Uganda has committed Shs905 billion toward preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, unveiling an ambitious government-led plan that combines infrastructure development, tourism promotion and institutional coordination as the country gears up to co-host the continental showpiece.

The tournament, organized by the Confederation of African Football will be jointly hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania from June 19 to July 18, 2027. Officials project that between 500,000 and 650,000 visitors will travel to Uganda, generating at least Shs1.9 trillion in tourism and related spending.

As part of its hosting obligations, government has already remitted approximately Shs159 billion to CAF and confirmed that all visa fees will be waived for visitors for at least three months around the tournament period, in a move aimed at easing travel and boosting tourist inflows.

The cabinet approved the Shs905 billion financing package to support a wide range of sectors critical to the successful hosting of the tournament, including transport, health, hospitality and sports management. Preparations are being coordinated through an inter sectoral steering forum that brings together more than 20 public and private institutions, working alongside the Local Organising Committee.

A significant portion of the funding will go into infrastructure upgrades, with Shs213.76 billion earmarked for improving road networks around Mandela National Stadium and Hoima City Stadium. The works will include street lighting and pedestrian walkways to enhance accessibility and safety.

In the aviation sector, government has allocated Shs184.9 billion for the construction of a passenger terminal at Kabalega International Airport to enable it handle international flights ahead of the tournament.

Health services in the host region are also set for a major upgrade, with Shs91.05 billion to be invested in facilities such as Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, Masindi General Hospital and Buseruka Health Centre to meet CAF standards for emergency response and medical care during the competition.

To strengthen accommodation capacity, Shs101.1 billion has been channeled through the Uganda Development Bank to support hotel expansion and refurbishment in Hoima and Masindi, alongside the construction of a new facility near Kabalega International Airport.

Tournament management and operations will consume Shs109.9 billion, covering security, branding, media, hospitality and fan engagement activities under the Local Organising Committee. The Federation of Uganda Football Associations will receive Shs17.7 billion to upgrade Kadiba Stadium as a training venue and Shs12.55 billion to prepare for the national team, the Uganda Cranes.

Further investment will be directed to the redevelopment of Mandela National Stadium, which is set to receive an additional Shs56.2 billion in the next financial year, bringing the total cost of its overhaul to Shs248.6 billion.

Government officials say the scale of preparations reflects a whole of country approach that requires close collaboration between the state, private sector and the public to deliver a successful tournament. All major infrastructure projects, including stadiums and training facilities, are expected to be completed by January 2027, several months before kickoff.

The 2027 tournament will mark a historic moment for the three East African nations, which are hosting the competition jointly for the first time.

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Kampala, Uganda—President Yoweri Museveni has publicly endorsed the controversial Proportional Justice Bill, 2026, which seeks to embed the ancient “eye-for-an-eye” principle into Uganda’s legal system as a direct response to rising violent crime.

The draft legislation, prepared by youth advocate Nyanzi Martin Luther, proposes that punishments should strictly correspond to the harm offenders cause. This includes capital punishment for murder, maximum penalties for aggravated rape and defilement, and tougher sentences for repeat offenders.

In a recent address to legal professionals, Museveni reinforced his long-held position, stating: “People should know that if you take a life, your life will also be taken. You cannot kill people, and you are left to move. That is not correct. A killer is a killer.” He, however, cautioned against mob justice, insisting that punishment must be administered only through formal state institutions.

The President’s remarks align with views he has consistently expressed over the years, as reported by Daily Monitor. In 2016 and again in 2021, Museveni told lawyers that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) believes in the principle of “an eye for an eye.”

“The NRM believes in an eye for an eye. If somebody kills your person, that one should also be killed,” he said, according to Daily Monitor reports.

Museveni has repeatedly drawn on Uganda’s liberation history to justify firm accountability. During the NRA bush war, he noted, killers were executed to maintain discipline. He has argued that this approach remains relevant today in dealing with serious crime.

The Proportional Justice Bill, 2026, has gained momentum amid widespread public frustration over what many view as a lenient justice system that fails to deter violent offenders. Supporters, including the bill’s drafter, say it will better protect victims and restore confidence in the law by ensuring penalties match the gravity of offenses.

Key elements of the proposed bill include:

• Mandatory death penalty for murder convictions
• Harsh maximum sentences for serious sexual and aggravated crimes
• Escalating penalties for repeat offenders
• Stronger focus on victim rights and deterrence

However, the bill has sparked sharp criticism from human rights advocates, legal experts, and civil society groups. Opponents argue that formalising an “eye-for-an-eye” approach risks undermining due process, constitutional safeguards, and Uganda’s international human rights commitments. They warn of the danger of irreversible errors in a justice system that still faces challenges with investigations, corruption risks, and judicial capacity.

As Uganda grapples with this debate, the country stands at a crossroads: whether to adopt a stricter retributive model rooted in traditional and historical principles of justice, or to pursue a more balanced system that incorporates rehabilitation alongside punishment.

With Museveni’s influential backing, the Proportional Justice Bill is expected to dominate parliamentary and public discussions in the coming months. How lawmakers navigate the tension between public demands for security and concerns over fairness and human rights will shape the future of Uganda’s justice system.

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Kampala, Uganda – April 5, 2026-Police in the Albertine South Region have launched investigations into a fatal road crash that claimed the life of Kikuube District LC5 Chairperson, Peter Banura.
According to Police Spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke, the deceased—son of Uganda’s Ambassador to Burundi, Matia Kyaligonza—was knocked down by a speeding Toyota Hiace, commonly referred to as a “drone,” at Butyamba Village in Kikuube Town Council.

“He was rushed to Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead,” Rusoke said.
Police revealed that the driver of the vehicle fled the scene immediately after the incident. However, authorities have since recovered and impounded the Toyota Hiace.
“Efforts are ongoing to identify, trace, and arrest the driver to assist with ongoing investigations,” Rusoke added.
Leaders across the country have expressed grief over Banura’s sudden death. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja described him as a committed and promising leader.
“As the pioneer LC5 Chairperson of Kikuube, he was dedicated to the progress of the district and the well-being of its people. We have lost a very humble man who still had much life ahead of him,” Nabbanja said.
State Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development Balaam Barugahara also paid tribute, describing Banura as humble, peaceful, and deeply patriotic.
“This is a profound loss to his family, the Obukama bwa Bunyoro Kitara, and Uganda as a whole,” he said.
Barugahara further called on motorists, especially drivers of public transport vehicles, to exercise caution and be mindful of other road users.
Police say investigations into the incident are ongoing as the search for the driver continues.

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Uganda through the ministry of foreign affairs has received third country nationals from the United States under a bilateral arrangement aimed at processing asylum claims

In a statement issued on April 3, 2026, the Permanent Secretary at the ministry, Vincent Bagiire Waiswa said the agreement allows Uganda to host and assess individuals who are neither Ugandan nor American but are seeking international protection.

“The Governments of the Republic of Uganda and the United States of America signed an Agreement for Cooperation in the Examination of Protection Requests in July 2025,” Waiswa said.

He noted that the arrangement is in line with Uganda’s legal and international obligations.

“The Agreement conforms to Uganda’s national laws and international obligations,” he added.

Waiswa explained that the deal targets third country nationals of African origin who may not have been granted asylum in the United States or are unable to return to their countries of origin.

“As clarified after the agreement was signed, it is in respect of third country nationals who are neither citizens of Uganda nor the USA, but of African origin, who may not be granted asylum in the USA and are reluctant to or may have concerns about returning to their countries of origin,” he said.

He emphasized that the agreement is guided by humanitarian principles, including the protection of individuals from forced return to unsafe conditions.

“This Safe Third Country Agreement takes into account both Governments’ international obligations, including the principle of non refoulement that guarantees that no one should be returned to a country where they would face torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” Waiswa said.

According to the Ministry, a first group of eight individuals has already arrived in Uganda under the arrangement.

“Pursuant to this bilateral agreement, a group of eight individuals, whose cases had been reviewed and approved by a USA immigration judge, arrived in Uganda from the USA on 1 April 2026, and their protection requests will be handled,” he said.

Waiswa added that details of the individuals would remain confidential for privacy reasons.

He reaffirmed Uganda’s longstanding position on refugee protection.

“Uganda continues to uphold its longstanding commitment to providing sanctuary to persons in need and ensuring that they are treated with dignity,” he said.

However, the Uganda Law Society, in a statement by Asiimwe Anthony, the body’s vice president dated April 2, 2026, had challenged the arrangement in court, raising serious concerns over legality, transparency and human rights implications.

Asiimwe said, “We have learnt about an advanced plot to forcibly remove (in the name of deportation) a dozen people from the United States and effectively dump them in Uganda through an undignified, harrowing and dehumanising process that has reduced them into little more than chattel, for the benefit of unnamed, private interests on either side of the Atlantic.”

The lawyers’ body further revealed that the transfers were already underway, raising alarm over lack of institutional involvement.

“We have been informed that the privately owned aircraft carrying the deportees is or will soon be airborne and will be touching down at Entebbe International Airport today,” the statement reads.

It added, “Our research indicates that none of the mandated institutions, such as the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, the Parliament of Uganda, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been engaged regarding this matter. Moreover, no policy document or legislation has been promulgated to stipulate the procedures relevant to the transfer of people from one country to another.”

The society also raised concerns about alleged profiteering and the broader implications of the arrangement.

“Typical of such suspicious arrangements, we have also learnt about private contractors who are falling over themselves to cash in on the suffering of fellow human beings whose crime is to have been arbitrarily deemed as undesirable and as such disposable to the most willing takers,” it said.

It warned that such actions echo past injustices.

“This development and the attendant illegalities that accompany it are reminiscent of a dark past that the global family of humanity supposedly put behind itself in pursuit of the ideal that every human being is born equal in dignity and rights,” the statement added.

The Uganda Law Society also linked the issue to broader geopolitical and governance concerns.

“In the United States, the militarisation of society has given carte blanche to captured democracies in Africa to carry on with despotism unchecked,” the statement reads.

“As African citizens, besides our professional duties as lawyers, this is yet another act of effrontery that places the continent and its people at the bottom of a perceived racial hierarchy that justifies untold suffering, wanton lawlessness, political instability and perennial mistreatment.”

The body said it has already taken legal action to halt the process.

“Towards a remedy, we have approached the Courts of Law in Uganda and the region, seeking bespoke reliefs designed to arrest this patent international illegality,” it said.

“We urge the media and the public to draw the attention of the national, regional and continental publics, and stir discussion on this matter until it is either halted or reversed.”

The lawyers also framed the issue within a wider global context.

“Our perspective of the matter is broader than the single act of deportation. We view it as but one gust from the ill winds of transnational repression that are blowing across our world,” the statement noted.

They called on the public to actively engage with the issue.

“We invite the Ugandan and African public to interest itself in our modest effort at combating the collusion between the governments in Washington and Kampala, and play their respective roles in challenging not just this particular deportation of human beings, but the broader authoritarian project for which such acts are a necessary feature.”

The Uganda Law Society further urged urgent judicial intervention.

“In the same breath, we implore the national and regional courts to consider our applications with the urgency and seriousness they deserve,” the statement said.

The body added that it would continue pursuing the matter.

“Over the coming days and weeks, pursuant to our mandate, we will continue updating you about the next steps in this campaign as we assert the sovereign rights of Uganda and the deportees who are enduring inhuman and degrading treatment at the hands of shadowy interests.”

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