Sudhir Ruparelia Despite being expelled by Idi Amin in the 1970s, Ugandans of Indian descent today make an outsize contribution to the country’s economy. All you need to know about the families that matter. Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | At the India-Uganda Trade Mission organised in October by Equity Bank, Minister for Trade and Industry David Bahati said that Indians in Uganda contribute more than 60% of the country’s GDP. The statistic is often cited by members of the Indian community in Uganda, whose economic heft far outweighs their numbers. ‘We contribute a lot to the economy of this country. Asians [Indians] here make up 0.001% of the population, yet we contribute 60%-65% of the revenue,’ says Sudhir Ruparelia, one of Uganda’s wealthiest individuals of Indian descent. Brought to Uganda by the British colonialists at the beginning of the 19th century to help construct the Uganda Railway – and later supported...

Moyo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Primary school headteachers in West Nile have attributed the high dropout rate of Primary Seven candidates to parental neglect and the lure of numerous petty jobs that attract learners. The number of candidates in West Nile has been decreasing by thousands over the past two years. Records from the West Nile Primary Schools Headteachers’ Association (WENIPSHA) show that in 2022, 46,456 candidates sat for the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), but the number dropped to 41,341 in 2023, marking a decline of 5,115 candidates. This year, the number of candidates who sat for the PLE dropped by 2,455. Dominic Bunia, the Publicity Secretary of WENIPSHA and Chairperson of the Koboko District Primary Headteachers’ Association said many learners are attracted to business opportunities that offer immediate cash, leading them to drop out of school. Bunia also pointed out that some parents do not support their children’s education, and most...

Dr. Charles Njuguna, the Acting World Health Organisation Uganda Representative urged Uganda not to resist digital payments. Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Evidence from a study by Makerere University School of Public Health suggests that adopting digital payment for health workers involved in short-term contracts for health campaigns helps eliminate fraud and other challenges associated with handling cash. Speaking at a results dissemination event, Prof. Peter Waiswa, a researcher at the School and the director of the Digital Health Payment Initiative and Research Project, shared that the three-year study, launched in October 2021, involved randomized controlled trials in 36 districts. Half of the districts used cash payments, while the other half employed cashless methods. Waiswa noted that the study revealed higher health worker satisfaction in districts where cashless payments were used, with benefits such as timeliness in payments and easier accountability, which significantly reduced financial losses. Waiswa also acknowledged some...

The Kingfisher well, Block 3A, jointly owned by Tullow Oil Plc and Heritage Oil Plc, sits at the Lake Albert Rift Basin, in Uganda. Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A Ghanaian Oil and gas expert says national content in the upstream sector, if handled very well may result in indigenous companies breaking out into international spheres. Egbert Faibile Jnr, the Chief Executive Officer at Petroleum Commission of Ghana also cautions that Uganda needs to ensure that petroleum revenues are not burdened by costs which may not necessarily be considered as allowable petroleum costs. “Regulatory oversight and cost control are key to cost management efforts in all business activities. Exploration and Production activities are capital intensive requiring investment of about $4billion before first commercial production and in Uganda’s case probably higher because of the huge CAPEX investments in crude transportation to the shore” he advised. He said some Ghanaian have expanded...

Kim Jong Un, President of North Korea’s President and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin SEOUL, NORTH KOREA | TASS | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said at a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov that strikes inside Russia with longer-range Western weapons represent direct interference in the conflict in Ukraine, the Korean Central News Agency reported. “Comrade Kim Jong Un said the fact that the US and the West, with the hands of the Kiev government, struck Russia’s territory with their long-range weapons constitutes direct military intervention in the conflict,” the report said. “Kim Jong Un mentioned that the retaliatory strike on Ukraine that was recently launched by the Russian government and the military is a timely and effective measure to notify the US, the West and Ukraine, which are clinging to unwise military recklessness, of the seriousness of the situation and Russia’s will for harsh countermeasures,” the KCNA...

Bulambuli, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government has provided financial assistance to families affected by the recent landslide in Buluganya Sub-County, Bulambuli District. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja delivered UGX 5 million in cash to the relatives of each person who lost their life in the landslide that struck on Wednesday this week. During her visit to Buluganya on Friday, Nabbanja also announced that individuals hospitalized due to injuries from the disaster would each receive UGX 1 million by the end of the week. She stated that the financial support is intended to assist families with burial expenses and provide treatment to those affected. Annet Nagudi, the LCV Chairperson for Bulambuli District, highlighted the district’s efforts to establish a temporary resettlement camp at Kamu Market in Kamu Sub-County. The camp will provide shelter for individuals from Buluganya and other high-risk areas. Nagudi also confirmed that as of Friday, the number...

Residents searching for bodies buried in the mud. PHOTO URN Bulambuli, Uganda | Xinhua | The death toll in the Wednesday night mudslide that hit several villages in the eastern Ugandan district of Bulambuli has risen to 20, a police spokesperson said Friday. Rogers Taitika, a spokesperson of Elgon region police, told Xinhua over the telephone that a total of 20 dead bodies have been retrieved from the scene. Taitika said more than 100 people are still believed to be missing after the calamity, which was triggered by torrential rains and buried over 40 houses and partially damaged others. He said 21 people were rescued and are now undergoing treatment. “We are continuing with the operations. We have several teams on the ground to help with the operations,” he said. Landslides and mudslides have become frequent in Uganda during seasons of heavy rainfall. In August, more than 30 people lost...

Gloria Mugambe, head of the Uganda EITI Secretariate speaking during the launch of the report about transparency in Uganda’s extractive’s industry Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Extractive‘s Industries Transparency Initiative Secretariat (UGEITI Secretariat) has again raised a red flag about the discrepancies in the country’s gold import and exports. UGEITI Secretariat hosted by the Ministry of Finance on Thursday release its report for Fiscal Year 2021/2022.  Like in the previous reports, the variations between the figures of gold exports reported by Uganda Revenue Authority greatly vary with reports by the Department of Geological Surveys and Mines (DGSM) According to the new report, there has also been unexplained jump in earnings from minerals. During the 2020/2021 report, UGEITI said production of minerals was worth 19 billion shillings. In the current report, it said production in minerals was worth 202 billion shillings. “We want to understand what is driving...

  Ivy Maingi is new Glovo Uganda General Manager As Glovo continues revolutionizing the on-demand delivery landscape, its Q-commerce operations have become an important pillar of its growth strategy. Patricia Akankwatsa of The Independent had the opportunity to sit down with the newly appointed Country Manager, Ivy Maingi to discuss how Glovo is redefining quick commerce in Uganda and beyond. How has Glovo strategically expanded its Q-commerce operations? What factors have influenced its market selection? I think one of the things that we have done is partnering with big players in the market. Q-commerce includes restaurants, and retailers, for example, the likes of capital shoppers, the likes of Fraine supermarket, and the likes of Masters, so we’ve partnered with all of those. But also, beyond the big players, we have partnered with small local players. For example, we have farm- like markets in Nakasero on Glovo. So, we are doing a...

FILE PHOTO: Head of Fintech Business at PostBank Uganda Brenda Mpoora addressing the media in Budwale Sub County, Mbale District, during the Wendi by PostBank and IFDC parnership launch aimed at improving access to financial services to highland farmers through Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs).  OPINION | Brenda Mpoora | Kaka Mbabazi feels more in control of her life these days. She turned 73 at the beginning of this year and has never owned a bank account. Until June this year, when her granddaughter Patience signed her onto PostBank’s Wendi mobile platform in addition to registering her with her local SACCO. Long story short, Kaka can now safely save her money—she suspects her other grandkids were pinching the money she used to save in her suka. The money was saved in a knot in the corner of her suka, which she wears daily. But even better, all her grandchildren can...