Andrew Matege

Parliament has approved the deployment of UPDF troops to join a United Nations-backed international stabilization mission in the Gaza Strip despite procedural resistance and security concerns from Opposition MPs.

UPDF 1 Infantry Division troops have completed a 30-kilometre physical fitness route march across Wakiso District to strengthen combat readiness ahead of the upcoming Chief of Defence Forces Inter-Force Drill Competition.

Uganda has called on Saudi Arabia to bolster bilateral trade and invest in local agro-processing and digital data infrastructure to help narrow the country's $140 million trade deficit with the Gulf nation.

Parliament has given the Ministry of Education and Sports a one-week deadline to resolve a dispute with Ndejje University over 102 graduates whose academic transcripts remain withheld despite cleared financial accounts.

Bank of Uganda Governor Michael Atingi-Ego has urged judicial leaders to uphold strong legal frameworks and contractual certainty as the nation prepares to enter commercial petroleum production.

President Yoweri Museveni has presented Ambassador Olara Otunnu to United Nations Security Council diplomats at State House Entebbe, launching Uganda's official campaign for the UN Secretary-General position.

President Yoweri Museveni has warned the Banyankole community against demanding excessive bride prices and hosting costly wedding celebrations. Speaking at an Okuhingira ceremony in Kiruhura District, President Museveni cautioned that turning marriage into a commercial venture traps young couples in debt and discourages youth from starting families.

The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces has passed out a new cohort of Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Counter-IED technicians, and combat engineers at the School of Combat Engineering in Kalama. Presiding over the ceremony, 14 Combat Engineering Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Richard Wakayinja emphasized that modern asymmetric warfare requires specialized bomb disposal expertise to protect frontline troops.

Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth has defended Uganda’s transparent reporting of public health emergencies like HIV/AIDS and Ebola, calling open disclosure a global patriotic duty. During a parliamentary meeting with UK lawmaker Dr. Beccy Cooper, Speaker Oboth emphasized that safeguarding international health outweighs economic considerations.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called for cooperation between Uganda and the United Kingdom (UK) in pharmaceutical manufacturing, public health, and medical research. Meeting a UK delegation led by Ambassador Nimisha Madhvani at State House Entebbe, President Museveni invited British investors to set up local medicine and vaccine production facilities to serve the regional market.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has backed the development of the HUVET Bio-Science Park in Mpigi District, calling it a major leap toward national vaccine sovereignty. Led by Iranian investor Eng. Hashem Azimi, the biotechnology hub will manufacture local animal vaccines, combat livestock diseases, and position Uganda as a regional center for veterinary biotechnology.

Finance Minister Hon. Henry Musasizi met with a Huawei delegation to discuss strategies for lowering digital service costs across Uganda. The government is partnering with the tech giant to expand affordable smartphone access, introduce tax incentives, and promote domestic assembly of ICT hardware.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has offered Uganda as a potential host country for the headquarters of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States. Meeting OACPS Secretary General H.E. Moussa Saleh Batraki at State House Entebbe, President Museveni backed ongoing institutional reforms and pledged financial support to advance South-South cooperation.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has backed a USD 200 million mega agro-industrial project in Nakaseke District to process and export Ugandan coffee. The Nonda Coffee Park will process 42,000 metric tons of coffee annually, targeting established export channels in Saudi Arabia and driving domestic value addition.

Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth has urged Members of Parliament serving on accountability committees to exercise impartial oversight, warning against using parliamentary investigations to settle political scores or target individuals.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has called for the establishment of basic malaria testing laboratories in school sick bays and dispensaries to enable early diagnosis, reduce preventable deaths and strengthen Uganda's fight against malaria.

The Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs together with the UPDF delivered essential relief items to Kireka Home for Children with Special Educational Needs in Kira Municipality. The donation drive, held as part of African Public Service Day, supported 85 learners living with physical impairments and developmental conditions.

Teso district leaders have been warned against corruption, nepotism, and enrolling ineligible candidates into the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub initiative. Speaking at a stakeholders' meeting, Eng. Raymond Kamugisha demanded transparent selection focused strictly on vulnerable youth and announced new oversight measures for graduate SACCO funds.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni hosted 33 Spanish student volunteers at State House Entebbe following their community service mission in Gomba District. Commending their work in water and education, the President highlighted Uganda's economic drive and urged youth to prioritize discipline and national progress.

The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces has passed out 62 soldiers after completing the Maritime Basic Induction Course at Maritime Sustainment Base Ntokolo in Mayuge District. Presiding over the ceremony, Brig. Gen. Wycliffe Keita praised the initiative for boosting security across Uganda's waterways and advancing the military's broader operational readiness.