of a wider development story—one where investments in classrooms today are expected to shape the district’s workforce, economy and social progress for generations to come.
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An uneasy calm hangs over Sukut village in Terenboi parish, Kitowoi sub-county. Nestled at the ragged edges of Mount Elgon National Park in Kween District, this rural community is grappling with profound anger and a familiar sense of helplessness following the alleged rape of two minors by armed game rangers.
The victims, aged 13 and 17, are currently receiving treatment after they were reportedly intercepted and raped on Thursday, July 2, while searching for firewood inside the national park.
The incident has once again thrown a harsh spotlight on the volatile relationship between the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the communities bordering the protected conservation area, reigniting long-standing allegations of systemic sexual violence, impunity, and a broken justice system.
The latest allegations have placed UWA Executive Director Dr. James Musinguzi under scrutiny as stakeholders watch how he will handle the crisis and restore confidence in the authority.
According to the LC1 Chairperson of Sukut Village, Moses Yesho, the two teenagers left their homes on Thursday afternoon to gather firewood, where they met two rangers who were on routine patrol inside the park.
He explained that instead of guiding them out or using lawful means, the rangers took advantage of the minors. He narrated that the teenagers crawled back to their village late the same evening, visibly traumatized and physically unwell.
Shocked by the condition of their children, the parents immediately reported the case to his office before rushing them to a nearby health facility for emergency medical examination.
“We took them to the hospital that very evening to ensure their lives were safe and to secure medical evidence,” the chairperson narrates. “The following morning, we filed a report with the police.” On Friday, a joint team of police detectives and local community members trekked deep into the rugged terrain of Mount Elgon to visit and document the scene of the crime, where they found blood spots and a ranger’s cloth torn.
Fredmark Chesang, the Sipi Region Police Spokesperson, confirmed the incident and said a case file has been opened and formal inquiries are actively underway to bring the suspects to book. Chesang condemned the incident, expressing dismay that trained personnel entrusted with enforcing the law and protecting life could turn into perpetrators of violent crime against minors.
“This is completely unacceptable. Once our investigations are complete, these individuals will face the full force of the law in court,” he said. Chesang urged communities to exercise extreme caution, advising residents to always report to UWA detachments before entering the protected forest zones.
He noted that while nothing justifies sexual assault, navigating the park illegally leaves vulnerable groups exposed. “The rangers may have taken advantage of the fact that these juveniles did not clear their entry with the officers stationed at the detachments before entering to collect firewood. For security reasons, clearance is always necessary,” Chesang added.
UWA Spokesperson, Bashir Hangi, said they had heard of the allegations but unfortunately no one has mentioned the rangers involved. “We don’t condone such criminal acts. Once we get to know the rangers involved, we will take tough action against them. We encourage the affected families to report the matter to police so that investigations can commence to bring the culprits to book,” he said in a text message.
For local women’s rights defenders, the latest assault is not an isolated case of misconduct, but rather the tip of an iceberg in a long history of unchecked abuse by park handlers. Scovia Chelangat, a women’s rights activist based in Kitowoi sub-county, claims that incidents of sexual assault and rape allegedly committed by UWA rangers against local women have been quietly occurring for years.
She notes that past cases have rarely seen the light of a courtroom because investigators routinely claim a lack of “sufficient evidence,” a loophole she says perpetrators have learned to exploit. “Women in these border communities have been complaining about this exact vice for a long time, but their voices are always ignored or swept under the carpet,” Chelangat says bitterly. “This time, the family acted quickly. The children were examined immediately, and we have the medical evidence. Can we please let the law take its course cleanly and swiftly?”
Prescila Kusuro, the Chief Executive Director of the Sebei Transformation Initiative (STI), a regional non-governmental organization advocating for the rights of women and girls, echoes these concerns. She warns that the violation of women’s rights, particularly in rural, isolated parts of the Sebei sub-region, is escalating at an alarming rate due to systemic neglect.
“The rate at which the rights of girls and women are being trampled upon without drawing serious attention from higher authorities is growing,” Kusuro observes. “Women in these rural areas continue to suffer in silence, abandoned by the very systems meant to shield them, yet the constitution guarantees them full protection.”
The conflict between UWA and the populations surrounding Mount Elgon National Park is decades old, usually characterized by violent clashes over land boundaries, illegal encroachment, crop raiding by wild animals, and retaliatory wildlife poaching. However, as activist groups point out, the gendered dimension of this conflict, where women and young girls fetching water, bamboo shoots, or firewood become targets for physical and sexual abuse, is rarely addressed in official conservation dialogues.
The latest allegations have placed UWA Executive Director Dr. James Musinguzi under scrutiny as stakeholders watch how he will handle the crisis and restore confidence in the authority.
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The High Court Criminal Division in Kampala on Wednesday dismissed a joint bail application by Dr. Kizza Besigye and Hajji Obeid Lutale. Justice Emmanuel Baguma ruled that the applicants failed to prosecute their own case, leading to the dismissal.
Justice Emmanuel Baguma dismissed the application, saying Besigye, Lutale and their legal team had abused the court process by declining to proceed with the hearing despite previously agreeing to the hearing date.
Besigye and Lutale, who are facing charges of treason, had filed the petitition in accordance with Article 23(6) of the Constitution, the Trial on Indictment Act and the Constitution (Bail Guidelines for Courts of Judicature) Practice Directions, seeking orders for the two applicants to be released on bail after spending about 20 months on remand.
The bail application was jointly filed by 13 law firms representing the two accused persons, including Lukwago & Co. Advocates, AF Mpanga Advocates, Kizza Mugisha & Co. Advocates, Alaka & Co. Advocates, Nalukoola Advocates and several others.
Court records indicate that on June 30, 2026, both the defence and the prosecution appeared before court and agreed that the application would be heard on July 3, 2026.
Defence lawyer Moses Tugume informed the court that he was ready to receive the hearing date, while Chief State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka also confirmed the prosecution’s readiness.
However, when the matter came up for hearing on July 3, the Judge noted that none of the applicants’lawyers appeared before court.
Instead, Dr. Besigye informed the court that there was a crisis within their legal team, making it impossible for them to fairly prosecute the bail application.
He maintained that they could not proceed in the absence of their lead counsel, Kenyan National Martha Karua, who was deported from Uganda last month, and Erias Lukwago, who was jailed on charges of failing to report to the authorities that his clients Besigye and Lutale were planning to overthrow the government of Uganda.
. Hajji Lutale associated himself with the same position, insisting that the application should not proceed until their preferred lawyers were present.
The prosecution, however, opposed the request for an adjournment.
Chief State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka argued that the application had been filed by 13 law firms comprising dozens of advocates, not by individual lawyers. He argued that the absence of Senior Counsel Martha Karua and Erias Lukwago could not justify halting proceedings, especially when other lawyers who had filed the application remained available to represent the applicants.
Birivumbuka further reminded the court that defence lawyers had earlier accepted the hearing date without indicating any intention not to proceed. He therefore asked the court to exercise its inherent powers under Section 37 of the Judicature Act and dismiss the application for failure to prosecute it.
In his ruling this evening delivered via the online system of the Judiciary, Justice Baguma has agreed with the prosecution, finding that there was clear evidence that the bail application had been jointly filed by 13 law firms rather than individual advocates.
The judge observed that Besigye and Lutale could not insist on only one or two lawyers appearing when they had instructed a large legal team comprising about 50 advocates.
Baguma held that accepting such an argument would unnecessarily frustrate court proceedings and undermine the administration of justice.
“It was unfortunate and, to be precise, it was an abuse of court process for the lawyers and the applicants to turn around and say that they were not ready to prosecute the application,” Justice Baguma ruled.
The judge added that benches have a duty to prevent abuse of judicial processes and avoid unnecessary delays disguised as fair trial concerns.
He further stated that the court had even allowed Besigye and Lutale to prosecute their bail application personally and present sureties for consideration, but they declined to do so.
“It is my considered view that the argument of the applicants that they cannot proceed with this application in the absence of their two counsel, who have individual challenges out of about 50 lawyers from 13 law firms which filed this application, would amount to dishonesty which this court cannot condone,” the judge said.
The judge ruled that Besigye and Lutale had failed to prosecute their own application and dismissed it for want of prosecution. Baguma directed that hard copies of the ruling be provided to Besigye and Lutale, who are in prison. Dr. Besigye and Hajji Lutale will remain on remand as the main criminal trial continues before the High Court.
Dr Kizza Besigye is jointly charged with Obeid Lutale and UPDF’s Captain Denis Oola on treason charges for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government.
Prosecutors allege that the trio held meetings in Geneva, Athens, Nairobi, and Kampala to solicit funds, acquire weapons, and organise paramilitary operations.
Besigye allegedly met a Kurdish intelligence agent identified as Andrew Wilson (AW) and received $5,000 to facilitate the transport of 36 Ugandan recruits to Kisumu, Kenya, for military training. The recruits were reportedly intercepted and deported before the training began.
The prosecution further alleges that Besigye sought surface-to-air missiles, ricin poison, counterfeit currency, and planned to use drone technology to assassinate President Yoweri Museveni.
The state claims it has audio and video recordings, social media messages, immigration documents, and phone logs linking the accused to the alleged plot.
Captain Denis Oola had also applied for bail but in a separate application. However, last week his lawyer, Major Simon Busagwa Nsubuga, didn’t show up for the hearing of his application. Instead, he wrote a letter to the Court seeking a shorter adjournment, saying that his client Oola had reportedly faced logistical challenges in transporting his sureties from Gulu to Kampala. The Judge had promised to decide on the same matter Wednesday.
People Living with HIV (PLHIV) are raising concerns after receiving antiretroviral (ARV) medicines that had allegedly expired before they were dispensed by health facilities.
URN examined several of the medicine bottles presented by some of the complainants.
The labels showed that the dispensed ARV’s expired in May 2026. Barbara Kemigisa, an HIV activist and mother living with HIV, said she first discovered the problem at the end of May after members of her peer support network collected her ARV refills from Hoima Regional Referral Hospital.
She said one of the bottles they brought back had already expired.
A bottle of expired TLD drugs. Nandugga took a pill from the bottle on Monday, more than a month after the drug expired
Kemigisa initially dismissed the incident as an isolated error. However, she became concerned after another member of her network, who collected her medicines on July 2, reported receiving a similar bottle.
She also questioned why some of her medication had been repackaged into sachets instead of being dispensed in the original bottles, saying she could not determine whether the medicines were still within their shelf life.
Kemigisa coordinates a network of young people living with HIV, encouraging members to collect drug refills for one another to reduce transport costs and improve treatment adherence.
Unlike Kemigisa, who was able to identify the expiry date on her medicine, Gorretti Nandugga only discovered that she had been taking expired medication after URN examined her bottle.
Nandugga and her husband, James Wamani, had continued taking TLD, a fixed-dose combination antiretroviral medicine used in HIV treatment, unaware that the medicine they were using had expired in May 2026.
The couple, who requested that the name of their health facility be withheld, collected the medication in February and are due to return for viral load testing on July 30.
Displaying a bottle containing about 30 tablets, Nandugga said she had been taking one tablet every morning while sharing the same bottle with her husband, who takes his dose in the evening. She said she is now worried about the possible health effects of taking expired medicine for more than a month.
Seeking clarification, URN contacted Dr Robert Mutumba, Programme Manager of the Ministry of Health’s STD/AIDS Control Programme.
He said the Ministry had not received reports of expired ARVs being dispensed at health facilities but promised to investigate the matter.
URN also contacted Ian Nyamitoro, the Ministry’s Supply Chain Expert for antiretroviral medicines, who said available stocks of TLD currently in circulation carry expiry dates in 2027 and 2028.
While the Ministry said it was unaware of the problem, Kemigisa said the matter had already been reported to officials at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital.
She expressed concern that if the Ministry remains unaware of the extent of the problem, other patients could unknowingly continue taking expired medicines.
“People who do not check their medicine bottles may continue swallowing expired drugs, putting themselves at risk. For those already struggling with treatment adherence, this is an even bigger concern,” she said.
Kemigisa added that the situation comes at a time when funding cuts to HIV programmes have affected patient follow-up and community tracking initiatives that previously helped identify treatment-related challenges more quickly.
When URN spoke to her on Monday, she was visiting members of her support network to inspect their medicine bottles for possible expired stock.
Dr Mutumba urged patients to carefully check the expiry dates on their medicines before leaving health facilities. However, he noted that previous complaints about expired medicines had sometimes resulted from patients confusing manufacturing dates with expiry dates.
Nyamitoro said health facilities follow established procedures for identifying and removing expired medicines before they are dispensed to patients.
Efforts to obtain a response from Hoima Regional Referral Hospital regarding the alleged dispensing of expired ARVs were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
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