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National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has expressed strong support for former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Ugandan diplomat Ambassador Olara Otunnu, describing him as a global leader whose record on human rights, peace and the protection of vulnerable people deserves international recognition.

In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, Kyagulanyi said he was proud to see a Ugandan with Otunnu’s record of international service and commitment to justice being considered for a prominent position on the global stage.

“For years, many of us have followed with great respect, Ambassador Olara Otunnu’s incredible track record at the United Nations,” Kyagulanyi said.

He particularly praised Otunnu’s work on human rights and the protection of children affected by armed conflict, saying such leadership is urgently needed at a time when the international community faces numerous conflicts and humanitarian crises.

Kyagulanyi argued that genuine leadership should be judged by integrity, vision and commitment to peace and justice rather than political considerations.

The NUP leader, however, used the statement to revisit what he described as a historical injustice involving the government of President Yoweri Museveni and Otunnu.

According to Kyagulanyi, the Museveni government previously declined to endorse Otunnu for the same position, allegedly because of the diplomat’s criticism of the government and his refusal to remain silent about alleged human rights abuses in Uganda.

“We can not forget the historical injustice when the Museveni regime vindictively denied him an endorsement for this very position years ago,” Kyagulanyi said.

He claimed that Otunnu was blocked because he spoke out against alleged atrocities committed against Ugandans, adding that his appointment at the time could potentially have influenced the international system towards greater attention to justice and peace.

Kyagulanyi also highlighted what he described as Otunnu’s vision for reforming the multilateral system, particularly the United Nations and other international institutions.

He said Otunnu advocates for international institutions that go beyond being arenas for competition among powerful states and instead become mechanisms for promoting equity, accountability and shared prosperity among nations.

The statement comes amid public discussion over Uganda’s current position regarding Otunnu’s candidacy and questions from some citizens about the government’s decision to support him.

Kyagulanyi acknowledged the scepticism, saying Ugandans were justified in questioning the government’s change of position given what he described as ongoing political and human rights concerns in the country.

“I hear some citizens who are raising tough questions about why the regime has suddenly changed its mind to endorse him now,” he said.

Despite those concerns, Kyagulanyi urged Ugandans to place their confidence in Otunnu’s longstanding record of public service and integrity.

He described the former UN official as a person of humility who is receptive to criticism and said he believed Otunnu would approach the concerns raised by Ugandans with understanding.

Kyagulanyi also appealed to Otunnu to remain attentive to Uganda’s domestic challenges should he attain the international position he is seeking.

“We can all bank on his long-term, proven integrity and hope that when he rises to become the world’s top diplomat, he will never turn a blind eye to the ongoing struggle for freedom in his own motherland,” he said.

The NUP leader noted that Otunnu himself has previously acknowledged that Uganda has “dark spots” requiring attention and reform.

Kyagulanyi concluded by offering Otunnu his “full solidarity and prayers” as the Ugandan diplomat pursues what he described as an opportunity to carry the aspirations of Ugandans and other people seeking a fairer international order onto the global stage.

Otunnu, a veteran Ugandan diplomat and former UN official, has spent decades involved in international diplomacy, human rights advocacy and peace-related initiatives. His record has previously placed him at the centre of international debates on the protection of civilians and children affected by armed conflict.

Kyagulanyi’s statement therefore combines an endorsement of Otunnu’s international credentials with a reminder of the political tensions that have characterised the diplomat’s relationship with the Ugandan government in the past.

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The Madi-West Nile Diocese of the Church of Uganda and Equity Bank Uganda are seeking to deepen their long-standing relationship through a formal partnership aimed at unlocking the economic potential of church assets and supporting development across the WestNile region.

The proposed partnership will go beyond conventional banking to focus on agriculture, education, healthcare, enterprise development, energy, environmental conservation and the commercialisation of church assets.

The diocese operates across 12 districts and 13 archdeaconries, with 150 parishes, 685 local churches and 221 active clergy. Over the years, Equity Bank has supported various diocesan activities and infrastructure projects, including the construction of its administrative office block on 7th Street in Arua city.

Diocesan Secretary Geoffrey Nasser said the relationship had grown beyond routine banking services to include support for clergy, church workers, graduates and community groups through financing and financial literacy initiatives.

“Equity Bank’s support extends far beyond corporate banking into the very heart of our community,” Nasser said, citing youth mentorship, individual loans and access to social credit for graduates among the areas of support.

The two institutions recently held discussions on formalising the relationship through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the proposed framework providing a coordinated approach to the diocese’s economic and social development priorities.

At the centre of the partnership is the potential to combine the diocese’s land, institutions and extensive community networks with Equity Bank’s financial and technical expertise.

Equity Bank Managing Director Gift Shoko said the objective was to help church institutions build stronger and more sustainable economic foundations.

“Our purpose as a Bank is to transform lives, give dignity and expand opportunities for wealth creation,” Shoko said. “By bringing our technical financial expertise to church projects, we allow church institutions, schools and land to become self-sustaining, financially independent entities.”

The diocese owns substantial land and operates schools, health facilities and other institutions that could generate income if strategically developed. Under the proposed partnership, commercial agriculture and forestry projects will be explored, alongside financing for the renovation and expansion of schools and health facilities.

The partnership will further support grassroots financial inclusion through savings groups, including those involving refugees and host communities, with financial literacy and appropriate financing options.

Equity Bank has already provided about Shs4 billion towards construction of the Jubilee Administrative Building, a project conceived as part of the diocese’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Bishop Rt Rev Dr Charles Collins Andaku said the building was intended to provide a permanent administrative home for the diocese.

The proposed formal partnership comes as faith-based institutions increasingly explore ways to make their assets financially sustainable while continuing to meet their social responsibilities.

For Madi-West Nile Diocese, the goal is to ensure its land, institutions and human resources contribute more effectively to long-term development across West Nile region.

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President Yoweri Museveni last week signed two bills into law: the Excise Duty (Amendment) Act, 2026 and the Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 2026. The Head-Of-State had stood over the signing of the two Bills and returned them to Parliament for reconsideration, objecting to clauses he said could create unfair competition, encourage tax avoidance and negatively affect economic activity. Parliament subsequently adopted the President’s recommendations on both pieces of legislation on August 4, 2026, paving the way for him to assent to them, after which they became Acts of law. What follows is gazettement then they become operational. 

President Museveni has assented to many Bills since he came to power in exercise of powers vested in him under the Constitution. Every law under implementation has a presidential seal on it in recognition of his executive role as chief custodian of the authority of the state of Uganda. His Excellency the President has judiciously performed that function with distinction, presence of mind and in full regard to the interests of the common person. 

However, according to my research, an uncomfortably large section of Ugandans is uninformed about many aspects of law. They don’t know what’s in the statute books until problems befall them and they are in the courts of law answering to charges. For such, it’s a judicial ambush of sorts yet that’s not the purpose of law. 

The age old adage “ignorance of the law is no defense” is crude. It doesn’t fit in the circumstances prevailing in the country where politics, socioeconomic agenda, law and order are all intended to be pro-people. Law is a necessity to maintain social order and preserve national stability. Therefore, it is most imperative that citizens are well-versed with the letter and spirit of the law so that they may do their part to preserve its sanctity. 

If someone conducted a standard countryside survey to establish the population’s awareness of what the law books have to say, the majority would be victims of “legal blindness”-living in and doing things that would land them in trouble if it wasn’t for sheer luck. As an example, how many people have built without approved plans? How about those trading or manufacturing without prerequisite licensing or certification? Then there is the law on negligence- in all its forms including negligence of duty and rush act by negligence. 

Many public servants have a challenge understanding the offence of “causing financial loss”, a criminal offense under Section 20 of the Anti-Corruption Act. What’s the distinction from other acts of corruption? 

Others include misprision of treason (where one knows of a plot to overthrow the state but doesn’t report to the authorities), annoying the President and offences related to misuse of digital platforms. On the latter two offences, Genz (bazzukulu) are particularly caught in an information vacuum that exposes them to needless litigation and run-ins with state organs. Many people don’t even know what’s in the Constitution, the mother document of all law in the land!!

The annual police crime reports perennially show a spike in crime. Regardless of other factors responsible, limited awareness about provisions of the law and respective liabilities contributes to the crime burden. Yet this could be prevented by intensifying sensitisation and demystification of the law as a witness to the “dos and don’ts” in the national legal framework. Moreover, some of the laws are not only about statutory sanctions on individual conduct. Some laws are enacted to regulate business, professional lines of work and empowerment initiatives of government in a way that benefits the public, not forgetting that upholding law is a collective benefit. Crime must be tackled to safeguard society’s peace and harmony. 

The Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS), for all its backlog and milestones of duty, has a supplementary role to play in closing the gap between the statute books and the ordinary citizen. How do we ascertain that there are no grey areas and blind corners around the respective laws governing different spheres of the nation? Because in executing the judicial function, care should be taken that no one is sanctioned from a point of ignorance when he or she could have been compliant had they got sufficient exposure to the tenets of the law and its purpose. Ugandans are generally a peace-loving and law-abiding people. The problematic ones are few-the caliber that will adamantly offend the law believing that they can get away with it anyhow (impunity) or those that are driven to commit crime because of circumstances. 

Surprisingly or not, some of the people that engage in acts of mob justice do so believing that there is nothing wrong because they are presumably punishing criminals caught in the act. Yet the law regards mob justice as murder or manslaughter. The role of punishing criminals is vested in the courts assisted by police and the DPP to ascertain culpability of suspects. Emotions and anger do not usurp that function. 

The Judiciary (courts), Legislature (Parliament), police, Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC), every other stakeholder in that line; here is a task! Ugandans should be adequately brought in close touch with the laws-to know that they exist, what they provide for and the penalties thereof, and the role of the individual in upholding those laws. It is said that Uganda has the best laws on record but implementation is a problem. What causes that? Partly, it’s due to lack of awareness, yet these laws cost government a lot of money to enact. Parliament exists chiefly to make law and that comes with a cost on the consolidated fund. The very dispensation of lawful governance cost blood and sweat to install. 

Therefore, the privilege of living in a lawful society should be fully harnessed so that Ugandans fully own the lawmaking and implementation processes as a direct accessory in building a harmonious, crime-free and progressive society. The laws- right from when they are still in the making in Parliament and after the President has assented to them- should be broken down and interpreted as simply as possible for the public. The better if they are translated into local dialects for avoidance of ambiguity and unwitting exclusion of “hard-to-reach” target groups. This will make the Law generally “user-friendly” and usher in a renewed era of constitutionalism and legal compliance. 

The author is the Special Presidential Assistant-Press & Mobilisation/Deputy Press Secretary-State House

Email: [email protected]

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