Author: rowan

The Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) has frozen bank accounts belonging to several non-governmental organisations operating in Uganda as part of ongoing investigations into the sources of their funding and the nature of their operations.The Director of the Financial Intelligence Authority, Samuel Wandera, confirmed the development, saying the decision was taken jointly with other government agencies after concerns were raised over financial flows linked to the organisations.“We are working with other agencies and decided to freeze the accounts as investigations continue into the operations of these NGOs,” Wandera said. Security sources say the organisations have been flagged to provide detailed explanations regarding the sources of funds they have received and the activities financed by those funds.

Uganda’s central bank will start its domestic gold purchasing programme this month, it said on Monday, joining other policymakers around the world building up their gold holdings after a surge in the metal’s price.The East African nation announced the plan two years ago, saying it would help to boost reserves and cushion the economy from risks in international financial markets.”If all goes as planned, we should be able to purchase at least 100 kg of gold between March and June 2026,” Adam Mugume, executive director for research and economic analysis at the bank, told Reuters.”We are finalising with gold refineries that have been contracted to carry out fire assaying and refining of gold to purity levels required.”

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The Ugandan government has successfully evacuated at least 43 students who had been stranded in Iran after hostilities in the Middle East escalated dramatically.The students, who had been studying in universities in Tehran, were transported by road to the Türkiye-Iran border and are currently under the care of Uganda’s embassy in Ankara.Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire confirmed the evacuation on Monday, describing it as a swift and coordinated response.“We had around 43 students in universities in Tehran that the embassy quickly organised and took them by road to the Turkish-Iran border where they were received by our mission in Ankara,” Bagiire said.

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At the weekend in Kampala, a piece of news landed that could reshape the future of one of the world’s most neglected diseases.The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) had accepted a groundbreaking patent from Dei BioPharma Ltd, a Ugandan biotechnology company led by scientist Dr Matthias Magoola.The innovation, approved on January 26, 2026, offers a radically different approach to treating sickle cell disease—one designed not only to cure the illness, but to make that cure affordable and accessible to the millions who need it most.

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The Ministry of Health has dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that Uganda is experiencing an outbreak of Nipah virus, calling the claims false and misleading.In an official statement, the Ministry said no cases of the virus have been recorded in the country and that all national disease surveillance systems remain fully operational.”Uganda has not registered any case or outbreak of Nipah virus,” said the Director General of Health Services, Dr Charles Olaro.”No alerts, samples, or laboratory results suggestive of Nipah virus have been received or confirmed.”The clarification comes after a video circulated online alleging the presence of the deadly virus in Uganda.Dr Olaro warned that spreading unverified information could create unnecessary fear and panic among the public.

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KAMPALA, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Uganda plans to cut external budget support by 84.2% year-on-year in the next financial year starting July, the finance ministry said late on Wednesday, amid efforts to ramp up domestic revenues.In a post on social media platform X, the finance ministry said external budget support, which typically comes in the form of loans and grants, was projected to fall to 330.9 billion shillings ($92.72 million) in the financial year starting July, down from 2.1 trillion shillings a year prior.The ministry did not give a reason for the reduction but said in the next financial year the government was keen on “implementing strategies to boost domestic revenue mobilisation.”

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Dettol Hygiene Quest Uganda, in partnership with the Jinja District Local Government, has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to permanently integrate hygiene education into the local school curriculum.Signed on January 8, 2026, the agreement marks a transition from donor-funded programming to sustainable, locally owned implementation, ensuring long-term improvements in child health and school attendance beyond the initial funding from Reckitt.The partnership adopts a “Sustainability through Integration” model, prioritizing community-led ownership over short-term aid.

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Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of Thursday’s election extending his four decades in power by another five years. He gained 72% of the vote, the election commission announced, against 25% for his closest challenger Bobi Wine, who has condemned what he described as “fake results” and “ballot stuffing”.Wine has not provided any details and the authorities have not responded to his allegations, but African Union election observers said they saw “no evidence of ballot stuffing”. Wine has called for non-violent protests.Museveni, 81, first came to power as a rebel leader in 1986 but since then has won seven elections.

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Uganda has approved the use of Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly HIV prevention injection, marking a major milestone in the country’s fight against HIV/AIDS.The bi-annual HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) injection, developed by US-based Gilead Sciences, provides a long-acting, highly effective alternative to daily oral medication.With just two injections per year, the drug, endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in July 2025 and prequalified in October, offers a convenient option for individuals who struggle with adherence, face stigma or have limited access to healthcare services. ROWAN is looking into this for our future care, although much research needs to be done in order to confirm this is the best way forward.

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