Author: Robert Atuhairwe

In the face of a syndrome jeopardising Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs), experts have highlighted mismanagement, embezzlement, and inadequate strategies leading to the downfall of many SACCOs. They called for urgent reforms, emphasising the effective utilisation of SACCOs to boost share capital and financial stability. During the launch of the Hoima City Tax and Bus Park Drivers SACCO on December 31, 2023, at Kolping Hotel Gardens, Dr. Patrick Mwesigwa Isingoma Obama, Member of Parliament, for Hoima- East City Division, stressed the importance of saving to generate profits through responsible borrowing. With a pledge of sh5m to enhance their financial…

A decade ago, Hoima City’s real estate market thrived on the activities of the oil industry, witnessing heightened demand and profitability. Investors eagerly purchased land, leading to increased gentrification and soaring property values. Elevated to city status in the 2019 fiscal year, Hoima underwent a transformative phase, evolving into a bustling urban centre adorned with modern buildings. This growth attracted businesses and fueled the real estate sector, with average returns on capital for developers rising from 5% to 60% between 2010 and 2016. However, the past two years have seen a marked decline in the once-booming real estate market. Borrowers…

In this story, Robert Atuhairwe, focuses on the oil-rich Hoima district, where women are coming out to shift and demystify traditional beliefs and myths that land and property are passed from male head to male heir. ******************* Land in the oil-rich Bunyoro sub-region which has for centuries been communally owned is now being sold to oil firms and industries to establish investments as Uganda embarks on the development phase to extract its 6.5 billion barrels of oil in place. This explains the escalation of land speculation, the deepening land grabbing crisis and intra-family land conflicts. In Uganda, property especially land,…

In 2018, the government commissioned a two-storeyed building to house the Auditor General’s office at Hoima district local government headquarters with the aim of facilitating efficient auditing and enhancing accountability in the country’s mid-western region. To the dismay of anti-corruption campaigners, the office is yet to serve well its intended purpose. Many scandals and instances of misuse of public funds in Bunyoro sub-region that have recently dominated public debate and led to outrage and calls for accountability have been omitted in the latest report by the Auditor General (AG). The discrepancies that have been cited in the report for the…

Despite the remarkable progress in renewable energy generation, investment in Africa’s clean energy transition is lagging in comparison to the rest of the world, according to a new report published by Zero Carbon Analytics, an international research group that analyses climate change and green energy transition. Home to about one billion people, Africa contributes less than four per cent of global carbon emissions, but renewables deployment on the continent has grown substantially over the last decade, doubling between 2012 and 2022 – from 28.45 megawatts to 58.78 gigawatts – with an average year-on-year growth rate of 7.6%. However, despite this…

Anti-corruption activists have called for innovative approaches if the fight against corruption – a vice that has consistently bedeviled Uganda in recent years – is to register some significant wins. Mindful of the pervasive nature of corruption and its detrimental effects on society, the activists argue that there is need for a multifaceted approach aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and ethical governance at all levels. “Corruption has become a culture and part of our everyday life – a culture where people are obsessed with getting rich in a short time without the required sacrifice, integrity and hard work,” Marlon Agaba,…

A new organisation in Bunyoro is ramping up the push for compensation from the British government for atrocities committed during the colonial era against Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom. Under the umbrella organisation known as the Mubende Banyoro United Association (MBA), the activists are demanding up to USD$10 trillion in war claims. They say that they are working with Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom and the government of Uganda to push for justice and apology for the cruel treatment that was meted to their ancestors by the colonial administration. An MBA official disclosed that they have already gathered evidence from across the world where the tormentors…

Kibati trading centre in the East Division is about a 20-minute drive from Hoima City Central Business District (CBD). On the left, one is welcomed by waste littered allover the road leading to a multi-billion waste treatment plant, which has dominated the media for lying idle almost 10 years after it was commissioned. The sh2.5b compost plant, which was handed over to the city authorities in November 2012 by the National Management Authority (NEMA), with funding from the World Bank, was established to ensure effective management of garbage in the city. It has since not performed its intended purpose of…

UMEME Ltd has invested sh9b in the revamping of the Hoima substation – which is located in Kinubi Cell on the outskirts of the city – from six megawatts to 20 megawatts. The substation, which is part of UMEME’s asset replacement project, aims to improve capacity and supply more customers reliably. The works, which commenced on October 15 and will be commissioned late December this year, include installation of two new high-capacity power transformers, a power house, switch gears, transformers and integration of power lines from Masindi’s Kinyara Sugar Works generation line. During a recent media briefing at the aforesaid…

TotalEnergies EP Uganda (TEPU) has formalised a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) to spearhead wetland and riparian vegetation conservation efforts within the Tilenga Project area. In a press release dated November 7, the multi-year collaboration signals the commencement of a partnership focused on executing diverse activities in conjunction with various stakeholders. “These initiatives aim to safeguard and rejuvenate wetlands in the ecologically vital Albertine Rift Region,” the French firm said. “The wetland ecosystems in this area are crucial habitats for diverse flora and fauna, playing a pivotal role in local and regional…