Government of Uganda . – Prime Time Communications

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: Favourable interest rates are good for everyone, not just government, banks must do more to curb digital financial crimes

#OutToLunch: Police, banks must do more to curb digital financial crimes By Denis Jjuuko A friend was recently riding on a boda boda in a leafy Kampala suburb when another speeding boda boda approached her. The approaching boda boda had a passenger, a young man, who grabbed her bag and sped off. It was in the early afternoon. It is a normal thing in Kampala to lose your bag or be attacked like that whether you are in one of Kampala’s exclusive suburbs or not. Walking on Kampala’s streets including the busiest ones is never safe. You simply don’t know when you will be attacked. Although she had some money and other essentials in her bag, her biggest concern was her smartphone. Like many people, a phone is one of those things that are hard to do without nowadays. She was frustrated and went on a frantic search for it. Reporting to the police and such other things. She can’t work without a phone so she decided to replace it as soon as possible so she can carry on with her business and be able to get in touch with her family and friends. As soon she got a replacement phone that afternoon, she started receiving several messages that scared her. The thieves who stole her phone were not ordinary ones or at least they have a network of sophisticated hackers. The messages she was now receiving indicated that money had been transferred from her bank account to another account within the same bank. This happened within a few hours or minutes of losing her phone. She hasn’t yet been able to trace the thieves and find way to get her money back. She most likely won’t succeed. Like most people who buy high end smartphones, she had thought it was one of those safe things and it couldn’t be easily cracked open in Kampala shortly after losing it. It seems the more technologically advanced smartphones become, the more sophisticated the hackers become too. There must be a racket in Kampala who send young men on boda bodas to grab smartphones so they can hack them and transfer money to their accounts within a few minutes. They must be sitting somewhere and waiting whose phone they land on. And the fact that they can transfer money illegally from one bank account to another, shows how confident they are that they won’t be caught. There is an increased number of Ugandans embracing digital banking and even a higher number using mobile money platforms. It is convenient and modern. One doesn’t have to always spend hours in the banking halls transacting. It is not 1990 anymore. Digital banking including mobile money had led to some financial inclusion with many people, hitherto unbanked, able to access financial services. There are even people whose only access to financial services is through mobile money. But how safe is their money? If somebody can lose a modern smartphone and within a few minutes they have lost their money, how can the banking and mobile money companies help them? How can police help them? Largely, the majority of Ugandans are left to suffer with losses. Trips to the police to help track the thieves become endless and costly that the majority of Ugandans have given up to even reporting about it. They know there won’t be much help to recover the money. The banks and mobile money companies will largely blame the victim and do everything in their power to protect themselves. Because we have spent much time ignoring these attacks and blaming the victims, the thieves have now gained so much confidence that they are attacking government payment systems. The case of Uganda losing Shs60 billion in 60 minutes when a payment was initiated by the Ministry of Finance to the country’s central bank is still fresh. Although the attack happened in September 2024, not all the money has yet been recovered. And we are talking about government here with all the resources and contacts you can imagine. Imagine how much is being lost by individuals and businesses. Like my friend, a small business owner, the thieves have set her several years back. She wasn’t able to pay her rent and salaries for April on time. She now has to borrow to keep her business running. The police and other security intelligence organs must put in a shift to curb the rampant digital financial and other crimes. Players in the financial industry must also continuously invest in technologies that limit these crimes while sensitizing their clients on these issues otherwise gains made will be lost when people return to old ways of banking or keeping the money in their pillowcases. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

May 27, 2025

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: Favourable interest rates are good for everyone, not just government blueprint for politicians and entrepreneurs building churches

#OutToLunch: A blueprint for politicians and entrepreneurs building churches By Denis Jjuuko When it comes to religion, many times politicians, billionaire entrepreneurs, the middle class and other classes agree. At least on building magnificent houses of God. Across Uganda, many people have contributed or even single handedly built these houses of God. Fancy to a fault, majestically standing on hills with spires that compete with those seen in Hollywood movies. Many of these worship centres, particularly those single handedly built by one person or a family with their friends, are usually located in rural areas where the funders were born, walked barefoot to school before migrating to Kampala to find fortune and fame. The floors are of Italian or Spanish marble, porcelain or at worst polished terrazzo. Stained glasses with the beautiful image of the Virgin Mary complete the curvy life size windows. The pews are of the hardest wood. The world’s best sound engineers come in to install the public address system. The house of God must be fancy. Once construction is complete, they call in their Kampala friends for the grand opening. The clergy lines up at the foot of the building to welcome them. The parking lot is full of the most expensive SUVs. The parishioners walk in every prayer day fearful of stepping on the floors, sometimes so shiny that they see their own body reflections. Their best clothes can’t even be used to clean the pews. They can scratch them. For a moment, the poor are in heaven before returning to their houses where floors are screeded with cow dung. There is nothing wrong with people using their fortune and connections to build grand churches or mosques. It is their money; their appreciation of what God has helped them achieve. They no longer have some of these other problems so they can “give back” to God. The problem is whether the grandeur church is what the community really needs. Shouldn’t politicians, the rich and famous first do a needs assessment? Usually, besides the magnificent house of God stands a school with a falling roof or whose walls are being held in place by crooked timber poles. Windows are just wide openings where mild steel frames would do. Inside some of the classrooms, are anthills. Pupils sit on logs and like their homes, the cow dung is the main material used for floor screeding. Teachers look like they last had a decent meal on Christmas day. The health centre is miles away and poorly equipped. The only hope for survival whenever they fall sick is through prayer in the church built for them by the only person who was lucky enough to survive the biting poverty. Yet the funders go to India or Kenya or Germany whenever they feel any discomfort. And are not afraid to give testimony that last time they fell sick, they traveled to Europe for better management and while there, they were thankful to God for their life hence the magnificent church building. Yet the blueprint for an impactful church exists. In most cases wherever the Catholics built a church, they built a school as well and almost everywhere they set up their regional headquarters (read a diocese), they built a functional hospital. They knew that you can’t pastor the dead! They also knew that an educated population is good for them and their beliefs. Some people call it sustainability and perhaps that is why they have existed for millennia. You saw how they put on a show at Pope Francis’ funeral. Why can’t politicians and billionaire businessmen do the same? If you have Shs6 billion (nearly US$2 million) like we heard of the Ssembabule church or the one in Mitooma, why not build a church of Shs2 billion, a school of Shs2 billion and a healthy centre of Shs2 billion? You could also may be build all those with about 70% of the kitty and create an endowment fund with the remaining 30%. The annual interest from the fund could be used to operate the school and the hospital. If 30% of Shs6b is invested say in a long-term treasury bond, it could give a net return of approximately Shs255m per a year or Shs21.3m per a month, enough to subsidize a rural school and health facility. Alternatively, an income generating project could be established alongside the church building. A factory to add value for the parishioners. It could be a dairy plant or a coffee factory depending on the area. A scholarship for the needy bright students could be another alternative. That way people wouldn’t have to meet their creator ahead of time. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

May 27, 2025

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: Favourable interest rates are good for everyone, not just government only we could learn from Pope Francis

#OutToLunch: If only we could learn from Pope Francis By Denis Jjuuko The death of Pope Francis came a little bit as a surprise. He had been seen publicly on Easter Sunday, another surprise, blessing the faithful from the balcony that overlooks St Peter’s Square. Even though he was visibly weak, it seemed he was on the road to recovery after spending more than a month in hospital being treated of double pneumonia. He was 88 years old. Pope Francis is the third pope to die in the last 20 years following John Paul II in April 2005 and Benedict XVI in December 2022 even though he (Benedict) had long resigned from this position due to ill health. That decision of Benedict to resign allowed Francis to assume office in March 2013. Less than two years after his election, Pope Francis made the long trip to Uganda, becoming the third pope to do so largely thanks to the Uganda martyrs. And like most of the papal visits especially to countries like ours, everything comes to a standstill. Roads are paved, buildings are rehabilitated and grass is planted, public holidays granted and that wasn’t any different in 2015. People traveled from far and near to attend the mass that he led. Even our politicians who usually don’t see eye to eye were seen shaking hands at the Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo. One wished the pope visited every day! Those who met the Pope either in Uganda, the Vatican or elsewhere all talk about his humility. As he departed Uganda, a photo is shared of him climbing the steps to his Shephard One aircraft at Entebbe International Airport. He was walking alone, one hand sometimes holding his papal soutane, and another carrying a black bag, perhaps with personal belongings. He could have had as many aides as he wished. He was the leader of more than a billion Catholics but he lived simply and perhaps sending a message to nobodies that they too can be humble. Many ministers in Uganda never carry their handbags, there is always somebody at hand to do so. He refused to move in expensive limos or SUVs while visiting Kampala preferring a simple black Kia hatchback. Again, in a country where every public official craves for the most powerful vehicles. He lived simply and probably wanted us to learn something. Servant leadership. Showing off was not his way of life. He also understood that the Catholic Church needed reforms in a world that is rapidly changing. It may not have made him a lot of friends within the conservatives but leadership is about making key decisions including those that are unpopular. That way he endeared many to the church. He wanted a world where peace existed. He prayed for peace and welcomed everyone including many that he probably didn’t agree with. Perhaps if they listened to him, the world would have been different. There would be less destruction. We can all live together. He kissed the feet of warrying parties and urged them to embrace peace. Those whose feet he kissed only shook hands for a day and some are at each other’s throats again. He must have died wondering what needed to be done to stop the wars and killings that go on unabated sometimes fighting for no particular reasons apart from the egos of leaders and wealth that they would still leave on earth. Pope Francis still sent a message to those who deprive wealth of others by stating in his will his desire for a simple burial without the ornaments and all stuff that his position could afford. If he didn’t enjoy a luxurious lifestyle when alive, it would mean nothing to his body. There is a lot that we can learn from Pope Francis. His humility, ability to embrace everyone and putting others first even when it came at a personal cost. He didn’t adhere to the advice of his doctors for complete rest. He kept on meeting people and drove through the crowd in his papal mobile on Easter Sunday. And if leaders can take his example, the world would be a better place. Peaceful and resources shared with everyone. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

May 27, 2025

News

Ministry of Local Government Signs Contracts for Design and Supervision for over 800km Road Project in Northern Uganda

By Adam Walusimbi and Gloria Kembabazi In a move aimed at transforming rural infrastructure and enhancing agricultural productivity in Northern Uganda, the Ministry of Local Government (MoLG) has officially signed three major contracts to initiate the design and supervision of over 800 kilometers of community access roads. The initiative is part of the broader Rural Development and Food Security in Northern Uganda (RUDSEC) Project. During a contract signing ceremony held at the MoLG headquarters in Kampala on April 30, 2025, the Permanent Secretary, Ben Kumumanya, formally awarded the contracts to three consulting firms: UB-Consulting Engineers, Kom Consult, and LEA Associates. The selected firms will oversee the planning and supervision of critical road works across the Acholi, Lango, and Teso sub-regions. The contracts, worth a combined total of approximately Shs4.2 billion, are split into three geographic packages with package one (Acholi Sub-region) covering detailed engineering designs for 124.1km and supervision of construction works for 195.1 km in Acholi Subregion. Package two (Lango Sub-region) covers the design of 90.8 km and supervision of 132.2 km in Lango Subregion while package three covers design works for 109.5 km and construction supervision for 151.4 km in Teso subregion. This brings to a total of 803.1km to be worked on in this phase. Kumumanya emphasized the importance of completing the work efficiently within the project timeline, which spans from 2023 to 2028, with no possibility for an extension. “Time is of the essence to ensure that the project is implemented and achieves its objectives within the set timeframe. There will be no extension, as there will be no resources to cater for additional time,” Kumumanya stated. The RUDSEC project is a result of a cooperation agreement between the Ugandan and German governments. The Ministry of Local Government is implementing the EUR32.1 million (Shs130.2 billion) project with support from the Ministry of Works and Transport on behalf of the government of Uganda. KfW is the implementing partner of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). RUDSEC will unlock the agricultural potential and increase the income of smallholder farmers in Northern Uganda. This project will focus on improving road transport and market infrastructure to create better local economic opportunities. The road construction and rehabilitation efforts will benefit nine districts: Lamwo, Pader, Agago, Lira, Dokolo, Oyam, Soroti, Serere, and Kaberamaido. In total, the RUDSEC project will rehabilitate and upgrade 1,327 kilometers of roads, focusing primarily on Community Access Roads (CARs) and District Roads. In addition to the roads, the project will also support the development of key market infrastructure. Markets slated for rehabilitation and improvement include Amach, Minakulu, Katine, Pader Town Council, Aswa, Dokolo, Loro, Dakabela, Abone, Arum, Oliga, Padibe, Oriamo, and Kidetok Mulago. “The project will employ climate resilience measures to ensure that the roads remain usable in all weather conditions, including heavy rains,” explained Eng Paul Kasule Mukasa, the Ministry of Local Government Projector Coordinator. The RUDSEC Project is expected to directly benefit over 3,000 smallholder farmers by improving their access to markets, reducing transportation costs, and minimizing post-harvest losses. Moreover, the project is projected to create over 1,000 employment opportunities in construction, engineering design, and supervision roles. This marks a promising step forward in the government’s efforts to promote inclusive rural development, boost regional food security, and improve livelihoods in some of Uganda’s most underserved areas.

May 16, 2025

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: Favourable interest rates are good for everyone, not just government

By Denis Jjuuko Now that the hullabaloo about the government takeover of Umeme is over, there is a need to ask some questions. Questions that affect most people. As you might be aware, many businesses survive on loans whether to expand, acquire new technology, or service their customers. Usually, the big businesses easily walk into a bank and get whatever money they need. Some even advertise calling lenders who would like to lend them money to bid. The lenders sometimes fall for themselves to do so. Government does the same. It even sets the interest rate it will borrow at and many times even refuse some of the money people are desperate to lend to it but to this, we shall return later. For the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), it is a totally different story. You have to chase the lenders to give you money. Their instinct is to refuse. They claim SMEs, even when collectively are the biggest contributors to the economy, are risky. Chances of not getting their money back are high. They may not be entirely wrong. The lenders especially the formal ones usually take their time, making the borrowers even more desperate sending them to underground sharks. Some times some staff of the formal lenders are not any different from the sharks. They deliberately slow the process and demand stuff that are as difficult to get as those usually required by witches. Once they realize the borrower is super desperate, they pounce many times asking anxious SMEs for a commission. Imagine borrowing money at interest rates in their mid-twenties and somebody is asking for a commission on it. The commission is usually euphemism for a bribe. Desperate SME owners give the bribe in fear of losing out. Doing business in Uganda is like living in the wild, always looking over your shoulders for predators. Yet the say that what is good for the goose should be good for the gander too. Let us look at how government paid off Umeme. We heard that they borrowed money from a commercial bank to pay Umeme. The lender didn’t quote them the usual rates. It lent them at 7% annually. I am not sure if they presented any collaterals. I believe they didn’t. Currently, the average interest rate on dollar loans is 13% in many commercial banks. So, the government negotiated itself a bargain at 7%. When they are borrowing from the masses through the treasury bonds, they are giving an average of 15% on long term bonds (10-20 years) and much less on those with short tenures (five years and below). Like mentioned earlier, they many times refuse to take all the money people are willing to lend it. They perfectly understand that high interest rates are not good for them. But if they are not good for them, how can they be good for businesses and individuals? Newspapers these days seem to be deriving most of their income from adverts putting borrowers’ assets on sale by auction for failure to pay back loans. The majority of those assets are for small businesses and individuals. It can’t be that they all misused the money and went for life or made extremely wrong decisions. Some could have been because the government itself has not paid them for supplies and services rendered for years, prompting lenders to send the toughest auctioneers their way. With the Americans closing agencies like USAID, many businesses in Uganda are going to collapse if they have not collapsed already sending thousands of workers and business owners home. At their homes, auctioneers will show up to do foreclosures on mortgages. Imagine somebody who acquired assets to service the thousands of NGOs that were getting grants from USAID? Such businesses had not yet recovered from the closure of the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) by the Ugandan government. We had not yet recovered from COVID-19 for God’s sake. And as we prepare for elections in 2026, many investors will be watching from the sidelines to see what happens. This means investing less money and therefore less jobs or income for small businesses that could have supplied them or gained contracts from the value chains. Regardless of what happened with USAID, DGF or what will happen during elections, government needs to rethink seriously the interests on loans and work out a long-term solution. They can’t be borrowing at favourable rates while sending the rest to borrow at astronomical figures. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

April 24, 2025

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: A world of opportunity awaits UEDCL as they take over power distribution

By Denis Jjuuko On 31 March this year, something that doesn’t usually take place in Uganda happened. A contract between the government of Uganda and private electricity distributor, Umeme, ended as stipulated in their agreement signed more than 20 years ago. Usually, there is an extension after an extension to review something or enable to finalize the transition or something similar. Even more strange, Umeme acknowledged in a statement published in newspapers that it had received USD118,385,603 as the buy out amount recommended by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG). Usually, payments from the government of Uganda take months and months, lobbying, threats to sue and even sometimes suing. Not this time. The speed at which government has worked is akin to a spouse eager to divorce their partner so that they can enjoy the warmth of their new lover. If this lightning speed is extended to all contracts and services, Uganda would surely be a better place. Although Umeme claims that its figure is USD234m and not the figure recommended by OAG, by the time of writing this, I hadn’t heard of anyone struggling to pay for Yaka or postpaid services. Nobody claimed had been switched off from electricity. Was this a case of both partners so eager to see the back of each other and willing to first each grab what they can and agree on some marital property later? Perhaps so. In fact, Umeme indicated that it would go for arbitration somewhere in London. At least, both former lovers were not punching each other and making life difficult for each other. Arbitration is always better than physical fights. The exist of Umeme ushers into almost uncharted waters for the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL). Although UEDCL has managed distribution in some areas where Umeme didn’t have presence, the scale at which they have to now operate is huge. One can only wish them the best. They aren’t particularly unique in this though. They can learn from the guys who issue driving permits. They took over from an efficient company and even became more efficient. As one of the final acts from its divorce, Umeme decided to leave by showing how much they loved their erstwhile partner and spared no coins in paying for a colorful centerspread infographic in the newspapers that showed their impact. One of their key celebratory figures was that they inherited a paltry 250,000 customers and are now handing over a base of 2.37 million customers. This is akin to a partner telling the other in a divorce case that I made you better. The 2.37 million figure made me sit up, lean back a bit in my chair, grab a mug of Ugandan coffee, sip and stare at particularly nothing. I wondered whether to celebrate or cry. We are a country of 49.5 million people according to the chaps at the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) as per the 2024 National Population Census. Also, there are 10.8 million households in Uganda. On average, Uganda’s household size is 4.4 people. And since the 2.37m customers included factories, offices and buildings, it means that the majority of households in Uganda have no access to electricity. I know that some households are connected to solar power especially in rural areas but usually that is for charging a feature phone, watch some TV on a screen of the size of tablet computer and some basic lighting. Good but not good enough. And that is where UEDCL and the government of Uganda need to work. How do they make electricity accessible and affordable to all? Electricity, not just for households, leads to development and job creation. When a small town is connected to the national grid, many young people are able to set up small businesses some of which grow into large enterprises over the years. It is not uncommon to find a village where there are powerlines but the people too poor to connect their houses. Transforming agriculture would lead the majority of the folks in rural areas to afford installation and service fees as well as buying Yaka units. The UEDCL will have to be more efficient so that power is reliable and doesn’t go off whenever it rains or every time a bird plays on the wires. They will need to invest significantly in the network, modernize it to reduce losses, and nip corruption in the bud so that there is more money to generate, transmit and distribute. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

April 22, 2025

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: If girls can learn to shoot a gun, they can learn to code too

By Denis Jjuuko A young girl in a school uniform surfaced on a video over the weekend. Perhaps in the lower ages of her teens, she walks majestically in an open field. It is some kind of event. The person on the microphone is ecstatic. The crowd is roaring with joy. They have probably seen this girl before do some performance. Whoever is shooting the video only focuses on the teenager. It is not clear where the video was taken but somewhere in Africa. Somebody said it was South Sudan. When she reaches the middle of the field, she confidently picks up one of the deadliest weapons ever made — the AK47 gun. She points it in the air as if she is going to shoot but she doesn’t. She instead starts to disassemble it. The crowd roars at every part removed. Within no time, she re-assembles the AK47 gun. The crowd has never cheered like this before. Her mission is done. Puts the gun down and walks away. The video ends there. I would have wanted to watch more to get the context of the entire event and what drives an entire country to gather to watch teenage school girls disassemble and reassemble automatic assault rifles. Is it about defending their country which in most cases means keeping politicians in power? Is it self-defense? Or building a significant base of future innovators that can go make better guns than the AK47? Unfortunately, it was hard to get answers to such questions from the video clip. But it keeps one thinking about the education policy of some of these African countries. Previously, African leaders had such courses branded patriotism and empowering the masses to defend themselves. The gun, particularly the Ak47, had been used to terrorize people and there was a need to demystify it, the African leaders argued. They enrolled thousands of post-primary students in such courses. The countries remain largely poor decades later. I am not so sure how long it takes to teach a kid how to learn the intricacies of assembling an AK47. It must be some good training and some good resources. Military trainers, securing a suitable venue, guns, bullets, and all that. And then much more money to organize the “graduation” event where the learners showcase their impeccable skills with the AK47 and perhaps other types of guns. The majority of these AK47 graduates will most likely not finish their formal education like is the case in Africa. Very few kids who enroll into primary make it to university or other tertiary institutions. Many actually don’t complete their secondary education. And looking at that girl in the video, perhaps the only skills she will ever have are those to do with the AK47. What is she going to do with such skills? Unless she joins the military, she may end up in a militia that seeks to topple those who trained her or into some law breaker of repute. There are many 21st century skills that young girls need to acquire ahead of learning how to shoot a gun. Digital skills are crucial to make young people competitive and if they can learn to assemble a gun, they can learn to code too. They are more likely to earn better coding than shooting guns. They are more likely to contribute to the development of their countries with digital skills than impeccable gun skills. That doesn’t mean that there is no need to secure a country but that should be left to those who are recruited into the armed forces. The majority of people don’t need military education. They need skills that can land them jobs to feed their families, pay taxes to run the country and ultimately fulfil their potential. The politicians need to think beyond themselves. Look at South Sudan where the video is said to have been made. Two old men can’t control their egos so they decide to fight each other instead of using their massive natural resource endowments to create a prosperous country. Countries don’t develop because the masses can shoot a gun. They do when the masses have skills necessary that make them competitive in the world. Imagine if that girl instead of an AK47, she was displaying coding skills?

March 27, 2025

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch Amalgamate saccos to provide women with patient capital

By Denis Jjuuko On 8 March, Uganda marked yet another women’s day. Several activities were carried out. High profile people gave lofty speeches once again. Promises were made. As is always the case in Uganda, group photos were taken. Meals I believe were served. And of course, some dancing. Reminders must have been made of what has been achieved and how grateful the women should be. But the majority of Ugandan women probably didn’t even notice the day. They were too busy eking a living or trying to survive to even notice. Women emancipation is still a pipe dream for many. There have been a lot of emphasis for women empowerment and some milestones have been achieved. Still, more needs to be done. One key area that can transform women’s fortunes is formal education. Averagely, the more educated one is, the higher the chances of better incomes whether as a salaried person or through entrepreneurship. There is usually some talk on education or the lack of it where many people point to one successful entrepreneur without formal education and present it as standard for wealth creation. Those outliers will always exist. Even among those with high formal education qualifications, outliers exist. But the majority of people without formal education don’t earn better than those with formal education. Many studies have been done on this by institutions like the World Bank. Households, communities and governments must ensure that girls stay in school for as long as possible. The minimum education should be completion of secondary education. Educated girls will value education and therefore will ensure their children go to school too. They will most likely not give birth to 10 kids they can’t look after. They will not easily think that the only pathway to success is marriage. And they won’t look at bride price as the route to their own success as parents. That way they will avoid becoming grandmothers at age 35. Formal education should be complimented with regular refresher courses on emerging issues. Today, everyone is talking about artificial intelligence and how it is disrupting everything. How can ordinary women get basics on artificial intelligence that is relevant to the work they do? Is there artificial intelligence that is relevant to a market vendor? Let them know about it. Digital training is necessary from time to time. Look at WhatsApp and its potential to connect millions and provide access to markets at almost no cost. Women leaders at the lowest level can be empowered to pass on skills to their people on what is working and how they can use emerging technologies for their own good. But so are a plethora of other applications that can enable people connect, promote their enterprises, seek for work or workers. There has always been a lot of talk on access to capital for women in entrepreneurship or to pay for needs such as school fees for their children. Some programs exist in that regard but sometimes the conditions are never favourable. High interest rates and short loan periods making it hard for women to borrow money to grow their enterprises or pay for their needs. Many women don’t own land which is the most common asset they can offer as collateral to banks and other lenders. Many women have had to rely on their own collective savings or saccos which lend at rates even higher than commercial banks though without the burden of collateral and paperwork. And lenders have observed over many years that female borrowers usually pay back more than male ones. A case, therefore, exists for a more long-term fund for women to access patient capital at low interest rates with less paperwork. Alternatively, how can many of the thousands of women saccos be amalgamated into a fund that has the organizational and operational capacity to provide fellow women patient capital? The Bank of Uganda and the government can guarantee the members protection of their money by providing oversight and insurance, similar to what they do with commercial banks or depositors’ money. The money raised by these saccos could be invested and the returns used to create an endowment fund that lends patient capital to millions of women. Women empowerment would move from being part of beautiful speeches and footnotes of studies into something ‘tangible’ that can truly transform the lives of the majority of women. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

March 27, 2025

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: High temperatures and what districts could learn from Buganda

By Denis Jjuuko Kampala used to be known as the city of seven hills but that was long ago. As the city expanded, so were the hills. If you get a chance to stand at the top of some of these hills, you will see many more hills in now what is considered the greater Kampala metropolitan area. Many people are increasingly settling onto these hills. It can be spectacular and probably a future source of tourism revenue for enterprising business people. All they need is a good high-rise structure on which telescopes could be mounted for people to see what Kampala has got to offer. The problem though is that some of these hills may end up embarrassing us. Take the example of a hill that you face when driving from Masaka to Kampala. Around Maya, you will face the Nsangi hill, full of houses that explain our lack of proper planning. One house faces this side, another faces the other side. One is multi-floors and another is the size of a poor man’s single room hut. But they all have one thing in common— a lack of trees. At least the original seven hills that formed Kampala have lots of trees. The ‘new’ ones? Something needs to be done. They were all originally well treed. Then land entrepreneurs showed up with graders. Cut down the trees and subdivided the hills into plots measuring 50×100 feet in size or less. They heavily advertised them as “organised” housing estates. Kampala’s middle class rushed to acquire them and started competing on who puts up the ugliest structure. Some built houses almost the size of the entire plot leaving absolutely no space to plant a tree or even some grass. The hills have ended up of what one once called a concrete jungle! Outside Kampala, forests were cut down for timber and charcoal and we didn’t think much of replacing the trees. Certainly, we had never heard of sustainable logging. Deplete everything and blame some faceless mafia. The trick works on the masses. That perhaps explains the high temperatures we are experiencing in Kampala and across the country today. If you drive through the countryside where the significant majority of the population depends on rainfed agriculture, a hunger crisis looms even though this is expected to be the dry season. Although harsh weather events or even changes in the climate that affect Ugandans can’t be entirely blamable on Ugandans, there is much that we can do ourselves. One of the easiest things to do is planting trees, many of which wouldn’t require much effort to grow. Perhaps the tree should be one that offers benefits to people regularly such as fruit trees from which income could be derived. The people at the helm of Buganda Kingdom understood this and initiated a tree planting plan at every betrothment (kwanjula) and last funeral rites ceremonies and this could further be escalated by the district local governments. At least in urban areas, everyone who builds a house is supposed to have an approved architectural plan. Urban planners should ensure that each plan presented for approval has trees as part of it. And before occupation permits are issued, there must be trees already planted. When urban authorities visit rental properties to determine and/or collect property service tax, they should check whether the trees exist and if not, a penalty could be administered. The Uganda Revenue Authority could do the same when collecting rental income tax. Where commercial building in the city can’t have trees, they can commit to maintaining trees on the streets on which they are located or a nearby public park. Failure to do so, they would receive a penalty. Real estate dealers who subdivide land into the so-called organised housing estates would be required to plant trees along the main roads within that estate as part of their license and this could be done well before the land is sold. No trees planted; no land titles issued. The land registry would have to work with the district local governments on this. Those who buy the land would be required not to temper with the trees. They can only maintain them. Enforceable penalties for those who fail to adhere to this. Of course, for this to work, the districts and urban authorities would have to be intentional with supervision to ensure compliance. It should not be too difficult to enforce. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

March 27, 2025

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: With America freezing aid, Uganda should quickly utilize Shs14.6 trillion in unused loans

By Denis Jjuuko It is 10.00am somewhere in Abidjan or Washington. The boardroom is well set up. The temperature is on point, to use Kampala language, and with the press of a button, the microphones become red hot and the giant screen is switched on. In the room, are several government officials from Uganda. They are meeting executives from the African Development or the World Bank to convince them to lend money to Uganda to implement its various development projects that will improve people’s livelihoods and catapult the country to some level of middle-income status. The Uganda delegation did their homework as exhibited in the colorful spreadsheets, graphs and photos in the presentation. Using persuasive language, the Uganda delegation is making an impassioned plea to the lenders to advance the money as soon as possible or else millions of people will become poorer than they are today. The executives from the lending institutions nod their heads. The Uganda delegation has been impressive. It doesn’t surprise them though. These are some of Uganda’s brightest minds. They know their stuff. They are passionate about their country. The only thing missing is money. You know, some people say money is not everything, it is the only thing! If the money is advanced, the country would indeed consolidate the gains made already over the last few years. At the end of the question-and-answer session, the lending executives propose a break followed by a breakout session for themselves. The Uganda delegation can wait a bit in the executive lounge as they take in the executive views of the city and catch up with their families and work emails back home. Within a few minutes, the lenders have made a decision and have called the Uganda delegation back to the boardroom. The Uganda delegation is a bit anxious but they know the loans will be advanced. The lender is also in business, they will be earning interest. The problem is usually on interest rate, loan period and payment terms. Small issues that could be easily agreed upon. Anyway, in the boardroom, the lenders agree to advance the loan. Terms have been easily agreed upon and with consultation back in Kampala, the agreement will be signed within a few weeks. Indeed, the loan agreement is signed and the lenders advance the money. All is good for Uganda, right? Not really. And that is where as an ordinary Ugandan you should get concerned. According to the Auditor General’s report, Uganda’s unused loans have jumped 12.95% as of June 2024 to a monstruous Shs14.6 trillion. Yep, Shs14.6 trillion or nearly US$4 billion. In the last six years up to June 2024, Uganda has been spending a cool Shs78.2b annually on such loans. That is some Shs469 billion on unused loans. Yet many infrastructural projects such as roads are stalled because, we are constantly reminded, that there is no money. Projects that would have been completed on time take years because there is no money yet we have Shs14.6 trillion in some bank vaults waiting for us to collect and pay off contractors. Suppliers to the Uganda government have had their assets sold by commercial banks because we have failed to pay their invoices. Their workers have become unemployed. Kids’ education has been affected. The suppliers can’t be paid but Shs14.6 trillion of loans is not being utilized. If projects are not ready, why do we go and beg for these loans? At least if we don’t get the loans we are not ready to utilize, we would save Shs78.2b annually, which we would use to work on our projects debt free. How can a poor country be enriching the lenders? Imagine a businessman who goes and borrows money from a commercial bank and then leaves it there while paying annually to have the money on their account and not utilizing it. And then that businessman wouldn’t stop there, he would still go to another lender in another city and borrow and leaves the money on account unutilized. Imagine what would happen to that businessman over the years. Imagine if the Uganda government was a businessman, they would have collapsed already, assets sold on auction and the businessman dead of heart attack or somewhere in intensive care. Even though the Uganda government isn’t a typical businessman and can survive for years by borrowing money they don’t utilize, it will still affect it and more so the citizens. With the Americans freezing their aid, it is time the government of Uganda utilized the Shs14.6 trillion to spur economic growth. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

March 27, 2025

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: The time to throw away an apple for a kiwi after a single bite is over

By Denis Jjuuko We are living in a world where digital maps have become so essential. A tap on the app on your smartphone, like Google Maps, would tell you the route to use from one place to another, showing you the amount of time required per transport mode. When it comes to road transport by car, you will even see in real time whether there is traffic jam or not. These apps are not without challenges. Sometimes they can take you through a back route or recommend roads that long closed depending on how the mapping was done. Nevertheless, these apps are really handy. However, even when the app or even people direct you to wherever you are going, if it is a government of Uganda facility such as a local government office, there is usually one significant indicator that you have arrived. And it is the number of vehicles and equipment rotting in the compound. Some of these vehicles and road construction equipment look new or still in fairly good conditions where they may have needed some minor repairs. It talks a lot about wastage. If we can’t repair or maintain vehicles and equipment, maybe they should be sold off before they are declared scrap so government can get some money back. Or if the project for which some of the equipment is intended isn’t ready to be implemented, there is no need to procure the equipment in the first place. And it isn’t just vehicles and road construction equipment only that these are the ones that welcome you to a government facility. If you enter the building, depending on what they do, there will be equipment being neglected. If it is a hospital, it could be some laboratory or theatre equipment. A computer that has been abandoned. Chairs that are repairable but being piled in a corner somewhere and providing 5-star residence to rodents. Then meetings don’t start on time or rescheduled without informing those who are supposed to participate. One drives hundreds of kilometres only to be informed on arrival that the meeting won’t be taking place some times for flimsy reasons such as taking children back to school. Time and money wasted, which means that something that was supposed to be done will have to wait. Some times the waiting takes years. If you have a non-political case in court, you know what I mean. This modus operandi of some of government officials is going to face its limits. We have learned that the United States that funds a lot of government activities or those of NGOs that compliment government efforts has announced a review of its foreign aid for at least 90 days. It is not clear what will happen after or within 90 days but life may not be the same again especially for ordinary folks without the resources for example to buy lifesaving drugs. Three months is a long time when you need a pill a day to survive. It is not clear that Europe won’t do the same. It is not only people who depend on the services offered through aid such as antiretroviral drugs that will suffer. Businesses will close. Hotels that survive on NGO workshops, Nasser Road printers that rely on NGO work, transporters taking staff to the field, consultants and researchers and lots more will face it rough. The value chain of foreign aid in Africa is significant and affects almost everyone without access to the public till. African economies will have to stop behaving like a rich man’s child who eats an eighth of an apple before throwing it away to eat a kiwi. They will have to understand that if they throw away the apple after a single bite, there will be no other fruit to eat. In fact there will be nothing else to eat. It is time African governments realized, like a child who was throwing away the apple for a kiwi, that their father was simply a beneficiary of some benevolent man and that man has decided to cut off the flow of funds. Going to school is no longer possible by chauffeured SUVs. It is time to join the rest of the kids to walk to school or beg to occupy the kameeme — space behind the driver in the vans that work as commuter taxis in Uganda. Many people can’t afford that adjustment but there is no choice. It is time we stopped the wastage, nipped corruption in the bud, developed and implemented policies that enable the private sector to thrive and wean ourself off foreign aid. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

March 27, 2025

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: Treasury bonds, unit trusts provide pathways to real estate and business capital accumulation

By Denis Jjuuko Many people in countries like Uganda have no pension or any form of retirement savings. Like we saw during the pandemic, most people are a missed payment away from poverty. It probably explains why some people especially in public service are said to be swearing affidavits to lower their age. The thought of retirement sends a chill down their spine. Some have trauma from their past experiences as children of people who retired to poverty in the 1990s following massive retrenchment. It could also be one of the reasons for the rampant corruption in Uganda today. So, it is always refreshing when a debate on where to invest comes up. Like it has been over the last few weeks on the social media platform X. The issue of debate was whether people should invest in real estate, treasury bonds, bills and unit trusts. Some said real estate (rentals) and others were in for treasury bonds, bills and unit trusts. Others said let people do business. This is a good debate that gives people options of where to save and invest and avoid the YOLO (you leave only once) mantra that some young people subscribe to. YOLO is a one-way ticket to poverty during retirement. Uganda has one of the world’s youngest populations so to tell them to invest for retirement sometimes looks and sounds extreme. If somebody is 25 years old, they look at retirement at age 60 which is 35 years away as something that can be handled at a future date. The challenge is that if you start saving and investing for retirement at age 45 or 50, you will have to put aside lots of money every month. If you start at 25, you can put small amounts aside which grow into something huge over time. It is what some people call the snowball effect. Long term treasury bonds (10-20 years) return an average of 14 percent per a year while bills and unit trusts return around 10 percent annually in net income. Real estate may also be around 8-10 percent annually but in gross income. These returns are sometimes discouraging. The proponents of business say the returns are so low in real estate and bonds. Those who propose bonds and unit trusts argue that it is net income and therefore very few businesses make such net profitability. The real estate advocates talk about appreciation. All those arguments are probably correct. The issue is that many people usually have more money on them than they need that they aren’t investing anywhere. And if that money is available and accessible, it is easy to use it on stuff that are not that critical. I have been to places where strangers have bought me drinks just because their favourite team in the English premier league has won a game or the one, they hate has been defeated. There are even people who dress up nicely, go to a bar, sit down and drinks are sent their way by strangers. Although that may make life interesting and worth living, it isn’t because the majority doing so have a lot. Many have no savings and sometimes are the ones claiming that they have nothing to save or that 10% interest annually on Shs1m is so little. For many people, Shs1m is also little to start a meaningful business. What do some people do? Eat it. If you are a young person and your dream is to invest in real estate, one of the easiest pathways is through bonds, bills and unit trusts. Let us make some assumptions here. Suppose you need Shs10m to invest in a plot of land where you will build rentals, it may take you a long term to have that money as a lump sum. But if you invest Shs100,000 every month and that money grows at about 10% annually, you will hit the target in 6.5 years. You would actually have Shs482,000 more. If you wait to have a lumpsum of Shs10m, you may take forever to get it. Same model can be used to raise business capital. Most Ugandans who invest in real estate do so over a long time but in a way that sometimes doesn’t make them money. They start building with little money and spend years building incrementally. Bonds, bills and unit trusts could still be an alternative using the same model mentioned above. Instead of starting construction with little money, they could invest it over time and withdraw it when it is significant enough to complete the project. That way, construction doesn’t become a lifetime drag. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

March 27, 2025