Following in the footsteps of its Ottoman forefathers, Ankara sees Africa as a core part of its global political and economic engagement ANALYSIS | RAPHAEL PARENS & MARCEL PLICHTA | Turkey is not the largest power interested in Africa. Its economic engagement, arms sales, and foreign aid are dwarfed by one …
Read More »‘Uganda’s speedy motorbike taxis will slow down for cash’
Road accidents cost Uganda US$1.2 billion annually, which is about 5% of its GDP ANALYSIS | CLAUDE RAISARO | Every day, 10 people die on the roads of Kampala, Uganda’s capital. Road accidents cost Uganda US$1.2 billion annually, which is about 5% of its GDP. The cost typically arises from healthcare spending. Families …
Read More »Against the Odds
Through resilience and determination street artist Deogratius Masembe courts both local and foreign audiences to tell his story of triumph and failure ART | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | Under the mid-day scorching sun in Kazo- Bwaise, a busy suburb in Kampala city, a young man expertly cuts and bends small wires into …
Read More »Uganda’s SMEs get Shs 1.8bn funding boost
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A new partnership between SHONA Capital and Cornerstone Asset Managers is injecting $500,000 (USh1.84bn) into Uganda’s small and medium-sized enterprises, a move that underscores growing momentum to domesticate financing for the country’s backbone businesses. The investment, sourced from high-net-worth individuals through Cornerstone’s Private Wealth Management …
Read More »Rwanda’s economy grew by 8.9% in 2024
This growth has translated into significant improvements in the labor market, with the creation of over half a million new jobs year-on-year Rwanda | THE INDEPENDENT | Rwanda’s real Gross Domestic Product expanded by 8.9% in 2024, surpassing the previous year’s growth of 8.2%, according to the latest Rwanda Economic Update …
Read More »DFCU doubles profit to Shs 72bn as sector competition heats up
Ugandan lender sets sights on profitability top-tier as rivals Stanbic and Bank of Baroda stay ahead—for now Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In a banking sector still feeling the effects of cautious post-pandemic recovery and tighter monetary conditions, dfcu Bank has delivered a notable performance that signals a shift …
Read More »Uganda Clays Ltd loss widens to Shs 4.95 billion
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda Clays Ltd has reported a net loss of Shs 4.95 billion for the year ending December 31, 2024, driven by increased production costs and finance expenses. This marks a deepening of the company’s loss, compared to Shs 2.85 billion in 2023, despite a 4% …
Read More »Can we exit from a world of debt?
The conversation should not be how to sustain an economy in a permanent debt spiral but how to break that cycle COMMENT | VIJAY PRASHAD | In the past two decades, the external debt of developing countries has quadrupled to $11.4 trillion (2023). It is important to understand that this money owed …
Read More »TB response under strain
WHO turns to primary care amidst funding crisis Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | The World Health Organisation (WHO) wants tuberculosis TB and lung health services to be integrated into primary healthcare systems as a sustainable solution to maintain essential services. This is as the global fight against TB faces major …
Read More »Rich Ugandans don’t pay tax
Ensuring increased tax contribution of wealthy citizens Africa-wide relies on these three smarter collection strategies COMMENT | GIOVANNI OCCHIALI | Faced with some of the worse debt levels in over a decade, African countries are struggling to find ways to balance their books. Increasing revenue sources from their citizens is an …
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