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The High Court in Arua has ordered an inquest into the 2018 fatal shooting of Yasin Kawuma, the driver of National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, nearly eight years after his death during the Arua Municipality parliamentary by-election campaigns.

In a judgment delivered on Monday, Justice Harriet Grace Magala directed that the inquest be conducted by the Chief Magistrate of Arua Chief Magistrate’s Court, ruling that the circumstances surrounding Kawuma’s death warrant an independent judicial inquiry in the interests of justice. The application was filed by Kawuma’s widow, Alice Mwesigwa, who sought an order compelling the then Minister of Internal Affairs, Jeje Odong, to appoint a coroner to investigate the killing.

She argued that her husband’s death was violent and unnatural and therefore required an inquest under the Inquests Act. Court records show that Kawuma was shot on August 13, 2018, during the heated campaigns for the Arua Municipality parliamentary by-election. According to a medical certificate issued by Arua Regional Referral Hospital, he died from a brain injury caused by gunshot wounds.

The Attorney General opposed the application, arguing that the High Court lacked powers to compel the minister to appoint a coroner and that the widow should first have pursued other remedies provided under the law. However, Justice Magala dismissed the objections, noting that the government did not dispute that Kawuma died from gunshot wounds and that the medical evidence sufficiently established the death as violent and unnatural.

The judge explained that the purpose of an inquest is not to determine criminal liability but to establish how, when and where a person died, adding that such inquiries serve the interests of the deceased’s family, the public and the administration of justice. Justice Magala further held that while the court could not compel the minister to appoint a coroner, Section 27(a) of the Inquests Act empowers the High Court to order an inquest. Since magistrates are recognized as coroners under the Act, she directed that the inquiry be conducted by the Chief Magistrate of Arua Chief Magistrate’s Court.

“The court finds that it is just and fair to order an inquest into the deceased’s death,” Justice Magala ruled. The court made no order as to costs. Kawuma was killed during the violence that marred the August 2018 Arua Municipality parliamentary by-election campaigns. The incident attracted national and international attention and was followed by the arrest and prosecution of several opposition politicians, including Bobi Wine. However, no judicial inquest had previously been conducted into Kawuma’s death.

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Universities across the country have entered the final stretch of preparations for the transition to Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET), with about a year remaining before one of the most significant reforms in the higher education system takes effect.

According to the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), preparations are already underway with institutions reviewing curricula, retraining lecturers and redesigning how students will be taught and assessed. The Council Spokesperson, Saulo Waigolo, says NCHE has spent much of this year equipping universities and other tertiary institutions with the knowledge and standards needed to implement the reforms.

“We have so far conducted regional training workshops on competence-based teaching and training. We could not train every lecturer directly, so we trained master trainers who will return to their institutions and train their colleagues,” Waigolo said. He added that several universities have already started reviewing their academic programmes, while all newly developed programmes must comply with the competence-based standards before they are approved.

The preparations come ahead of the Ministry of Education and Sports’ July 2027 deadline requiring all universities and other tertiary institutions to align their programmes with the Competence-Based Education and Training framework. The move is intended to ensure that the first cohort of learners completing the competence-based secondary school curriculum enters a higher education system built on the same learner-centred approach, rather than reverting to the traditional lecture-based model.

At Kyambogo University, the transition is already underway. Our reporter visited the university, noting that they had begun training academic staff following NCHE’s regional engagements. According to different people who spoke to us, the training focuses on equipping lecturers with, among others, new approaches to teaching and training, supervising and assessing students under the competence-based model.

The University Vice Chancellor Prof Eli Katunguka said the institution intends to complete the review of all academic programmes before the deadline.
A similar process is unfolding at Equator University of Science and Technology in Masaka city. According to the university’s Vice Chancellor Prof. Mouhamad Mpezamihigo, staff training is ongoing, and curriculum reviews will follow immediately. Several programmes have already been redesigned and submitted to NCHE for approval, while others are nearing completion.

Prof. Mpezamihigo noted that competence-based education will strengthen the relationship between universities, employers and communities.

“Graduates will leave university with practical skills that employers and communities need instead of only theoretical knowledge,” he said.

While university leaders support the reforms, they acknowledge that they will come at a high cost. Competence-based education demands more practical sessions, laboratories, fieldwork, industrial placements and continuous assessment than conventional lecture-based teaching. These requirements translate into higher operational costs.

The Vice Chancellor of Equator University said institutions must invest more in practical training facilities and industry partnerships if the reforms are to succeed. Prof Katunguka raised similar concerns, noting that neither public nor private universities have received dedicated government funding to support the transition. He, however, noted that every major reform comes with challenges and Institutions will definitely learn during implementation, adjust where necessary, and continue improving.

In February this year, the National Council for Higher Education issued the Guidelines and Minimum Standards for Competence-Based Education and Training, providing the framework that universities and other tertiary institutions must follow as they transition from the traditional content-based model.

The reforms are intended to address one of the long-standing criticisms of Uganda’s higher education system, the mismatch between what graduates learn at university and the skills demanded by employers. Many graduates leave university with strong theoretical knowledge but limited practical competencies, forcing employers to invest additional time and resources in workplace training.

According to the CBET minimum standard reviewed, universities are expected to align learning outcomes with labour market needs by focusing on measurable competencies that students can demonstrate in real-life and professional settings rather than simply completing prescribed course content.

“The standards serve as a foundational guide to support institutions in transitioning from traditional teaching approaches to learner-centred and outcomes-driven education that emphasizes demonstrable competencies,” said Prof. Mary Okwakol, the NCHE Executive Director, in the preface to the guidelines.

The NCHE standards identify about eight core dimensions that institutions must incorporate into every programme. These include learner-centred teaching approaches, competence-based assessment, flexible learning pathways, recognition of prior learning, continuous quality improvement, and stronger partnerships with industry and communities to ensure graduates acquire relevant workplace skills.

Lessons from TVET

The transition is not entirely new to Uganda’s education system. Competence-based training has been implemented in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector since around 2011 and was further strengthened by the 2019 TVET Policy. Today, most TVET programmes are competence-based and modularised, with training designed around occupational standards and workplace requirements.

Universities are expected to adopt a similar model of curriculum development. Instead of academic programmes being designed largely within universities, the new approach requires curriculum development to involve employers, professional associations, regulatory bodies, academia and representatives of the wider community. The objective is to ensure graduates possess competencies that reflect the realities of the workplace.

Institutions will also be required to establish formal partnerships and memoranda of understanding with employers, industries and professional bodies to support industrial training, work-integrated learning, curriculum review and graduate assessment.

The reforms are also expected to fundamentally change how university students are assessed. Rather than relying predominantly on end-of-semester written examinations conducted in lecture halls, assessment will increasingly mirror real-world professional practice. Students will be evaluated through practical tasks, projects, simulations, portfolios, workplace learning and other authentic forms of assessment that demonstrate mastery of specific competencies.

Progression will be determined primarily by a student’s ability to demonstrate the required competencies, rather than the amount of time spent in a programme, marking a significant departure from the traditional university model.

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A new partnership between Equity Group, AfricaNenda Foundation and the Gates Foundation is set to accelerate the development of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) across Africa in a move expected to expand financial inclusion, strengthen digital payment systems and support cross-border trade.

The initiative, announced in Nairobi on Tuesday 7^th July 2026, will initially be rolled out in Rwanda before expanding to the Democratic Republic of Congo and other African markets. It seeks to bring together governments, regulators and the private sector to build interoperable digital payment systems, trusted digital identities and secure data exchange platforms that make financial services more accessible across the continent.

As part of the partnership, Equity Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Dr. James Mwangi has been appointed Africa’s inaugural Continental Digital Public Infrastructure Champion, a role that positions him to advocate for greater collaboration between governments, development partners and the private sector in advancing Africa’s digital transformation agenda.

The partners say Africa has made significant progress in mobile money adoption, yet nearly 400 million people remain excluded from formal financial services. They argue that interoperable digital infrastructure will help bridge this gap by lowering the cost of financial services, improving access to digital payments and enabling innovation across sectors of the economy.

AfricaNenda Chief Executive Officer Dr. Robert Ochola says the collaboration builds on Equity Group’s experience in expanding financial inclusion and demonstrates the critical role the private sector can play in implementing digital public infrastructure.

“Digital Public Infrastructure cannot succeed without private-sector participation. Equity brings the execution capability, market reach and innovation needed to move this agenda from policy to implementation,” he says.

The partnership will focus on developing interoperable payment systems, strengthening merchant and government payment solutions, supporting cross-border payment ecosystems, providing technical assistance and engaging policymakers to accelerate adoption of digital public infrastructure across the continent.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Dr. Mwangi says digital public infrastructure represents the next phase of Africa’s economic transformation because it creates a foundation on which governments, businesses and innovators can build inclusive digital services.

“Digital Public Infrastructure provides the foundation for inclusive digital financial services that reach every citizen. We will continue working with governments, regulators, development partners and the private sector because this infrastructure has the potential to transform economies, expand opportunity and improve lives across Africa,” he says.

According to the partners, the initiative will also support implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by enabling seamless cross-border payments, trusted digital identity systems and secure exchange of information between participating countries. These capabilities are expected to reduce transaction costs, improve efficiency and create new opportunities for businesses operating across African markets.

The Gates Foundation says its support for the initiative is driven by the need to ensure digital public infrastructure delivers practical benefits for citizens rather than remaining a technology initiative alone.

Senior Advocacy Officer for Africa at the Gates Foundation, Nanjira Sambuli, says the true value of digital public infrastructure lies in expanding financial inclusion and improving people’s daily lives through accessible digital services.

AfricaNenda currently works with more than 30 central banks across the continent to strengthen inclusive instant payment systems. Through its collaboration with Equity Group, the organisation expects to accelerate implementation of practical digital infrastructure models that can be replicated across multiple African markets.

Analysts view the partnership as another step towards deeper public-private collaboration in Africa’s digital economy, where interoperable payment systems and trusted digital identity are increasingly recognised as critical infrastructure for economic growth, financial inclusion and regional integration.

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The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has announced a nationwide enforcement drive targeting unlicensed operators offering public WiFi hotspot services, warning that such operations put consumers at risk and undermine the integrity of the country’s communications infrastructure.

In a public notice dated Monday, 7th July 2026, UCC said it has found unlicensed operators installing telecommunications equipment to provide unauthorised WiFi hotspot services in contravention of the regulatory framework set out under the Uganda Communications Act, Cap 103, the law that mandates UCC to regulate telecommunications, broadcasting, radio communication, postal communications, data communication, and infrastructure across the country.

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According to the notice, the rapid growth of internet access across Uganda has spurred new business ventures offering public connectivity, an expansion UCC says is welcome but must happen within the law. The Commission noted that licensing internet service providers involves more than just permission to operate. It requires adherence to strict quality standards, safeguarding of consumer information, provision of customer support, and compliance with cybersecurity regulations.

Operators running unlicensed hotspots, UCC warned, expose consumers to unreliable services, potential data privacy violations, cyber threats, and limited options for redress in case something goes wrong.

UCC said the enforcement initiative is being carried out in collaboration with licensed Internet Service Providers, licensed operators, and relevant government agencies, with the goal of ensuring all public internet service providers operate within the established legal framework and uphold consistent standards of accountability and reliability.

The Commission is urging individuals and businesses currently offering unsanctioned WiFi services to either regularise their operations promptly or cease services altogether.

UCC is encouraging consumers to source internet services only from licensed providers or their authorised agents, noting that the public can verify whether a provider is licensed by checking the official list of licensed ISPs on the UCC website, ucc.co.ug.

Members of the public who come across unauthorised public WiFi services have been asked to report them to UCC through the toll-free line 0800 222 777.

UCC says the enforcement drive is part of its broader commitment to building a secure, innovative, and affordable communications environment in support of the country’s ongoing digital transformation, in line with its Connected Uganda 2030 agenda.

Kyambogo University’s Academic Registrar, Dr. Annie Begumisa, has invited fresh online applications for private admission under the Direct Entry Scheme (A’Level) for the 2026/2027 academic year, re-advertising 18 programmes with slots still available.

According to the notice dated 7th July 2026, interested applicants can access the application form through the university’s official portal at apply.kyu.ac.ug. Upon submitting the online form, applicants are required to print out a pay-slip and pay a non-refundable application fee of Shs 55,000 for Ugandan and East African nationals, or Shs 115,000 for other international applicants, plus any bank charges levied by banks integrated with the Academic Information Management System (ACMIS).

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Deadline and Requirements

The deadline for receiving online application forms is Wednesday, 15th July 2026, at midnight. Applicants holding qualifications from countries other than Uganda are required to submit photocopies of academic documents equated by UNEB to the Admissions Division, Room 3, no later than 15th July 2026.

Applicants who run into challenges filling out the online application form can get assistance directly from the university’s Admissions Division.

Available Programmes

The re-advertisement covers the following 18 programmes only:

1. Bachelor of Arts with Education
2. Bachelor of Business Administration
3. Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics Management
4. Bachelor of Science with Education (Biological Sciences)
5. Bachelor of Science with Education (Economics)
6. Bachelor of Science with Education (Physical Sciences)
7. Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences
8. Bachelor of Community Development and Social Justice
9. Bachelor of Administrative and Secretarial Science
10. Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance
11. Bachelor of Community Based Rehabilitation
12. Bachelor of Public Administration and Resource Governance
13. Bachelor of Vocational Agriculture with Education
14. Bachelor of Banking and Microfinance
15. Bachelor of Art and Design with Education
16. Bachelor of Industrial Design
17. Bachelor of Business Studies with Education
18. Bachelor of Education Primary

Applicants should note that each programme has specific codes tied to different subject combinations or specialisations, which they will need to select correctly when applying online.

Warning Against Conmen

The Academic Registrar’s office has issued a strong caution against fraudsters, warning applicants not to buy any documents alleged to be from the Registrar’s office. The notice makes clear that the Academic Registrar has not appointed any agents to solicit additional funds beyond the stated application fee, and that anyone who buys such documents does so entirely at their own risk.

Prospective applicants are advised to apply directly through the official portal and to report any suspicious individuals claiming to offer shortcuts into these programmes.

CampusBee will continue to track updates on this and other ongoing admission processes across Ugandan universities.

The freedom bid by Parliament’s top officials accused of a Shs27 billion corruption scandal has collapsed after the Anti-Corruption Court sent them back to Luzira Prison.

Parliament Director of Communications Chris Obore and six other officials appeared in court today hoping to secure bail, but prosecutors successfully opposed their release.

The state told court that investigations into the alleged corruption were still ongoing and argued that the magistrate’s court had no jurisdiction to handle some parts of the case, especially the money laundering allegations.

The accused officials will now remain on remand until July 27, 2026.

They were first taken to Luzira last week after being charged over allegations of causing financial loss to government, embezzlement and money laundering.

Prosecutors accuse the officials of using their positions within Parliament to access and misuse more than Shs27.2 billion between May 2023 and June 2026.

Obore is accused of allegedly taking Shs5.253 billion, while his co-accused are linked to other multi-billion shilling transactions.

The state alleges that money meant for parliamentary donations and corporate social responsibility activities was received, but the projects it was intended for were never carried out.

The prosecution also slapped the accused with a money laundering charge involving about Shs10.89 billion, alleging that the officials handled funds believed to be proceeds of crime.

But in court, the magistrate declined to take plea on the money laundering count, saying the matter could not be handled at that level.

The case will now move towards committal to the High Court, where the officials are expected to face trial.

Those caught up in the scandal include Human Resource Director Daniel Adilo, Personal Assistant to Parliament Stella Tuta, Executive Secretary in the Office of the Speaker Leonard Okema, Principal Protocol Officer Emmanuel Okwi, Vincent Otebata and Principal Research Officer Rajaab Kaalya.

For now, the accused remain behind bars as the state continues investigations into one of Parliament’s biggest corruption cases – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT1X9bTTH6A&t=8s

Kalifah AgaNaga has declared himself Uganda’s youngest concert promoter after taking charge of organizing the Nassanga Festival Mukibira.

Unlike his previous concerts, where he relied on traditional promoters, the singer says he is now proving that artists can successfully organize their own events.

Speaking on Sanyuka TV, AgaNaga insisted that his generation is changing the rules of event promotion.

I am the youngest promoter at the moment because I am organizing the biggest event right now. We are a new generation of promoters, and we have introduced new trends, new methods, and a new style to the event promotion industry.

The Bad Character Records boss also challenged fellow musicians to stop leaving concert promotion to others, arguing that artists can successfully organize their own shows if they put in the work.

We can do this ourselves because there is no magic to it. A promoter’s role is to market an event, make people aware of it, and get them to attend, and that is exactly what I have done. That makes me a promoter. Any artist out there, if I see you are ready, I can organize a concert for you.

His confidence comes ahead of the Nassanga Festival Mukibira, which he will stage on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Forest Resort Lweza.

The festival grew out of the remarkable comeback of Nassanga, a song AgaNaga released more than eight years ago.

In recent months, TikTok creators revived the track through a viral dance challenge, pushing it back into the spotlight and introducing it to a new generation of listeners.

Instead of letting the momentum fade, AgaNaga turned it into an opportunity.

The renewed interest in the song inspired him to launch the Nassanga Festival Mukibira, giving fans a chance to celebrate the hit live while marking his debut as an independent concert promoter.

I have organized a new event, the Nassanga Festival, where I will be in charge of my own concert. — Khalifah Aganaga turns to promotion. – Khalifah Aganaga #SanyukaUnCut #SanyukaUpdates #FfeBannoDdala pic.twitter.com/UU7gPqNMck

— Sanyuka TV (@sanyukatv) July 3, 2026