Kabira Country Club has come alive with colour, music and excitement as New Year celebrations roar with families and friends into a vibrant atmosphere of joy and togetherness.
As the New Year unfolds, the club has extended warm greetings to its guests and the wider community, wishing them a year filled with health, happiness and unforgettable moments shared with loved ones.
Management expressed appreciation to patrons for their continued support and reaffirmed its commitment to offering exceptional hospitality, relaxation and memorable experiences throughout the year.
“Warm New Year greetings from Kabira Country Club. May the year ahead bring health, happiness, and memorable moments with family and friends. We look forward to welcoming you for more celebrations, relaxation, and exceptional hospitality,” the club said in its New Year message.
The celebrations, currently in full swing, have transformed Kabira Country Club into a lively hub of entertainment. Guests are enjoying a specially curated buffet, live music performances and a range of fun-filled activities designed for both adults and children. Face painting, cheerful clown acts and a dedicated kids’ pool have added to the festive mood, creating laughter and excitement across the venue.
Families present at the event have described the experience as joyful and inclusive, with activities that allow every generation to celebrate the New Year together.
Kabira Country Club is a preferred destination for New Year revelry and offers a space where guests can welcome the year ahead in a warm, festive, and family-friendly setting.
EC Chairman Justice Simon Byabakama addressing the media.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has confirmed that it has received ballot papers for presidential and parliamentary candidates ahead of the 2026 General Elections, marking a key milestone in the final phase of election preparations.
Speaking on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, EC Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi said the commission had begun receiving consignments of ballot papers and Declaration of Results forms from contracted security printers abroad to ensure readiness for polling.
“The Commission started receiving consignments of ballot papers and Declaration of Results forms for the 2025/2026 General Elections from the contracted security printers abroad to ensure readiness for polling,” Byabakama said.
He disclosed that ballot papers received so far cover the Presidential Election, Directly Elected Members of Parliament, and District Woman Representatives to Parliament. The process, he added, was conducted transparently and witnessed by representatives of presidential candidates, political parties, the media, and accredited election observers.
The EC chairperson said the delivery of ballot papers comes as the commission concludes key activities on the electoral roadmap, including campaigns and preparations for polling.
“All activities on the roadmap up to this point, namely campaigns and preparations for polling, have been concluded,” he said, noting that the commission has also recruited and trained election officials at national, district, and polling station levels to ensure a free, fair, and transparent process.
Byabakama further revealed that the commission has completed the packing of generic election materials and commenced work on non-generic materials. These include pens, stamp pads, indelible ink markers, tamper-proof envelopes, official report books, and other essential polling-day items. Dispatch of transparent ballot boxes, cordoning tapes, basins, and solar lamps to districts and cities has already begun.
“The Commission has commenced packing of the National Voters Register and ballot papers for each respective polling station before dispatch for polling day for Presidential and Parliamentary Elections,” he said.
In his address, the EC chairperson reiterated that the use of the Biometric Voter Verification Kit (BVVK) during polling is mandatory, following a statutory instrument signed by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
“This measure is critical in safeguarding the integrity of the vote by ensuring that only duly registered voters participate in the elections,” Byabakama said.
He also cautioned the public against sharing unverified information about the National Voters Register, warning that publishing personal details or photographs of voters without consent violates data protection and privacy laws.
The commission further issued a strong warning against an unauthorised website, www.registry.ugtally.com
, which it said is not affiliated with the EC and may expose users to misinformation and data risks.
“The public is hereby strongly cautioned not to visit the website, submit personal information, or engage with its services,” Byabakama said, adding that only the official EC website should be used to verify voter registration details.
However, as part of measures to enhance transparency, the EC will issue hard copies of the photo-bearing National Voters’ Register to all presidential candidates, in line with the law. The register contains details of 21,681,491 registered voters across 50,739 polling stations nationwide.
“This issuance should put to rest any concern among stakeholders about the readiness of the National Voters’ Register for the 2026 General Elections,” Byabakama said.
As the country enters the final weeks of the campaign period, the EC chairperson called on candidates, political parties, and supporters to uphold peace, tolerance, and the rule of law.
“Peaceful conduct before, during, and after polling is essential for credible elections and national stability,” he said and assured Ugandans of the commission’s commitment to delivering free, fair, credible, and transparent elections.
Byabakama also extended New Year wishes to Ugandans and urged all citizens to play their part in ensuring a peaceful and successful electoral process.
TWO FRIENDS: Rajiv Ruparelia and Cedric Babu. In this photo, Cedric was interviewing Rajiv. Rajiv perished in a car accident, while Babu died of heart failure.
History is not only recorded in elections, budgets or speeches. Sometimes, it is written in loss.
As Uganda closes the year 2025, the country confronts a difficult truth: this was a year that took away voices that mattered. From journalism and politics to law, business, security and culture, the nation lost individuals whose influence stretched far beyond their titles.
Their deaths demand more than remembrance. They require reflection.
Risdel Kasasira
RIP: Residel Kasasira.
Risdel Kasasira’s death on January 3, in a road accident at Kalagala village along the Lyantonde–Kashagama Road in Lyantonde District, Greater Masaka region, marked a painful moment for Ugandan journalism.
Returning from his ancestral home in Kashari, Mbarara District, Kasasira’s vehicle veered off the road and plunged into a swamp. He died not chasing headlines, but returning quietly to his roots. That detail alone captures the humility with which he practiced journalism.
Kasasira belonged to a disciplined generation of reporters who believed the newsroom was a public trust. His absence leaves a silence that will not easily be filled.
Muhammad Ssegirinya
Muhammad Ssegirinya
Muhammad Ssegirinya died on January 9 at Lubaga Hospital after a prolonged illness. At 37, the Kawempe North Member of Parliament represented a restless and demanding political base that wanted to be heard.
He was unconventional, sometimes controversial, but undeniably connected to his constituents. His death raised uncomfortable questions about the physical and emotional toll of political life, especially on young leaders navigating Uganda’s harsh political environment.
Brig. Henry Oluka
Brig. Charles Oluka.
Brigadier Henry Oluka died suddenly on January 29 after collapsing during a family prayer session at his home.
As Director General of the Internal Security Organisation, Oluka operated largely away from public view. Yet his role placed him at the center of the state’s most sensitive responsibilities. His sudden death exposed the human vulnerability behind the architecture of power.
John Bashaija Kazoora
Late Maj. John Kazoora.
Major (Rtd) John Bashaija Kazoora died on April 20 at his home in Rutooma, Kashari, Mbarara District after a long illness.
Kazoora’s life tells the story of Uganda’s liberation and its contradictions. Once a trusted insider in the National Resistance Army, he later became a critic of the system he helped establish. His book Betrayed by My Leader remains a bold and unsettling political document.
Rajiv Ruparelia, son to tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia
Rajiv Ruparelia died on May 3 in a fatal crash on the Kampala–Entebbe Expressway near the Busabala Flyover.
At 35, he symbolized a new generation of Ugandan business leadership confident, modern and visible. His vehicle struck concrete barriers, overturned and caught fire. The violence of that moment forced the country to confront uncomfortable realities about speed, privilege and road safety.
His death was not just personal tragedy; it was a national reckoning.
Cedric Babu Ndilima
Cedric Babu Ndilima died on May 31 at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi after suffering heart complications.
He was a connector between sports and entertainment, ambition and mentorship. His death abroad also reopened a familiar question: why Uganda’s elite continue to seek critical healthcare outside the country.
Shaka Ssali
Shaka Ssali.
Shaka Ssali died on March 25 in the United States, ending a career that gave Africa one of its calmest and most credible journalistic voices.
Through Straight Talk Africa, Ssali proved that serious journalism could be respectful yet firm. His passing marked the end of an era when journalism placed understanding above confrontation.
George Kanyeihamba
Prof. George Kanyeihamba died on July 14 at Kampala Hospital after a prolonged illness.
A retired Supreme Court justice and constitutional scholar, Kanyeihamba believed deeply in the rule of law. His judgments, writings and public engagements shaped Uganda’s legal consciousness. His death removed one of the country’s most principled legal minds from public debate.
Mary Karooro Okurut
RIP Mary Karooro Okurut.
Mary Karooro Okurut died in August in Nairobi while receiving medical care.
She was rare in Ugandan public life, a politician who valued literature, and a writer who believed public service could be intellectual and ethical. Her absence leaves a gap in both policy and cultural discourse.
Sam Omara
Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Sam Omara died on April 28, 2025, at Mulago National Referral Hospital after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer and kidney failure. He was 65.
Omara rose to national prominence in 2011 as Kampala North Police Operations Commander during the Walk to Work protests triggered by rising fuel prices and economic hardship. Under his command, police repeatedly confronted and arrested opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye and his supporters in an effort to suppress the demonstrations.
Those operations drew sustained criticism from opposition figures and civil society groups who cited excessive force and human rights abuses. The images of Besigye’s arrest and mistreatment during that period became some of the most defining moments of Uganda’s recent political history.
In his final days, Omara is reported to have sought reconciliation, asking his family to seek forgiveness from anyone he may have wronged during his years in the police force.
A family lost at Christmas
On December 27, seven members of one family died in a head-on collision at Njagalakasayi along the Masaka–Mbarara Highway.
Their deaths during the Christmas season stripped the festivities of meaning for many Ugandans. They were not public figures, yet their loss resonated because it reflected a tragedy too many families know too well.
2025 took more than names. It took experience, institutional memory and moral authority.
Uganda must decide whether these deaths will merely be marked by funerals, or whether they will force deeper national introspection on road safety, healthcare, political culture and the value we place on human life.
A disagreement has emerged within the Ministry of Works and Transport following severe traffic jam along the Kampala Masaka Highway, particularly in Mpigi with a senior road safety official questioning the official explanation issued by Works Minister, Edward Katumba Wamala.
The traffic gridlock which left thousands of motorists stranded for hours sparked widespread public debate with claims circulating online that the congestion was linked to the movements of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
In a statement via X (formerly Twitter) Principal Road Safety Officer Ronald, Amanyire argued that national leadership cannot be detached from institutional failures including traffic management.
“Why do we readily praise the NRM and President Museveni yet hesitate to acknowledge that he like any leader is not perfect. There is nothing improper about constructive positive and progressive engagement” Amanyire said.
Amanyire noted that President Museveni’s nearly four decades in power place him at the centre of both Uganda’s successes and failures.
“Everything that happens in this country whether positive or negative is connected to the office he occupies. One may commend the Kampala Expressway while also criticising the condition of Jinja Road and that is entirely legitimate” he said.
He added that even if the President was not directly involved in yesterday’s traffic jam the root cause remains institutional weakness.
“Poor driving practices stem from institutional failures. Indiscipline among drivers is a symptom of institutions led by officials appointed through constitutional authority” Amanyire said.
However Works Minister Gen Edward Katumba Wamala dismissed claims linking the Mpigi traffic jam to presidential movements saying the assertions were misleading.
“The severe traffic congestion experienced yesterday was not caused by any road closures to facilitate political activity by H E the President as has been inaccurately portrayed online” Katumba Wamala said.
The minister explained that traffic assessments showed the jam was largely caused by indiscipline among road users particularly at intersections and choke points.
“Motorists blocked junctions encroached into oncoming lanes and obstructed right of way creating a complete standstill” he said.
Katumba Wamala added that the Uganda Police Traffic Directorate deployed officers and aerial surveillance to restore traffic flow and urged motorists to observe discipline especially as festive travel continues.
The exchange shows contrasting views within the ministry on accountability and the causes of recurring traffic congestion as public frustration over road management continues to grow.
The Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, has dismissed claims that the severe traffic congestion along the Kampala–Masaka Highway, particularly in Mpigi, was caused by road closures to facilitate political activities of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
In a statement issued on December 30, 2025, Katumba Wamala said the ministry had noted growing public concern and online narratives surrounding the gridlock experienced on December 29 and 30, stressing that the claims were misleading.
“The severe traffic congestion experienced on the 29th and 30th December 2025 along this section was not caused by any road closures to facilitate political activity by H.E. the President of the Republic of Uganda, Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, as has been inaccurately portrayed in the online space,” Katumba Wamala said.
The minister said suggestions that the President’s movements disrupted traffic were unfounded, emphasizing that President Museveni adheres strictly to established engagement protocols.
“We therefore categorically dismiss these claims. The President has consistently demonstrated responsibility and strict adherence to established protocols, conducting all public engagements and rallies exclusively at designated venues,” he said.
Katumba Wamala explained that assessments conducted by traffic authorities showed the congestion was largely caused by road user indiscipline, especially at major intersections and choke points in Mpigi.
“Available traffic assessments confirm that the gridlock was primarily caused by traffic indiscipline, with motorists blocking intersections and encroaching into oncoming lanes, thereby obstructing right of way in both directions and creating a standstill,” he said.
He further revealed that the Uganda Police Traffic Directorate had intervened using both technology and personnel to restore traffic flow.
“The Uganda Police Traffic Directorate has deployed aerial surveillance and ground officers to identify and clear gridlock points, restore lane discipline and traffic flow is steadily improving,” Katumba Wamala said.
While acknowledging that traffic congestion is common during the festive season due to increased travel, the minister warned that reckless driving habits significantly worsen the situation.
“While congestion during the festive season is not unusual, indiscipline by road users, blocking junctions, refusing to yield and lane invasion contributes to extreme congestion,” he said.
Katumba Wamala urged motorists to remain disciplined on the roads as the festive season comes to an end.
“In the remaining days of the festive season, we call upon motorists to ensure orderly driving, respect for lane discipline and compliance with traffic officers’ directions,” he said.
The Uganda Police Force has confirmed the arrest of Sarah Bireete, the Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG), saying she is currently being held in police custody and will be produced in court.
According to a statement issued by Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Racheal Kawala, Bireete was arrested as part of ongoing police operations although details surrounding the charges were not immediately disclosed.
“The Uganda Police Force would like to confirm the arrest of Sarah Bireete, Director of the Center for Constitutional Governance,” Kawala said.
She added,“She is in police custody and will be arraigned before court in due course.”
Prior to her arrest, Bireete raised alarm over the presence of security personnel at her residence, describing the situation as a siege involving both police and the army.
“My house is under siege by Police and Army,” Bireete said in a statement shared via her X (formerly Twitter) before she was taken into custody.
By press time, police had not provided further details on the circumstances leading to her arrest or the specific offences she is expected to face in court. Authorities say more information will be communicated as investigations progress.
Ms Sarah Bireete is a seasoned lawyer and human rights activist. However, she will be arraigned in court on yet to be disclosed charges. She is a former employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who fell out with the government over accountability issues.
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Kampala — Uganda’s music industry has been thrown into mourning following the death of the mother of celebrated rapper Fik Fameica. The award-winning artist, whose real name is Shafik Walukagga, lost his mother on Saturday after a prolonged illness. She passed away at Kibuli Muslim Hospital, where she had been receiving medical care for weeks as her condition steadily worsened. Those close to the family say the final days were emotionally heavy, with Fameica spending much of his time at the hospital. In the days leading up to her death, the rapper had quietly reached out to fans online, asking them to keep his mother in their prayers — a plea that now reads as a heartbreaking farewell. “This is one of the hardest moments of his life,” said a close associate of the artist. “His mother wasn’t just family — she was his backbone. She believed in him before the fame, before the money, before the applause.” Fik Fameica has often spoken openly about the role his mother played in his rise from Kampala’s Kawempe neighborhood to national and regional stardom. She was a familiar face at his concerts and major career milestones, often seen celebrating his wins with quiet pride. “She never liked the spotlight, but she was always there,” said one fellow musician who attended several events with Fameica. “You could tell how much her presence meant to him.” Since the news broke, tributes have poured in from across the entertainment industry and beyond. Fellow artists, producers, and fans have flooded social media with messages of condolence, describing Fameica’s mother as a strong, supportive woman who raised one of Uganda’s most influential modern artists. “This is bigger than music,” one fan wrote. “It’s about a son losing the person who gave him strength.” Fik Fameica, known for hit songs such as Pistol, Salawo, and Batuwulira, has not yet issued a formal public statement, but those close to him say he is deeply affected by the loss. Funeral and burial arrangements are expected to be communicated by the family in the coming days. As Uganda’s music fraternity rallies around him, the moment serves as a solemn reminder that behind the fame and success are human stories of love, sacrifice, and loss.
The unit's disbanded soldiers have long been accused of brutality.
Following persistent complaints over alleged abuses from the fisheries communities during his campaign trail, President Yoweri Museveni has dissolved the Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) and relieved its commander, Lt Col Mercy Tukahirwa, of her duties.
In a directive issued on Friday, President Museveni, instructed the Chief of Defence Forces, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to disband the existing committees with immediate effect, citing persistent controversies and complaints from fishermen.
The move follows mounting criticism that the Fisheries Protection Unit had become overly powerful, with fishermen across several lakes accusing its officers of intimidation, brutality, and extortion.
Earlier this month, President Museveni publicly intervened, ordering the immediate return of fishing boats, engines, and gear seized by the FPU. While campaigning in Buliisa District, the President said fishermen from Ntoroko had raised complaints of extortion by personnel attached to the unit.
He directed Maj Gen Daniel Kakono, the Commander of the Field Artillery Division, to personally supervise the recovery and return of the confiscated items.
“If the motorcycles, boats, and engines are not there, you should go for the soldiers who were responsible for confiscating them,” Museveni warned.In the Friday directive, shared by Acting UPDF spokesperson Col Chris Magezi on his X account, the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces and Inspector General, Lt General Sam Okiding and the Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security (CDIS) and Maj Gen Richard Otto were tasked with overseeing the formation of the new landing sites committees within three months.
President Museveni noted that the dissolved committees will be replaced by new bodies made up of representatives of indigenous fishing communities and private investors operating on the lakes.
The Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU), which has for years enforced fishing regulations on major lakes including Victoria, Albert and Kyoga, has been renamed the 155 Marines Battalion and placed under the command and administration of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Marines Brigade.
Major Joseph Ssebukeera has been appointed commanding officer of the new battalion, while Brig. Michael Nyarwa remains commander of the UPDF Marines Brigade, according to the statement.
Lt Col Tukahirwa has since been redeployed to the Office of the Senior Presidential Advisor on Defence and Security (SPADS), headed by Lt Gen (Rtd) Proscovia Nalweyiso, where she will be assigned other responsibilities.
Embattled Dr Kizza Besigye has once again spent Christmas behind the bars of Luzira prison after the High Court deferred a ruling in his case to later this month.
According to a formal communication issued by the Criminal Division of the High Court in Kampala, the ruling in Criminal Application No 814 of 2025, which had been scheduled for delivery on December 23, was not ready as earlier indicated by the trial judge.
“The ruling in the above application will not be ready today, December 23, 2025, as earlier communicated by the trial Judge,” the letter addressed to counsel for both parties reads.
The court further informed the parties that the ruling will instead be delivered on December 29, 2025, at 11 00 am in open court, in the presence of the applicants, their lawyers, and the respondent.
“However, the trial Judge has directed me to inform you that the ruling will be delivered on 29th December 2025 at 11 00 am in the presence of the Applicants and their Counsel and the Respondent, not by email,” the Assistant Registrar stated.
The court also confirmed that a production warrant has been issued to ensure Dr Besigye is brought to court on the new date.
“I have been further directed by the trial Judge to issue a production warrant for December 29, 2025,” the letter adds.
Dr Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate and one of the most prominent critics of President Yoweri Museveni’s government, was arrested in November 2024 following circumstances that sparked regional and international attention. He was detained after being seized in Nairobi, Kenya, where he had travelled to attend a public event, before being transferred to Uganda and arraigned before a military court alongside his aide Hajji Obeid Lutale.
The initial charges related to unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition and allegations of soliciting military assistance from a foreign country. The use of a military court to try a civilian triggered sharp criticism from opposition politicians, lawyers and human rights organisations, eventually resulting in the matter being transferred to the civilian courts.
Since his arrest, Dr Besigye has been produced in court multiple times, both before the military tribunal and later in the High Court, as his lawyers challenged the legality of his detention, the jurisdiction of the courts and the nature of the charges against him. Court records and media reports indicate that he has been brought to court on more than half a dozen occasions in relation to this case, including mentions, applications for bail and jurisdictional challenges.
The latest application, which is now awaiting a ruling on December 29, is part of a series of legal efforts by his defence team seeking relief from continued detention. The postponement means that, like in previous years, Dr Besigye will mark Christmas from a prison cell rather than with his family.
This is not the first time the opposition stalwart has spent the festive season in custody. Dr Besigye previously spent Christmas in prison during the mid 2000s when he faced treason and rape charges that were later dismissed, and again during earlier periods of political confrontation with the state.
His continued incarceration has remained a rallying point for opposition supporters, who argue that the repeated arrests and prolonged court processes are politically motivated. Government officials, on the other hand, maintain that the matter is strictly legal and that the courts should be allowed to conclude the process without interference.
As Ugandans celebrate Christmas, attention now turns to December 29, when the High Court is expected to pronounce itself on an application that could determine whether Dr Besigye remains in custody as the country edges closer to another politically charged year.
