The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) has strengthened its partnership with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) in a bid to improve compliance and boost domestic revenue collection from Uganda’s rapidly growing gaming sector.

During a strategic engagement held on Wednesday between officials from the NLGRB and URA’s Domestic Taxes Office, the two institutions agreed to deepen collaboration through coordinated inspections, enhanced monitoring, and stricter enforcement of tax and regulatory obligations among gaming operators.

In a statement released after the meeting, the gaming regulator said the engagement focused on joint efforts to enhance compliance among gaming operators, including coordinated field inspections and strengthened oversight to ensure adherence to regulatory and tax obligations.

The partnership is intended to create a more transparent and accountable gaming industry while ensuring that companies operating in the sector make a meaningful contribution to Uganda’s economy through tax remittances and lawful operations.

“The engagement reflects a shared commitment to transparency, accountability, and a fair operating environment, while ensuring the sector contributes meaningfully to national development,” the regulator said.

The gaming industry in Uganda has grown significantly over the past decade, driven by increased sports betting, online gaming platforms, casinos, and lotteries. However, the expansion has also raised concerns over tax compliance, illegal operators, and revenue leakages.

The NLGRB, which operates under the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, is mandated to regulate and supervise all gaming and betting activities in Uganda.

The board has in recent years stepped up enforcement operations against unlicensed betting companies and non compliant operators, arguing that illegal gaming undermines government revenue collection and exposes consumers to exploitation.

Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Denis Mudene, the regulator has increasingly pushed for responsible gaming, digital monitoring systems and stronger regional cooperation among African gaming regulators.

URA has also been expanding its focus on the digital and gaming economy as part of broader government efforts to widen the tax base and increase domestic revenue mobilization to finance public services and infrastructure development.

The strengthened cooperation between the two agencies will improve compliance levels within the gaming sector, which remains one of the fastest growing sources of tax revenue in Uganda’s entertainment and digital economy.

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The Ministry of Works and Transport has suspended the operations of Nile Star Bus Limited for 30 days following a fatal road crash in Nwoya District that left at least seven people dead on May 4, 2026.

The suspension, which takes effect today at 6pm, was announced by the State Minister for Transport, Fred Byamukama who cited a worrying pattern of repeated fatal crashes involving the company over the past year.

“Following the fatal road crash in Nwoya District involving a Nile Star Bus, which claimed at least seven lives, government has taken a firm decision to suspend the operations of Nile Star Bus Limited for 30 days with immediate effect from 6pm today,” Byamukama said.

He revealed that government data covering the period between May 2025 and May 2026 shows a disturbing trend of repeated crashes linked to the same bus company.

“We have made statistics for the last one year. From May 2025 to May 2026, these Nile Star buses have caused 11 accidents across various locations. In these accidents, 56 lives have been lost and 91 people are currently nursing injuries, some with broken arms and legs. This is unacceptable,” he said.

The Minister added that the pattern of crashes shows systemic failure and disregard for road safety standards.

“We cannot allow this trend to continue. Eleven accidents in one year, 56 lives lost, and 91 injured is not just a coincidence. It is a serious safety concern that requires immediate intervention,” he emphasized.

Authorities also raised concerns about one of the drivers allegedly linked to multiple incidents, accusing him of reckless and impaired driving behavior.

“The driver in question is a 64-year-old man who was previously dismissed in Waiwai over allegations of overdrinking. He has been linked to crashes in Kisumiat, Oriyo, and Kakira. Passengers had earlier suspected he was under the influence of intoxicants, but their complaints were ignored,” Byamukama said.

The Minister confirmed that the driver, identified as Mandela Kasimu, is currently in police custody.

“Mandela Kasimu is currently detained at Moyale Police Station. He will be processed and prosecuted. We believe justice will take its course,” he said.

Byamukama further stressed that while court remains the only authority with powers to cancel driving permits, government is pushing for reforms to strengthen road safety enforcement.

“Only courts have the power to withdraw driving licences, but we are engaging stakeholders including Parliament and Cabinet to consider empowering the licensing authority to act faster in such cases. Dangerous drivers should not continue operating freely on our roads,” he noted.

He dismissed claims that poor road conditions were responsible for the crashes, insisting that driver discipline remains the major cause of road accidents.

“It is not about bad roads. The problem is discipline. We are investing heavily in road safety, but accidents continue because of human behavior,” he said.

The Minister also called for accountability from transport operators, including compensation for victims and public apologies to affected families.

“Taxis and bus companies must take responsibility. Those who cause accidents should compensate families who lost their loved ones and also come out publicly to apologize to the nation,” he said.

He added that even if courts release the accused driver, he will not be allowed to operate any bus in Uganda for the remainder of his professional driving period.

“Even if court releases him, he will not drive any bus in this country again, whether privately or publicly. We are taking a firm stand on road safety,” Byamukama noted.

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Government of Uganda will generate over two million green jobs in the next ten years, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development Permanent Secretary, Aggrey David Kibenge, has revealed.

This was during a stakeholders’ validation workshop on the draft ten-year Uganda National Green Jobs Creation Strategy and Plan in Entebbe today.

Kibenge said Uganda’s rapidly growing working and employed population comes with escalating activities – both commercial and subsistence – such as expanding settlements, sand mining, car washing, cultivation, infrastructure development, and urbanisation, among others.

These activities, he said, have resulted into deterioration of natural resources such as forests, wetlands, soils, vegetation and fresh water.

In his message delivered by Zachary Kansiime, the Ministry’s Senior Skills Development, Technology Uptake and Innovation Officer, Kibenge said Uganda’s environmental stress is further compounded by heavy reliance on non-sustainable energy sources, citing the 92.7% of households who depend on biomass for cooking, with 64.5% using firewood and 28.2% using charcoal. This widespread dependence contributes to deforestation, land degradation, and increased carbon emissions. Climate change further compounds these challenges.

In the recent past, Uganda has been exposed to several climate change related natural hazards such as flooding, prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall and landslides especially in Mount Elgon region and Kasese areas where there has been devastating loss in life and property.

He added that transitioning to green growth is stimulated by the low labour productivity. According to ILO Modelled Statistics (2022), Uganda’s labour productivity is USD 3.6 GDP per hour worked, ranking Uganda 175^th out of 185 countries. As a result, this low labour productivity negatively impacts on direct foreign investment and economic expansion, and hampers Uganda’s labour competitiveness within the region and internationally.

“A key contributing factor is the persistent skills gap and education system inefficiencies. While millions enter the education system, only a small proportion complete secondary and post-secondary education,” he said.

“In order to reverse the trend and address these challenges, all key economic sectors should adopt climate smart low carbon technologies which require a new set of skills/jobs – the green jobs – for expanding green and decent employment and promoting a just transition to a sustainable economy,” Kibenge added.

Green jobs are tasks, especially ones that are paid, that efficiently use energy/raw materials and minimise the generation of wastes and pollution.

According to UN-ILO (2016), Green Jobs are decent jobs that contribute to preservation or restoration of the environment, in traditional sectors such as manufacturing and construction, or in new, emerging green sectors such as renewable energy and energy efficiency.  The green jobs incorporate aspects such as improving energy and raw materials efficiency; limiting greenhouse gas emissions; minimizing waste and pollution; protecting and restoring ecosystems; and supporting adaptation to the effects of climate change.

Mr Kibenge said it is within this context that the Ministry has developed the ten-year framework to guide Uganda’s transition towards a greener, more productive, and employment-intensive economy.

The strategy aims to promote the creation, protection, and sustainability of decent green jobs that enhance productivity, environmental stewardship, and inclusive economic growth across all sectors of the economy.

According to the draft strategy, green jobs must respond to the decent work principles. “A decent job involves opportunities for work that is productive, delivers fair income, provides security in the workplace, offers social protection and better prospects for personal development, gives people the freedom to express their concerns and guarantees equal opportunities and equal treatment for all,” it partly reads.

Isaac Rubagumya, the Green Jobs Programme Coordinator, said the move to green jobs is arguably one of the most important elements of the green transition due to its criticality in creating economic incentives for change (financial capital), stabilising social sentiment for change, equity and mandate for change.

“This strategy will provide policy options that enhance and exploit synergies between economic growth, environmental sustainability and social equity across all sectors of the economy,” said Rubagumya. “Besides addressing persistent development challenges that seem insurmountable by the conventional development model, empirical evidence suggest that accelerated achievement of medium term and long-term targets is therefore highly hinged on the transition to green growth which makes this transition a must rather an alternative.” 

The workshop was attended by representatives from Ministries, Departments and Agencies; development partners; employers’ and workers’ organisation; the private sector, civil society organisations and academia.

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Uganda Civil Aviation Authority has convened a high-level continental workshop at Speke Resort Munyonyo aimed at strengthening fair competition frameworks across Africa’s air transport sector as the country deepens its commitment to aviation reforms.

The three-day capacity-building workshop, officially opened on Wednesday by UCAA Director General Fred K. Bamwesigye, focuses on drafting, revising, and implementing competition regulations in air transport services across the continent. The event runs from May 6 to 8, 2026.

Organized by the African Civil Aviation Commission in partnership with the McGill Institute of Air and Space Law and funded by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the workshop is part of broader efforts to operationalize the Single African Air Transport Market under the Yamoussoukro Decision.

In his opening remarks, Bamwesigye underscored the need to balance liberalization with strong oversight.

“Open skies must be matched with fair competition. Strong regulatory frameworks are essential to prevent market distortions, safeguard consumer interests, and ensure a level playing field for airlines,”he said.

He reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to building a transparent and competitive aviation industry, pointing to recent milestones.

“We have enacted a Competition Act in 2024, established a Consumer Protection Unit within UCAA, and are developing draft competition and consumer protection regulations aligned with continental frameworks,” Bamwesigye noted.

Although Uganda is not yet a full member of SAATM, he said the country is making steady progress toward accession.

“We are undertaking consultations and preparing for Cabinet consideration as part of deliberate steps toward joining the Single African Air Transport Market,” he added.

The workshop has drawn aviation regulators, legal experts, and representatives from regional economic communities across Africa, creating a platform for knowledge-sharing and policy alignment.

Participants are engaging in technical sessions, comparative legal analysis, and hands-on drafting exercises designed to equip them with practical tools for enforcing competition regulations in line with continental standards.

Bamwesigye commended AFCAC and its partners for advancing Africa’s regulatory capacity and urged member states to accelerate implementation of SAATM.

“Full implementation of SAATM is critical for unlocking the growth and integration potential of Africa’s aviation sector,” he said.

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