The United States will leave the World Health Organization, President Donald Trump said, noting that the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.
Trump said the WHO had failed to act independently from the “inappropriate political influence of WHO member states” and required “unfairly onerous payments” from the U.S. that were disproportionate to the sums provided by other, larger countries, such as China.

“World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump said at the signing of an executive order on the withdrawal, shortly after his inauguration to a second term.

The WHO said on Tuesday that it regretted the move from its top donor country.
“We hope that the United States will reconsider, and we really hope that there will be constructive dialogue for the benefit of everyone, for Americans but also for people around the world,” WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarević said.
The move sets a 12-month notice period for the U.S. to leave the United Nations health agency and stop all financial contributions to its work. The United States is by far the WHO’s biggest financial backer, contributing around 18% of its overall funding. WHO’s most recent two-year budget, for 2024-2025, was $6.8 billion.
The U.S. departure is likely to put at risk programs across the organization, according to several experts both inside and outside the WHO, notably those tackling tuberculosis, the world’s biggest infectious disease killer, as well as HIV/AIDS and other health emergencies.
Trump’s order said the administration would cease negotiations on the WHO pandemic treaty while the withdrawal is in progress. U.S. government personnel working with the WHO will be recalled and reassigned, and the government will look for partners to take over necessary WHO activities, according to the order.
The government will review, rescind, and replace the 2024 U.S. Global Health Security Strategy as soon as practicable, the order said.
The next-largest donor to the WHO is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, although most of that funding goes to polio eradication. Its chief executive Mark Suzman said on X that the foundation would continue to make the case to strengthen not weaken the WHO. The next-largest state donor is Germany, which contributes around 3% of the WHO’s funding. Germany’s health minister said on Tuesday Berlin hoped to talk Trump out of the move.
When asked about Trump’s decision and remarks, China’s foreign ministry told a regular press briefing on Tuesday that the WHO’s role in global health governance should only be strengthened, not weakened.
“China will continue to support the WHO in fulfilling its responsibilities, and deepen international public health cooperation,” said Guo Jiakun, a ministry spokesperson.
Trump’s withdrawal from the WHO is not unexpected. He took steps to quit the body in 2020, during his first term as president, accusing the WHO of aiding China’s efforts to “mislead the world” about the origins of COVID.
WHO vigorously denies the allegation and says it continues to press Beijing to share data to determine whether COVID emerged from human contact with infected animals or due to research into similar viruses in a local laboratory.
Under U.S. law, leaving the WHO requires a one-year notice period, and the payment of any outstanding fees. Before the U.S. withdrawal could be completed last time, Joe Biden won the presidential election and put a stop to it on his first day in office on Jan. 20, 2021.

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The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kyambogo University to provide specialized training in oil and gas. The MoU aims to establish a framework for collaboration between the two parties, supporting the realization of National Content Capacity Building initiatives.

To date, at least 128 graduate trainees from Uganda and Tanzania have benefitted from tailored training, exposure, and on-the-job experience through the Graduate Training Program. Additionally, 13 “Train the Trainer” sessions have been conducted, both virtually and in-person, by EACOP and its contractors.
EACOP Ltd. is the project company established to develop, build, and operate a pipeline system that will transport crude oil from Kabaale in Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. Due to the scale and complexity of the project, multiple national and international contractors and suppliers are involved in various aspects of construction and the provision of specialized equipment for the pipeline.

To promote National Content, all EACOP's Tier-1 contractors and suppliers are committed to collaborating with EACOP to support capacity-building efforts among Ugandan recent graduates, technicians, instructors, professors, and lecturers from tertiary and vocational training institutions.
These commitments will be realized through two main Capacity Building initiatives: Internship and Graduate Training Programs: Trainees will receive training and work exposure with EACOP’s suppliers and contractors, gaining hands-on experience in various aspects of the project aligned with their disciplines.

Train the Trainer Programs: These sessions will be delivered by EACOP’s contractors and suppliers to share knowledge across various engineering disciplines and vocational skills related to the project.
The MoU also highlights EACOP’s prior collaborations with institutions such as UPIK and Makerere University, as well as professional bodies like the Institute of Surveyors of Uganda, to support the onboarding of graduate trainees and interns with EACOP’s contractors, suppliers, and internal departments.

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The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Unity Platform (NUP) has appointed Butambala County MP Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi as the new Deputy President for the Buganda Region, replacing Mathias Mpuuga. Mpuuga’s removal from the position comes after he was reportedly involved in a corruption scandal. According to NUP Secretary General, Mpuuga has since left the party.

On March 15, 2024, NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, publicly addressed the issue, stating that Mpuuga, along with Speaker Anita Among and other parliamentary commissioners, had been implicated in a scandal involving the misallocation of Shs 500 million. “It was an allegation that Mpuuga, together with Speaker Anita Among, among other commissioners, wrongfully awarded himself Shs 500 million. This was disturbing. After what I considered credible evidence came to light, I convened a meeting with all my deputy presidents and party leadership, including the Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, and other prominent leaders,” Bobi Wine explained.

During this meeting, Mpuuga admitted his involvement in the wrongdoing, acknowledging that he had wrongfully awarded himself the funds. He also recognized that this money was supposed to be passed to the holder, not to individuals before or after him. “We advised him to honorably return the money, as it is dirty money, apologize to the nation, and resign from his commission role to demonstrate goodwill and integrity. We await to see whether Mpuuga will heed this advice and take the moral action recommended,” Bobi Wine added.

The meeting resolved that should Mpuuga do the right thing by dissociating from corruption, apologizing to the Ugandan people, and resigning from the commission, the party would consider rehabilitating him and reassessing the situation. However, the decision ultimately rests with Mpuuga’s actions.

On March 18, 2024, NUP Secretary General Lewis Lubongoya formally petitioned Speaker Anita Among regarding the party’s decision to recall Mpuuga. He noted that although Mpuuga had responded to NEC’s request to explain why he should not be recalled, his explanations were insufficient and did not address the serious accusations against him.

“NEC has resolved to recall Mathias Mpuuga from the Parliamentary Commission on the grounds of corruption, dishonesty, and abuse of office, and to notify Parliament accordingly. NEC further resolved to nominate Zaake Francis Butebi as a new Parliamentary Commissioner,” Lubongoya said.

In response, Speaker Among clarified that Parliamentary Commissioners are elected by Parliament, and parties only play a role in nominating candidates. Once elected, commissioners no longer represent party interests but serve Parliament as a whole. “Once elected by Parliament, the commissioners cease to serve individual party interests and instead serve Parliament. They can only vacate their positions or be removed in accordance with the law,” Among said. She further explained that the process of removing a commissioner requires a motion initiated by at least one-third of the voting members of Parliament. Given the total membership of 529, this would require the support of no less than 177 MPs.

She also stated that Mpuuga had neither vacated his seat as an MP nor been found guilty by Parliament of misconduct, incompetence, or any other reasons that would warrant removal from the commission. Since the controversy, Mpuuga and the NUP leadership have been at odds.

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The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Frances Abodo, has rejected proposals from some Members of Parliament (MPs) to consider taking over cases of civilians charged before the General Court Martial.

While appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to present the 2025/26 Budget Framework Paper for the Directorate of Public Prosecution, Abodo stated that the Constitution prohibits her from intervening in proceedings at the Court Martial.

“I can’t institute or take over cases under the Court Martial. We have reviewed this, and I just want to stay in my lane. Please forgive me, but I cannot comment on this case, as it is currently before the Supreme Court. Any comment I make might result in misquotation, and the subjudice rule would apply,” Abodo said.
Abodo's comments came in response to a query from Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa, who had asked the DPP to consider taking over cases involving civilians charged before the Court Martial. Abodo firmly rejected the suggestion, citing Article 120 of the Constitution, which outlines the duties of the DPP.

Basalirwa, however, expressed a differing interpretation of Article 120. “While the Constitution stipulates that the DPP can institute cases in all courts except the Court Martial, we believe that the Constitution permits the DPP to take over and discontinue proceedings at the Court Martial. We invited her to reconsider this provision and see whether her office can intervene in cases involving civilians,” Basalirwa said.
This request comes at a time when former presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye and his co-accused, Hajj Obedi Kamulegeya, are facing treason and terrorism charges in the General Court Martial. Dr. Besigye and Kamulegeya are also charged with unlawful possession of firearms at Riverside Apartments in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as allegedly holding meetings in Greece and Switzerland with the intent to undermine the security of the Ugandan army.
The two men were reportedly abducted in November while in Nairobi, where they had attended a book launch hosted by Kenyan opposition politician and lawyer Martha Karua. Karua is currently in Uganda, leading a team of 50 lawyers defending Dr. Besigye and Hajj Kamulegeya.

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Equity Bank Uganda has announced the appointment of Gift Shoko as its new Managing Director, subject to the approval of the Bank of Uganda. This appointment was confirmed by Mark Ocitti, Board Chairman of Equity Bank Uganda Limited.

Shoko takes over from Anthony Kituuka, who resigned from the position. Ocitti expressed confidence in Shoko’s leadership abilities, stating, “On behalf of the Board and Management of Equity Bank Uganda, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Gift Shoko as the new Managing Director, subject to regulatory approval.”

Ocitti further emphasized Shoko’s extensive experience, noting his proven track record in banking, corporate strategy, and digital transformation. “Shoko’s expertise aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver innovative and inclusive financial solutions to our customers. We are confident that under his leadership, Equity Bank Uganda will strengthen its commitment to enhancing customer experience and expanding our reach across Uganda,” Ocitti added.
Shoko is a seasoned banker with over 26 years of experience in the industry. He brings a wealth of knowledge in commercial banking and leadership, having worked across Southern and Eastern Africa. Before his appointment as Managing Director, Shoko served as the Executive Director of Equity Bank Uganda.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Studies and Computer Science degree from the University of Zimbabwe, as well as a Master’s in Business Administration (Banking and Finance) from CIMA in Nicosia, Cyprus. In addition, Shoko holds several certifications in banking, finance, and leadership, and is a certified Executive Coach and a certified Genos Emotional Intelligence Coach.
Prior to joining Equity Bank, Shoko was the NCBA Group Director for Regional Business, overseeing banking subsidiaries across East Africa. Earlier in his career, he served as the CEO of Commercial Bank of Africa (Tanzania) Limited for five years, where he played a key role in driving the bank’s growth.
Shoko’s banking career began at Nedbank Zimbabwe, where he participated in the graduate management training program before advancing through various senior management roles. He also served as Group Chief Operating Officer at a Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed diversified financial services group, where he successfully reorganized the company and led its re-listing on the stock exchange. With a wealth of experience in corporate governance, Shoko has also served on various boards in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi.

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