Stephen Kafeero

On Jul.23, Uganda awarded a controversial 10-year surveillance contract to a Russian company with a history of debt issues. Moscow-based Joint Stock Company Global Security is being tapped to implement “intelligent transport monitoring systems” on Uganda’s vehicles, motorcycles, and vessels. The government insists that Joint Stock’s financial challenges will not derail the project.

What started off as an effort by the authorities in Uganda to control the internet by imposing a tax on use of social media has transformed into a tax on data packages, generating more dissent and controversy.

The prospect of legalized cannabis in Africa, unimaginable less than a decade ago, is accelerating, driven by the potential for much-needed revenue and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Long before last week’s suspension of Mali by the African Union (AU) and other partners over its second coup in nine months, the west African country was already struggling with a failing economy, rampant corruption, and a brutal jihadist conflict. Now the eighth-largest country in Africa risks being shut out from some of the continent’s most promising growth opportunities.

Celebrated actor Daniel Kaluuya’s recent win at the Academy Awards on April 25 has united and divided Ugandans almost in equal measure.

Uganda’s controversial “over-the-top” (OTT) services tax was bound to fail, given the widespread bi-partisan opposition it has elicited since being instituted. Still, the government dug in.

The fallout since Uganda’s presidential election on Jan. 14 has been as brutal as the campaigns leading up to it, with neither side of the political divide showing signs of giving up anytime soon.

Uganda has moved to clamp down on social media use in the country even as its diplomatic relations with the US have taken a bad turn after a tense and disputed election.

Uganda’s president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has been declared winner of the country’s controversial election putting him on a journey to extend his rule to 40 years.

The year 2021 is poised to be a busy political season for the African continent with more than 13 countries heading to the polls to elect new leaders.

After more than a month of targeted restrictions, Ugandan authorities have, in an unprecedented move, shut down the internet in the country hours to the Jan.14 polls, a move that has been widely criticized.

Uganda has blocked access to social media platforms in the East African country just two days before Jan.14’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

Control over the internet has once again taken center stage as Uganda heads to the polls on Jan. 14. with technology giants including Facebook, Google, and Twitter sucked into the bitter fight.

Ugandan authorities are doubling down efforts to crack down on dissent ahead of the country’s Jan.14 polls.

With a growing number of Western Countries including the US, UK and the European Union tightening their immigration and visa polices, citizens of African countries are finding it harder to travel abroad.

Long before the Nov. 18-19 protests in Uganda that left more than 50 people dead, opposition politicians, and local activists had warned about the potential abuse and human rights implications of an invasive surveillance system bought by the government last year from China’s telecoms giant Huawei.

The run-up to Uganda’s presidential and national assembly elections on Jan. 14 next year have turned violent and led to multiple casualties..

A major hack that compromised Uganda’s mobile money network has plunged the country’s telecoms and banking sectors into crisis.