Editor

Hoima, Uganda — Kabalega International Airport has begun receiving passenger flights, marking an important step in Uganda’s efforts to connect the oil-producing region more directly with the rest of Uganda and the wider African economy.

The arrival of a Uganda Airlines Bombardier CRJ900 carrying CAF, FIFA and AFCON Local Organising Committee officials provides a particularly powerful symbol of what the airport is being positioned to support: energy, sport, tourism, trade and regional mobility converging around Hoima.

The development comes as Uganda prepares for two major milestones—its first oil production and the co-hosting of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Kenya and Tanzania. AFCON 2027 is scheduled to begin on 19 June 2027, bringing one of Africa’s biggest sporting events to East Africa. Kabalega International Airport is being developed as a critical piece of the infrastructure supporting Hoima and the wider Bunyoro region.

Government has allocated Shs183.7 billion for the airport’s passenger terminal and related operationalisation, with the objective of opening the facility to commercial passenger traffic ahead of AFCON 2027. The airport is strategically located close to Hoima City Stadium, one of the venues being prepared for the continental tournament. Government has also been investing heavily in roads, accommodation and other infrastructure around Hoima and Masindi.

The convergence is significant.

• An airport brings people.
• A stadium brings audiences.
• Oil brings investment.

Tourism brings visitors and connectivity allows all four to interact.

For Africa, the development represents a broader question about how major infrastructure can transform regions beyond traditional capitals. Hoima is emerging as an important node in Uganda’s western economic landscape, while the airport has the potential to connect Bunyoro more efficiently with other African markets and international destinations.

Uganda’s oil sector is expected to create demand for aviation, logistics, accommodation, professional services, construction, food supply chains and other supporting industries. At the same time, AFCON 2027 will bring football teams, officials, media, supporters and commercial activity into the region. That creates an opportunity for sporting infrastructure to become economic infrastructure.

Uganda is now approximately nine months from the opening of AFCON 2027. The Local Organising Committee says the country is targeting completion of its three competition stadiums by the end of December 2026, while CAF continues to assess infrastructure and operational readiness.

Recent CAF engagements have also highlighted the importance of accommodation, visas and upcountry infrastructure, underscoring that hosting a continental tournament requires much more than stadiums. This is where Kabalega International Airport becomes strategically important. The question is no longer simply whether aircraft can land. The bigger question is what economic ecosystem will grow around every landing.

• Will local farmers supply hotels?
• Will young people find new skills and employment?
• Will tourism operators package Bunyoro for African and international visitors?
• Will local manufacturers and service providers enter the supply chains?
• Will the airport become a genuine commercial gateway rather than an event-driven facility?

Those are the questions that will determine the airport’s long-term legacy.

The arrival of passenger flights should therefore be viewed as the beginning of a longer journey. AFCON 2027 can provide the immediate catalyst. Oil can provide a major economic anchor. But the enduring objective should be to build a connected, productive and investment-ready Bunyoro whose infrastructure continues generating value long after the final whistle of the tournament.

Kabalega International Airport could ultimately become more than a transport facility. It could become a gateway through which Bunyoro connects its people, resources, businesses and opportunities to Uganda, East Africa and the wider African market and as the first passenger aircraft touches down, that future is no longer only being planned on paper—it is beginning to take flight.

Kampala, Uganda –Uganda’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has declared a 22.53 per cent interest rate for members for the financial year 2025/26, the highest rate announced in the Fund’s 40-year history. The declaration places renewed attention on a question extending beyond retirement savings: how Uganda can increasingly use its growing pool of domestic institutional capital to support economic transformation while safeguarding the interests of savers.

The rate, announced by Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Henry Musasizi at NSSF’s 14th Annual Members’ Meeting, will see approximately Shs5.44 trillion credited to members’ accounts. This compares with an interest allocation of about Shs2.5 trillion associated with the 13.5 per cent rate declared for 2024/25.

The scale of the latest distribution reflects the expansion of NSSF itself. The Fund reported strong growth in income during the financial year, while assets under management increased from approximately Shs26 trillion to Shs32 trillion. Member contributions also continued to rise, demonstrating the growing volume of long-term savings being mobilised through the formal social security system.

For Uganda, the significance of this growth extends beyond the balance sheets of individual savers. A large pension fund creates a substantial pool of patient capital that can potentially participate in government securities, equities, infrastructure, private enterprise and other long-term investments.

NSSF reported investing approximately Shs4.32 trillion in Uganda’s economy during the financial year. Government securities accounted for about 76 per cent of this investment, while approximately 18 per cent was invested in equities, including listed companies.

The investment pattern illustrates the dual role of a large pension institution. NSSF must generate competitive and sustainable returns for members, while its investment activities also have wider effects on the availability of capital within the economy. This is where the development question becomes important.

Uganda requires substantial long-term financing for infrastructure, industrialisation, agriculture, housing, energy and private-sector development. Domestic institutional investors can potentially complement government revenues, commercial bank lending and external development financing.

However, pension assets are ultimately members’ savings. Their deployment therefore has to remain consistent with the Fund’s legal mandate, investment rules and responsibility to generate appropriate returns.

The issue is consequently not whether NSSF should simply invest more in development projects, but which investments can simultaneously meet sound financial requirements and contribute to Uganda’s productive capacity.

The discussion at the annual meeting pointed to major infrastructure projects, including the proposed Kampala–Jinja Expressway, as potential areas for NSSF participation. Such projects illustrate the potential connection between pension capital and national infrastructure development. Where commercially viable structures exist, institutional investors can provide long-term financing that complements public resources.

NSSF Board Chairman David Ogong, however, noted that the Fund’s investment activities remain subject to the legal framework governing its operations. This is significant because the availability of capital does not by itself determine where pension funds can be invested.

For policymakers, the challenge is therefore to create investment structures in which commercially sound projects can attract institutional capital without converting pension savings into instruments of policy financing that expose members to inappropriate risks.

NSSF’s role is also becoming increasingly regional. The Fund has invested more than Shs10 trillion in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda as part of its diversification strategy. This gives the Fund an additional relevance to Uganda’s economic and commercial diplomacy.

Regional integration is often discussed in terms of trade, customs, infrastructure and movement of people. Yet capital is another important component of regional economic integration. When Ugandan institutional investors participate in neighbouring markets, they become part of the financial architecture supporting the wider East African economy. Such investments can also provide portfolio diversification while exposing Ugandan institutional capital to businesses and financial markets beyond the domestic economy.

The regional dimension therefore presents an intersection between investment strategy and economic diplomacy: Uganda’s institutions are not only seeking opportunities abroad but are also participating in the development of interconnected East African markets.

The Fund’s long-term strategy gives this trend an even larger potential scale. NSSF currently has approximately 3.6 million registered members, with about 2.7 million having balances. During the first year of its new strategy, the Fund targeted 300,000 new savers and reported enrolling approximately 311,000.

Its longer-term ambition is to reach 15 million savers and grow assets to Shs80 trillion by 2035, after revising an earlier Shs50 trillion target. If achieved, such growth would substantially expand Uganda’s domestic pool of long-term capital.

It would also make questions surrounding capital allocation increasingly important. The larger the Fund becomes, the greater the potential economic consequences of its investment decisions not only for individual savers but also for capital markets, government financing, infrastructure and private investment.

For Uganda’s economic diplomacy, NSSF provides an example of how domestic financial institutions can become part of a broader strategy for economic transformation. A stronger domestic savings base can reduce exclusive dependence on external sources of long-term finance. At the same time, regional investment allows Ugandan institutions to participate in markets across East Africa.

This does not mean that pension funds should replace foreign investment or development finance. Rather, domestic institutional capital can potentially work alongside these sources of financing, particularly where investment opportunities are structured around commercially viable projects. The growing size of NSSF also creates a platform for greater engagement between financial institutions, government agencies, businesses and Uganda’s economic missions abroad. Identifying viable investment opportunities, understanding regional markets and supporting Ugandan institutional investors are increasingly interconnected aspects of economic diplomacy.

The 22.53 per cent interest rate is therefore an important headline, but it is not the only measure of NSSF’s significance. The deeper issue is what happens as the Fund continues to grow. The immediate benefit is the higher amount credited to members. The longer-term significance lies in whether Uganda can build an investment ecosystem capable of converting growing domestic savings into productive capital while maintaining prudent risk management and sustainable returns.

With assets of approximately Shs32 trillion, millions of members and an expanding regional investment portfolio, NSSF occupies an increasingly important position within Uganda’s financial and economic architecture. Its next phase will consequently be measured not only by the size of annual interest declarations, but also by the quality of the capital allocation decisions behind them how effectively pension savings are protected, diversified and channelled into investments capable of generating lasting economic value.

For Uganda’s economic diplomacy, the emerging opportunity is clear in structural terms: a growing domestic savings base can become an important source of long-term capital for Uganda and the wider East African economy, provided that development objectives and the fiduciary interests of savers remain properly aligned.

New York,— Uganda has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing legal equality for women and girls, calling for stronger implementation of laws and institutions to ensure that formal legal protections translate into meaningful rights and opportunities across communities.

Uganda’s position was presented on 23 September at a high-level side event convened by UN Women at United Nations Headquarters in New York, on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The discussion brought together governments, United Nations entities, civil society organisations and advocates around the continuing challenge of discriminatory laws affecting women and girls.

Representing the Government of Uganda, Ambassador Rebecca Amuge Otengo, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the African Union, spoke on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adonia Ayebare. She highlighted Uganda’s constitutional guarantees and recent legislative reforms while emphasising that the effectiveness of legal equality ultimately depends on implementation, institutional capacity and access to justice.

One of the reforms highlighted was Uganda’s Succession (Amendment) Act, 2022, which amended succession law to bring it into conformity with the Constitution and to strengthen gender equality in succession and inheritance. The legislation also provides for protection of principal residential property for surviving spouses and lineal descendants and removes discriminatory elements relating to customary heirs and heiresses.

The reform has particular significance for women’s economic security. UN Women’s country-level legal database notes that the amended succession framework expanded property-distribution provisions to both male and female dependants and spouses and refined the definition of customary heir or heiress to remove discrimination. Yet Uganda’s intervention placed equal emphasis on the distance that can exist between legislation and lived experience.

Amb. Otengo stressed the importance of ensuring that legal reforms are supported by accessible institutions, effective enforcement, public awareness, adequate financing and survivor-centred approaches to justice. The emphasis reflects a broader recognition that the passage of legislation is only one stage in achieving equality: rights must also be understood, accessible and enforceable.

This implementation dimension is particularly relevant to Africa, where questions of legal equality intersect with access to land and property, citizenship and nationality, political participation, justice systems and the economic position of women and girls.

Uganda therefore identified three areas requiring accelerated attention.

The first is the reform of discriminatory laws and the closing of the gap between legal provisions and their practical application. This includes strengthening institutions responsible for enforcement, ensuring adequate financing and developing accountability mechanisms capable of measuring whether legal protections are reaching intended beneficiaries.

The second is meaningful participation by women in the institutions responsible for making and enforcing laws. Uganda emphasised that women’s participation should extend beyond minimum numerical representation to substantive involvement in shaping legislation, public policy and justice systems.

The third is ensuring that legal equality reaches women who can face additional structural barriers, including women affected by conflict, women with disabilities and women living in rural and underserved communities.

The discussion also placed legal equality within the wider development agenda. Equal access to citizenship, property, inheritance and justice affects women’s ability to participate fully in economic and public life and therefore has implications beyond the legal sector.

For Africa, this connection between rights, institutions and development is particularly important as the continent advances regional commitments on women’s empowerment, inclusive governance and sustainable development.

Uganda’s intervention consequently framed legal equality not simply as a question of legislative drafting but as an institutional and societal responsibility. The objective is to ensure that constitutional guarantees and statutory reforms are reflected in the everyday experiences of women and girls.

The country’s position also underscores the importance of women’s leadership in sustaining legal and institutional reform. Women must not only be beneficiaries of legal protection but active participants in lawmaking, implementation, oversight and accountability.

As the international community works towards 2030, Uganda’s message from New York was that progress should be measured not only by the number of laws enacted, but by whether those laws are accessible, understood and enforced. The broader challenge for Africa is therefore one of implementation: converting commitments to equality into institutions that work, rights that can be exercised and justice that can be reached.

Uganda’s contribution placed that implementation challenge at the centre of its engagement, linking legal equality with equal citizenship, inclusive development and stronger institutions across the continent.

Mubende, Uganda – Stakeholders in Mubende District have called for stronger coordination, transparency and measurable results as the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project (UCSATP) moves into implementation, with particular emphasis on ensuring that the new intervention delivers lasting value chains rather than repeating challenges associated with previous agricultural support programmes.

The call was made during a UCSATP stakeholders’ engagement meeting held at the Mubende District Council Chambers on Monday, 21 September 2026. The engagement brought together district officials and other stakeholders to discuss the implementation modalities of the project, including farmer mobilisation, access to agricultural inputs, infrastructure development, monitoring, supervision and oversight.

During the meeting, Daily Thinkers sought clarification on how lessons from previous interventions, including programmes implemented under the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and other input-distribution initiatives, had been incorporated into UCSATP’s new Electronic Voucher Management System (EVMS). Daily Thinkers also asked how the district would demonstrate that UCSATP was building sustainable value chains in coffee, livestock, beneficial insects and aquaculture, particularly through aggregation, processing, finance and reliable markets after project support ends.

The questions further focused on how UCSATP would be integrated with existing government programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and the wider agro-industrialisation agenda, rather than creating parallel farmer groups, infrastructure and reporting systems. A central question put to the stakeholders was: “At the end of UCSATP, what will be different in Mubende that was not achieved by the programmes that came before it, and what evidence will the district use to prove that difference?”

Responding to the issues raised, Fred Kisakye, the District Production and Marketing Officer for Mubende District, outlined the strategic framework through which UCSATP is expected to improve agricultural production, market access and resilience. “The Project Development Objective is to increase productivity, market access and resilience of selected value chains and to respond promptly and effectively to emergencies,” Kisakye said. He explained that the project was not limited to distributing agricultural inputs but was designed to support farmers organised in groups while developing infrastructure necessary to strengthen production and market systems.

Under UCSATP, Mubende is implementing interventions across four major value-chain areas: coffee in ten lower local governments; dairy production in five lower local governments; beef in four lower local governments; beneficial insects, including apiary and black soldier flies; and aquaculture fisheries. The project is also supporting infrastructure and enabling systems, including road improvements, community water points, irrigation facilities, laboratories and weather stations.

Kisakye said the overall objective was to increase production and productivity while improving market access and addressing the effects of climate change. He emphasised that the project also seeks to increase processing capacity so that Mubende can move beyond supplying raw agricultural commodities. “The long-term goal is to move from simple production to value-added processing involving both the public and private sectors,” Kisakye noted. He linked the transformation of the value chains to wider economic outcomes, including export growth, increased household incomes and employment opportunities.

Kisakye, however, acknowledged that increased production alone would not guarantee access to high-value markets. “There is a critical need to meet high-quality standards to compete effectively in the market,” he said. He observed that some suppliers and farmers continue to face difficulties maintaining the standards required by large-scale and high-value buyers. “A gap exists between current farmer output and the requirements of large-scale buyers,” Kisakye explained.

This places emphasis on strengthening the entire chain from production and farmer organisation to quality control, aggregation, processing and marketing.The district production officer also identified the scaling of processing capacity between public and private stakeholders and ensuring that farmers meet rigorous market standards as issues requiring sustained attention.

A major change in the delivery of critical agricultural inputs under UCSATP is the use of the Electronic Voucher Management System (EVMS). The system was launched in Mubende on 24 June 2026 in an event presided over by the Resident District Commissioner. The electronic system is intended to improve the manner in which farmers access critical inputs while strengthening transparency and accountability in the distribution process.

Kisakye said that with the project committees now fully constituted, stakeholders needed to understand the implementation arrangements, including farmer mobilisation, monitoring, supervision and oversight. The shift to an electronic mechanism also provides an opportunity to address concerns historically associated with untimely input delivery, beneficiary identification and accountability in agricultural support programmes.

Mr. Birungi Abubaker, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC) for Mubende, stressed the importance of timely delivery of agricultural inputs and transparency regarding any contribution expected from beneficiaries. He directed attention to the practical questions that farmers need answered before implementation progresses. “The District Production Officer should ensure all products are timely,” Birungi said. He also called for clarity where beneficiaries are expected to contribute towards project activities. “If it is co-funding, how much does an individual have to contribute to this programme? Let us make it clear,” he said. His remarks placed emphasis on ensuring that farmers understand the financial obligations, if any, attached to project-supported interventions before they participate.

Beatrice Katsigazi, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Mubende, emphasised the importance of communicating government programmes effectively to citizens. “All government programmes should be well communicated very well to the general public,” Katsigazi said. She added that the security leadership’s responsibility was to ensure that government programmes were implemented in accordance with established standards and government priorities. “Our work as security is to ensure all these programmes follow the available standards and the NRM Manifesto,” she said.  Her intervention highlighted the role of communication and public oversight in ensuring that intended beneficiaries understand government interventions and that implementation remains within established frameworks.

The engagement also touched on the wider development conditions affecting communities. Charles Kawuma, the District Health Educator and District HIV/AIDS Focal Person, raised concern about Mubende’s performance in immunisation. “Mubende District is poorly performing in immunisation,” Kawuma said, urging residents and stakeholders to support the forthcoming immunisation campaign. His appeal reflected the interconnected nature of agricultural transformation and broader community development, where improved household welfare depends not only on production and incomes but also on access to essential social services.

The UCSATP engagement ultimately placed the question of measurable transformation at the centre of Mubende’s agricultural agenda. For the district, the challenge will be to demonstrate that interventions in coffee, dairy and beef, beneficial insects and aquaculture translate into functioning value chains capable of connecting organised farmers to infrastructure, finance, processing facilities and dependable markets.

The test of the project will therefore extend beyond the number of farmers registered, inputs distributed or facilities constructed. It will increasingly be reflected in whether farmers can produce consistently to market standards, aggregate commercially viable volumes, access processing and financing, withstand climate-related shocks and maintain market relationships beyond the period of direct project support.

For Mubende, UCSATP provides another opportunity to strengthen its position as an agricultural production and commercial hub. The stakeholder engagement demonstrated that expectations are now extending beyond project implementation to a more fundamental question: whether the investment can convert agricultural support into durable economic systems that continue delivering value after the project cycle ends.

In Uganda’s Busoga sub-region, a crop long associated with household food security is being positioned at the centre of a much larger industrial ambition. A US$50 million investment in Kamuli seeks to turn a staple crop into pharmaceutical inputs and industrial products—but reliable power remains a critical test

At Namasagali in Kamuli District, Dei BioPharma’s cassava processing facility is designed to process up to 500 metric tonnes of cassava a day, producing pharmaceutical-grade starch, food-grade starch, glucose, maltose and fructose. The facility was commissioned by President Yoweri Museveni on 20 November 2025 as part of Uganda’s broader push towards agro-processing and pharmaceutical self-reliance.

The investment has been reported at about US$50 million, while the wider development around the site is envisioned as a much larger agro-industrial and biotechnology ecosystem. The plant is intended to supply inputs to Dei’s pharmaceutical manufacturing activities in Matugga, linking agricultural production in eastern Uganda with pharmaceutical manufacturing near Kampala.

Across Africa, the challenge is increasingly not simply how to produce agricultural commodities, but how to capture more value from them before they leave the continent. Cassava illustrates the opportunity. Instead of being sold primarily as a food crop or processed into relatively low-value products, it can provide starches, sugars and other industrial inputs for food, beverages and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The Namasagali model therefore represents a potentially important shift: from agriculture as production to agriculture as an industrial input. But turning that vision into sustained production has exposed another reality facing African industrialisationmanufacturing requires infrastructure capable of supporting it.

Recent reporting indicates that the plant has struggled to operate at full capacity because of inadequate electricity supply. The facility requires more than 5 megawatts of power to operate at full capacity, according to Dei BioPharma founder Dr Matthias Magoola. The company has reportedly been forced to rely on diesel generators, with one generator costing about Sh15 million a day to operate a shift. Production has consequently been intermittent rather than running at the plant’s designed capacity.

The Energy Minister, Dr Monica Musenero, recently visited the facility and directed the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited to address the infrastructure constraints. UEDCL reportedly committed to upgrading the electricity infrastructure serving the plant.

For Uganda, this is more than a problem affecting one factory. It illustrates the infrastructure equation behind industrial policy. A country can have fertile land, farmers, investors, technology and markets. But if electricity cannot reliably reach an industrial facility, production costs rise and investment potential remains constrained.

The plant requires a large and consistent supply of cassava. Dei BioPharma says it is sourcing from farmers in several parts of Uganda, including Teso, Arua, Gulu, Lira and Bukedea. Full-scale operations are expected to create a significant additional market for cassava producers.

The company’s wider project has also involved registering farmers and providing improved planting materials, according to company information.

A factory alone does not transform an economy. The transformation occurs when farmers have a reliable market, processors have dependable raw materials, manufacturers have competitive inputs, workers gain employment, and consumers gain access to locally produced goods.

Africa’s industrial challenge is often described in terms of manufacturing capacity. But Namasagali suggests that the question is broader. Can African economies connect farmers, infrastructure, processing, science, finance, manufacturing and markets into a single productive ecosystem?

Uganda’s plant is attempting precisely that, Cassava grown by farmers can become pharmaceutical-grade starch and industrial sugars; those inputs can feed manufacturing; manufacturing can reduce dependence on imported materials and potentially create products for regional and global markets.

Uganda’s government has presented the investment as part of a wider effort to reduce dependence on imported pharmaceutical raw materials. The ambition therefore extends beyond cassava, It is about whether an African agricultural commodity can become part of an African industrial supply chain.

The Namasagali experience also carries a cautionary message, Africa does not lack agricultural resources or ambitious industrial projects. The harder task is building the systems that allow those investments to operate consistently and competitively.

Reliable electricity is one part. Others include farmer aggregation, roads, storage, finance, technology, quality standards, skills, research and access to markets. If those pieces come together, a crop such as cassava can become more than food security. It can become an industrial resource.

If they remain disconnected, even a modern factory can spend more time waiting for inputs or electricity than producing. That is why Namasagali matters beyond Kamuli, the plant is ultimately a test of whether Uganda and Africa more broadly can move from exporting potential to manufacturing value.

For Africa, the strategic prize is not simply producing more cassava. It is producing more starch, medicines, technologies, jobs, intellectual property and industrial value from African resources. That is the deeper promise of agro-industrialisation and in Namasagali, that promise is now being tested one tonne, one farmer and one megawatt at a time.

PARIS — Uganda concluded a high-impact participation at IFTM Top Resa 2026, France’s leading B2B tourism fair, securing firm business commitments for 2027–2028 while advancing plans for direct Uganda Airlines flights between Entebbe and Paris by June 2027.

Held at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from 15–17 September, the fair brought together more than 34,000 tourism professionals, 1,700 brands and 1,200 international buyers, ranking among Europe’s major travel trade platforms alongside ITB Berlin, WTM London and FITUR Madrid.

Uganda’s participation was coordinated by the Embassy of Uganda in Paris under the Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Programme, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, and Uganda Tourism Board. It was Uganda’s third consecutive participation and was led by H.E. Amb. Doreen Ruth Amule and Hon. Susan Nakawuki, Minister of State for Tourism.

The commercial drive was led by 11 private Destination Marketing Companies, more than double the five that participated in 2025. The companies held an average of 18–22 scheduled B2B meetings with buyers from France, Spain, Portugal and Benelux, with discussions moving from general interest to rates, allotments and gorilla permit allocations.

Demand was strongest for gorilla tracking in Bwindi and Mgahinga, Big Five safaris, Rwenzori trekking, Nile adventures and birding. Uganda’s tourism offer was further supported by new hospitality investments, including Marriott Kampala, Erebero Hills and Namoni Lodge.

Uganda welcomed 1,642,215 visitors in 2025, generating USD 1.62 billion in tourism receipts. France emerged as a high-value priority market, recording 7,439 visitors in 2025, more than double the previous year, with average spending above USD 2,025 and stays of 8–15 nights.

Uganda’s visibility was also boosted by a citywide campaign featuring three fully branded Uganda buses operating along major Paris corridors, including the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées, Opera and Montparnasse. The campaign generated an estimated eight million impressions.

Air connectivity emerged as a key constraint, with more than 90% of French and Iberian buyers reportedly identifying the lack of direct Paris–Entebbe flights as a cost and time barrier. Government is therefore advancing plans for Uganda Airlines to introduce direct Paris service by June 2027.

The proposed route also aligns with Uganda’s wider investment and tourism diplomacy. France was Uganda’s leading source of FDI in 2023, with more than USD 1.6 billion in inflows, according to the figures presented at the fair. Paris also offers a strategic hub for travellers from Spain and Portugal.

Confidence in Uganda’s tourism market was further strengthened following the WHO declaration ending the Ebola outbreak in late August and the subsequent lifting of travel advisories.

As the pavilion closed, the message from Uganda’s private sector was clear: “We came as 11 small companies, we left as Team Uganda.”

Fort Portal, UGANDA — In Tooro, the passing of a King is more than the departure of an individual. It is a moment when history, memory, identity and tradition converge. On Thursday, 27 August 2026, the people of Tooro received the news that His Majesty Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV had died at approximately 10:00 p.m. The announcement by the Prime Minister of Tooro Kingdom, Rt. Hon. Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, described the loss as immeasurable for the Royal Family, the people of Tooro and Uganda.“Omukama Atulize. Enkuba Etutire.” In the passing of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, Tooro mourns a King, remembers a generation and reflects on the enduring heritage of the Batooro

The words carry the solemnity of a Kingdom in mourning, yet beneath the grief lies another enduring reality: the institution of Tooro is larger than any one reign. The Crown continues. The traditions continue. The clans continue. The language continues. The stories continue to be told and through them, a people continue to understand who they are.

King Oyo was born on 16 April 1992 and ascended the Tooro throne on 12 September 1995, at only three years of age, following the death of his father, Omukama Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III. His accession made him one of the world’s youngest monarchs and placed the ancient institution of the Tooro monarchy in the international spotlight. He subsequently grew from a child King into an adult cultural leader whose reign became one of the defining chapters in the modern history of the Kingdom.

For many Ugandans, particularly those who grew up during the late 1990s and 2000s, King Oyo was more than a traditional ruler. He was part of their own lifetime, His image was familiar far beyond Tooro — a young monarch growing into his responsibilities while carrying an institution whose history stretches back generations. His death at 34 therefore closes an unusually long chapter of contemporary African royal history but it also opens a moment of reflection.

• What does a traditional kingdom mean in modern Africa?
• What happens when ancient institutions encounter a rapidly changing world?

And how can cultural heritage remain relevant to generations increasingly shaped by technology, migration, urbanisation and globalisation?

Tooro’s answer lies partly in its ability to preserve its identity while allowing that identity to evolve. Tooro occupies a remarkable part of western Uganda, Its cultural heart is Fort Portal City, while the wider Kingdom encompasses areas including Kabarole, Bunyangabu, Kamwenge, Kitagwenda, Kyenjojo, Kyegegwa and Ntoroko. It is a landscape of rolling hills, fertile agricultural land, crater lakes, forests and the dramatic presence of the Rwenzori Mountains. Here, geography and culture are closely connected.

• The landscape is not merely scenery.
• It forms part of the memory of the people.

The hills, rivers, forests, farms, royal sites, clan territories and cultural spaces all contribute to a sense of belonging that has been passed from one generation to another. At the centre of this cultural landscape stands Karuziika Palace, an important symbol of the Tooro monarchy and the continuity of the Kingdom. The palace is more than a royal residence, it represents an institution through which generations of Batooro have connected the present with the past.

The history of Tooro reaches into the broader historical traditions of the Great Lakes region. Tooro’s own historical narrative connects the Kingdom to the ancient traditions associated with Kitara, including the Batembuzi, Bachwezi and Babiito dynasties. Much of the early history is preserved through oral tradition, clan memory, cultural practices and stories transmitted across generations.

The modern Kingdom emerged as an independent kingdom in the nineteenth century under Rukirabasaija Kaboyo Omuhundwa Kasusunkwanzi Olimi I, who is recognised as its first Omukama. The Kingdom later experienced periods of political change and conflict before its independence was re-established in 1891 under Omukama Daudi Kasagama Kyebambe IV. Like other traditional institutions in Uganda, Tooro experienced a profound rupture in 1967 when the country’s kingdoms were abolished.

The restoration of traditional kingdoms in 1993 reopened a new chapter, for Tooro, restoration was not simply the return of a royal title. It represented the revival of cultural institutions, traditions and a recognised space through which the Batooro could continue expressing their collective identity. The Kingdom today describes itself as a cultural institution committed to unity, cultural pride, heritage preservation and sustainable development.

The people of Tooro are known as the Batooro, while an individual is a Mutooro, their language, Rutooro, is one of the strongest vessels of cultural memory. A language carries more than words, it carries ways of greeting, expressions of respect, family relationships, humour, history, values and a people’s understanding of the world. For the Batooro, cultural identity is similarly expressed through family, community, clan, music, dance, ceremonies, oral history, traditional knowledge and hospitality.

Historically, agriculture and cattle keeping played important roles in the livelihoods of communities across Tooro. Crops including bananas, millet, sweet potatoes, sorghum, peas and vegetables formed part of traditional food systems, alongside livestock products such as milk, meat, butter and ghee. These were not simply economic activities, they were woven into social life, family relations and community cooperation.

One of the most important foundations of Tooro society is the clan, for many Batooro, knowing one’s clan is knowing part of one’s history. Clan identity establishes relationships between families and connects individuals to an ancestry that reaches beyond their immediate household. Traditionally, clan elders have played important roles as custodians of family history, advisers and mediators. They helped transmit knowledge from one generation to another at a time when much of African history was preserved not in written archives but through people.

In this sense, the clan is itself an archive, its stories, names, relationships and traditions constitute a living record of the community. This is why cultural preservation cannot be reduced to monuments and museums alone. A culture survives when people continue to speak its language, tell its stories, observe its traditions and teach its values to their children.

In Tooro culture, names can carry profound meaning, a name may reflect circumstances surrounding a child’s birth, family history or an event remembered by the household. Traditionally, elders have participated in naming children, making the process part of a wider system of family and cultural transmission.

The arrival of Christianity and Islam introduced additional naming practices, with many families adopting religious names alongside their traditional Rutooro names. The coexistence of these traditions illustrates an important feature of African culture: heritage is rarely static. The traditions surrounding twins and children born after twins also demonstrate the richness of the naming system, with particular names carrying meanings associated with birth order and family circumstances. Such traditions may appear simple on the surface, but they provide a cultural vocabulary through which communities interpret life, family and belonging.

The Omukama does not exercise political power in Uganda’s constitutional system, the significance of the institution is fundamentally cultural. The King serves as a symbol of unity, identity and continuity among the Batooro. That role becomes particularly important during moments of uncertainty or collective celebration. The institution provides a focal point around which people can gather as a community.

For a society living within a modern republic, with citizens participating in national politics, global markets, digital platforms and international institutions, the Kingdom provides another dimension of identity  one rooted in history and culture. This dual identity is not necessarily contradictory, a person can be simultaneously a Mutooro, a Ugandan and an African citizen of an increasingly interconnected world. Indeed, cultural institutions can help people navigate globalisation without losing their sense of place.

King Oyo inherited the Crown as a child and grew into it before a global audience. His reign coincided with a period in which traditional leadership itself was being reimagined. Young people became increasingly central to conversations about development, entrepreneurship, education, technology, climate action and cultural preservation. The King was associated with efforts touching on areas including youth empowerment, education, environmental conservation, health and tourism. Uganda’s public institutions have also recognised his contribution to the preservation of Tooro’s heritage and his role as a cultural leader.

His public image also extended beyond the cultural sphere, He was known for his interest in sport and was particularly associated with football in Tooro and Uganda. The Federation of Uganda Football Associations described him as a supporter of the Uganda Cranes, the Tooro Kingdom Amasaza Cup and the FUFA Drum, a competition designed to celebrate Uganda’s cultural diversity through football. This intersection of culture, youth and sport reflected a broader reality. Traditional institutions do not have to remain frozen in the past. They can become platforms through which heritage engages with contemporary society.

The strongest cultural institutions are not simply those that preserve the past.They are those capable of making the past meaningful to the future. Tooro has enormous potential in this regard, its cultural heritage intersects naturally with tourism, education, creative industries, environmental conservation, agriculture, research and the growing global interest in African history and identity.

The Rwenzori landscape, crater lakes, forests, royal heritage, traditional knowledge, music, dance, language, food and oral traditions together create an extraordinary cultural ecosystem. For Uganda’s tourism and creative economy, Tooro’s heritage is therefore not merely something to remember. It is an asset for young people, it can become a source of knowledge, creativity, employment and innovation. For researchers, it provides an important field for documenting African history and indigenous knowledge. For the international community, it offers an opportunity to encounter Africa through the lived experiences of its communities rather than solely through externally constructed narratives and for the Batooro themselves, it remains a source of identity.

In announcing King Oyo’s death, the Prime Minister of Tooro Kingdom also stated that the continuity of the Crown was assured and that the late King had left behind a Prince whose identity would be formally revealed at the appropriate time in accordance with Tooro traditions and customs. That statement carries significance beyond succession, it reflects one of the central characteristics of traditional institutions: continuity.

Kings come and go. Generations change. Political systems evolve but institutions survive when societies continue to attach meaning to them. The current period of mourning is therefore both an ending and a beginning. The Batooro are grieving the King they knew, at the same time, they are preparing to welcome the next chapter of an institution that has survived political upheaval, abolition, restoration and profound social change.

Uganda is now preparing to give King Oyo an official final farewell. The Government has announced state-supported burial arrangements, while national leaders and institutions have joined the Royal Family and the people of Tooro in mourning but the most enduring tribute may not be found in the ceremonies surrounding his burial.

• It may be found in what happens afterwards.
• Will the language continue to flourish?
• Will young Batooro learn the histories of their clans?
• Will traditional knowledge be documented?

Will cultural sites be preserved? Will the Kingdom’s heritage contribute to responsible tourism and sustainable development? Will young people see culture not as something belonging only to their grandparents, but as something capable of shaping their own future? These are questions that extend beyond the life of one King. They belong to the future of Tooro.

The story of Tooro is ultimately not only the story of its Abakama, It is the story of its people. It is carried by grandparents who remember old stories, parents who teach their children Rutooro, elders who preserve clan histories, artists who perform traditional music, farmers who maintain generations-old practices, young people who reinterpret heritage through new media and communities that continue to gather around shared identity.

King Oyo’s reign became part of that story, His extraordinary accession at the age of three attracted international attention. His adulthood gave him an opportunity to redefine that childhood image through service and cultural leadership. His death at 34 has brought a generation face-to-face with the fragility of life and the durability of institutions.

His Majesty Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV will be remembered as a King whose extraordinary journey began in childhood and unfolded before the eyes of Uganda and the world. He inherited a centuries-old institution at an age when most children were only beginning to understand the world around them.

He grew into a symbol of Tooro’s continuity, identity and cultural pride. His passing is a profound loss to the Royal Family, the Batooro and Uganda but the most powerful expression of his legacy may be found in the continued strength of the people and culture he represented.

As Tooro mourns, it also remembers, as it remembers, it preserves and as it preserves, it prepares to pass its heritage to another generation. “The King has passed. The Kingdom remains. The people remain. The language remains. The stories remain.” This feature forms part of Daily Thinkers’ Africa Focus and Culture & Heritage coverage, exploring the histories, identities, institutions and living traditions that continue to shape Africa.

Omukama Atulize. Enkuba Etutire.