Kiryandongo District Woman MP, Hon. Katusiime Jovia Mbabazi has said that Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) stands for discpline, Patriotism and zero tolerance to corruption.
She said this while speaking as the Guest of Honour in Hoima over the weekend as endorsed Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba for Presidency in 2031. She said she was proud to witness Hoima District endorse Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba for 2031 and beyond.
In her address, she reminded the people that PLU stands for discipline, patriotism and ZERO TOLERANCE to corruption.
“Corruption steals jobs from our youth and drugs from our hospitals, we need to fight it completely,” she said.
“Hoima has chosen a leader who will protect Uganda’s resources and secure our future. Thank you Hon. Wembabazi Beatrice for mobilizing this historic stand against corruption and for generational leadership. #SayNoToCorruption #PLU #Muhoozi2031,” she added.
Kampala: The Government of Uganda through the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has unveiled a 14.24 billion shilling water project for Hoima City, aimed at boosting supply ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
NWSC Managing Director Dr. Mugisha announced the project Tuesday during a media briefing at the corporation’s headquarters in Nakasero, saying it forms part of government’s strategic investment in critical infrastructure ahead of the tournament and to support the continued growth of the Albertine Region as Uganda’s oil and gas hub.
Hoima is among the Ugandan cities selected to host tournament matches, alongside Kampala and Lira, as the country co-hosts the continental showpiece with Kenya and Tanzania from June to July 2027.
The project will draw raw water from the River Kafu in Kikuube District, treat it at a new conventional water treatment plant, and transmit it to Hoima City through a bulk water transfer system, Dr. Mugisha said. It will deliver a treatment plant with capacity to produce 2,000 cubic meters of water daily, about 25 kilometers of transmission and distribution pipelines, and a 300-cubic-meter elevated steel reservoir at Musaijamukulu hill, along with associated pumping, electrical and storage infrastructure.
Dr. Mugisha said the project, designated Hoima 2, is meant to augment the existing Hoima 1 system, which has served the city for years but can no longer meet demand amid rapid urbanization, population growth and rising industrial activity linked to the oil and gas sector.
“The current system is no longer sufficient to adequately meet the water needs of Hoima City and its surrounding areas,” he said, calling Hoima 2 an urgent intervention to bridge the supply gap in the short to medium term.
He said government and NWSC are also finalizing designs for a longer-term Hoima 3 Water Supply System, which would substantially expand water production, transmission and storage capacity, and that the two systems would eventually be integrated into a unified network for greater efficiency and resilience.
“NWSC, therefore, appeals to government to make available the required funding for implementation of the Hoima 3 Water Supply System immediately upon completion of the designs,” Dr. Mugisha said. “Timely investment in Hoima 3 will secure the long-term water future of Hoima City and support Uganda’s broader economic transformation agenda.”
The current project is jointly funded by the Government of Uganda and NWSC and is expected to take eight months to complete.
The works are being carried out by Zhonghao Overseas Construction Engineering Company Limited. Dr. Mugisha tasked the contractor to deliver the project within time and cost, warning that delays would not be tolerated.
“Time delays will not be acceptable,” he said.
Zhonghao Overseas Construction Engineering Company Limited was represented at the briefing by Managing Director Ma Yongqian and Deputy Managing Director Wang Feifei. The contractor committed to delivering the project within cost and time, and pledged to maintain quality standards throughout construction.
The firm also pledged close collaboration with local content requirements, saying it would mobilize local manpower during implementation to boost the economic wellbeing of communities in Hoima.
Dr. Mugisha said the project will improve the reliability and quality of Hoima’s water supply, reduce shortages in parts of the city, support urban growth and industrialization, and strengthen the region’s readiness for AFCON 2027.
Hoima: Horticultural farmers in the Bunyoro Region have gone into a joint venture with local exporter, KK Foods, to sell their products in Western Europe, including the United Kingdom, with the goal of raising incomes and gaining a presence in international markets.
As beneficiaries of a training programme, the farmers under the Albertine Farmers Association (AFA), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with KK Foods, exporters of fresh horticultural products.
Speaking at the launch of the venture at Ageteraine Agro-Processing Facility in Hoima City over the weekend, the Chairperson of the Association Julius Kwamya said, “During the training, we agreed on the way forward. We agreed to start with hot pepper and chilli for now, but we will scale to other enterprises. We believe this is an opportunity for growth, in different aspects, because hot pepper and chilli have a high turnover, moreover with a short-term period in the garden.
Catherine Poran, the Chief Executive of Stanbic Business Incubator
“Demand in the European market is expanding due to immigration-led culinary diversification and rising interest in exotic, spicy flavours. Leading importers of fresh chilli are France, Spain, the UK, and Germany.The joint venture is one of the major outcomes of an August 2025 capacity building workshop that saw over 30 horticultural farmers trained by the Stanbic Business Incubator Limited (SBIL) under the Albertine Agribusiness Development Programme (ADP) in partnership with the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC).
Kwamya said the association currently has 1,930 members registered, with a target of hitting 10,000 before the end of 2026. He however highlighted the lack of extension workers as a key challenge affecting their production levels, calling upon government to explore means of improving services to the grass roots.
Catherine Poran, the SBIL Chief Executive said, “It is so good to see that farmers are putting theory to life. We are seeing farmers being linked to markets. It is one thing for farmers to grow food, but it is another to link them to markets, and see the fruits of their labour. At Stanbic Business Incubator, our mandate lies in supporting enterprises to scale and reach their potential, all in line with our purpose of driving Uganda’s growth.”
Nicholas Atukwase, a Production Manager with KK Foods said, “We need those products to be at least 50 tonnes per week. Farmers will benefit, because there is a lot of demand for products like chilli and hot pepper. As farmers, all they need to uphold are the pillars of quality, quantity, consistency, meet customer requirements, and regulatory guidelines.”
Percy Mucunguzi, the National Content Officer in Charge of Measurements and Reporting at UNOC said, “These farmers have done a great job in teaming up and picking up other farmers along the way. You will agree with me that even if we had billions, it would not be easy to reach everywhere. We always encourage cascading of knowledge. Since we have the mandate to build the capacity of Ugandans, we must support these processes and see all the outcomes come to fruition.”
Mucunguzi advised farmers to scale and venture into other enterprises, which he said would enhance their income levels.”We cannot just look at oil and gas, because it is the hot cake in this region. We have to look at all the other services that support oil and gas, and one of them is the supply of food, medical services, insurance, transport, and others. So, it is important that we look at it in that way, because that is how benefits flow from oil and gas to the rest of the economy,” Mucunguzi said.
Emmanuel Blair Niyitegeka, a Senior Agricultural Inspector at the Department of Crop Inspection and Certification at the Ministry of Agriculture, said, “Hot pepper products have high demand, especially in Europe, the Middle East, and some Asian countries. However, to access this market, there are standards that the products must meet.”
“One of them is that the pepper must be free from pests, which we call harmful organisms. Therefore, to supply in those markets, a farmer must make sure that they control pests at the farm by installing insect traps, and then monitor the farm to make sure that all the pesticide is applied well. By the time of harvesting, the farmer must make sure that the product is free from pests. Even when applying the pesticide, the farmer must make sure that he applies it at the right time, with the correct dosage,” he said.
Niyitegeka said a system requires commitment because it has standards that everyone must comply with. However, different standards apply to different markets. He said the European Union and the UK have some of the most stringent. Dr Charles Kajura, the District Production Officer of Hoima said, “KK Foods asked us to make sure that our farmers are certified to produce for the export market. In other words, they are supposed to get codes. Each farmer must be coded. Coding means that you will have your farm identified, specifically so that whatever we get from your farm is coded, and when it goes to the export market and we find any problem, we shall come back to your farm without any hesitation and be able to follow up in terms of quality control.”
Referring to the limited extension services, Dr Kajura said, “We want to focus on the group approach. We are asking these farmers to organise themselves into groups so that the extension worker can meet them all at once. Instead of going to individual farmers, which will be impossible, we can go to the groups of farmers organised in a given locality and handle them together.”
“We are also exploring the aspect of using Community-Based Facilitators (CBF). We want to train these community-based facilitators hands-on, so that when our extension workers are not there, they are able to provide the services. We have selected two CBFs per Parish, and now we want to give them skills, so that they can help us to extend some of the information to the farmers,” Dr Kajura said.
Hoima: The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) in partnership with MultiChoice Uganda, a Canal+ company has successfully concluded the fourth edition of the Regional Film Competitions in Hoima marking the end of a month-long nationwide initiative. The competitions, which also took place in Soroti, Luwero and Arua brought together emerging filmmakers from across the country offering them a platform to develop their craft and showcase their talent.
The Hoima edition specifically brought together filmmakers from the Western Region for an intensive week-long training program. Participants were equipped with practical skills in storytelling, script writing, directing and acting, insights into film production, marketing and the business of content creation, as well as piracy and intellectual property.
The Chief guest Hon. Balaam Barugahara, State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs highlighted the importance of Regional Film Competitions in decentralizing opportunities. “The competitions give a young person with a borrowed camera and big dreams the same platform as someone with a fully equipped studio,” he highlighted.
He assured filmmakers of government’s commitment to strengthening policy frameworks that protect intellectual property, encourage investment, and open distribution markets for Ugandan content.
Speaking on behalf of the Executive Director at the awards gala, Mr. Haruna Musinguzi, the Director of Finance at UCC noted that as Uganda’s film industry grows, so must the standards. He stressed that good storytelling must be matched with respect for intellectual property, professional contracts between producers, cast and crew, responsible portrayal of sensitive issues, and compliance with national content standards.
“We have seen situations where a film goes viral online but uses copyrighted music without permission and that becomes a legal challenge. Let us grow creatively and professionally at the same time. Professionalism is what will attract investors,” he said.
During the training sessions, Rinaldi Jamugisa, PR and Communications Manager at MultiChoice Uganda urged filmmakers to take an active role in combating content piracy since it greatly undermines the growth of the film industry. “Making film is expensive. You invest millions of shillings but find someone illegally selling your film for as low as UGX 1,000 or downloading it for free from an illegal site. If you don’t begin to fight such vices, you will find yourselves unable to continue making films because you cannot pay your actors and crew as someone has taken a chunk of what is supposed to be going to them,” he said.
Jamugisa further warned filmmakers of the broader risks associated with Piracy like cyber-crimes, data theft and exposure to criminal networks. He challenged filmmakers to also always access productions of other filmmakers through authorized channels. The competitions culminated into the Western Region Awards Gala where outstanding productions were recognized for excellence across several categories. Filmmakers with stories that wowed the judges took home cash prizes from UCC and MultiChoice Uganda, as well as trophies, certificates and gift hampers.
Among the evening’s winners was Brian Tumusiime who won Best Actor for his role in Nyakato, while Fante Merinah Nabwami took Best Actress for Not Mine. The Best Student Award went to Sarah Kansiime Abooki for her role in Daughter of the Soil which also earned Musinguzi Francis Glen the Best Original Soundtrack award. Not Mine directed by Angel Gumisiriza won the Best Community Impact Film while Ripple Effects directed by Baguma Arnold won Best Smartphone Film. The top honor of Best Film went to Kabwondera, directed by Rukundo Justus and Atuhaire Fiffy.
With the conclusion of the Regional Film Competitions, attention now shifts to the training workshops and cinema screenings for films in the Viewer’s Choice category, scheduled for May and early June, as part of the forthcoming activities in the Uganda Film Festival (UFF) calendar. All of these events are in build-up to the final awards gala on 5th June.
Hoima: The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd, the company leading the development of Uganda’s crude oil export pipeline, in partnership with Hoima City, has handed over the newly constructed Nyamasoga – Katooke Road under its Socio-Economic Investment (SEI) programme. This initiative aimed to enhance community livelihoods and improve local infrastructure, improve trade, and support everyday activities within areas along the pipeline
route.
Located in Buseruka Sub- County, Hoima District, the 7.5-kilometre murram road connects the villages of Kayera and Katooke, home to approximately 6,500 residents across more than 600 households. The Nyamasoga–Katooke Road will significantly enhance connectivity to the Kaiso–Tonya Highway, improving access to key trading centres such as Nyamasoga and Buseruka. The improved road network will also ease access to essential services including health facilities, schools, and local markets.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mr. JB Habumugisha, Deputy Managing Director of EACOP Ltd., reaffirmed the company’s commitment to sustainable community development, noting: “EACOP remains committed to ensuring that the communities along the pipeline route benefit from improved infrastructure and social services. This road project demonstrates our dedication to supporting local development priorities in partnership with government authorities.”
The project follows a community need submitted by the Hoima District leadership, aimed at improving transport and accessibility in the area. The road was in poor condition and impassable by vehicles. With its rehabilitation, the road is expected to enhance trade, improve access to markets and services, and boost economic activity in the region.
In his remarks, Rodgers Mbabazi the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Hoima District expressed appreciation to EACOP for its continued collaboration and investment in community infrastructure, noting that such initiatives play a key role in advancing local development and improving the quality of life for residents. The road was officially handed over to the Resident District Commissioner of Hoima District, Mr Rodgers Mbabazi, in a ceremony attended by Local Councillors, Chief Administrative Officer and residents at a ceremony held at the Katooke trading centre, Hoima District.
Hoima: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has announced that Bunyoro Sub-region will receive a second industrial park—this one dedicated to agro-processing—as the government accelerates job creation and industrialisation in the Albertine region.
Campaigning at Booma Grounds in Hoima City on Thursday, President Museveni said the new facility will complement the ongoing Kabalega Industrial Park for petroleum products, noting that the two industries cannot operate in the same space due to safety considerations.
“We are going to build another industrial park purely for agro-processing, separate from the one handling petroleum products,” Museveni, the NRM Presidential Candidate, told thousands of enthusiastic supporters.
“Food industries cannot be mixed with petroleum industries. So Bunyoro will have both.”
The President, who was accompanied by the First Daughter, Mrs. Natasha Museveni Karugire, and senior NRM leaders, used the rally to present key highlights of the NRM Manifesto and outline the movement’s contributions to Uganda over the past four decades.
He reiterated that peace, development, and wealth creation remain the pillars of Uganda’s transformation, and showcased progress made in Hoima’s infrastructure—including improved road networks, telecommunications and an electrification programme that has already connected 12 of the district’s 14 sub-counties.
Museveni also pointed to significant expansion in social services.
Hoima District now hosts 64 government primary schools and 6 government secondary schools, while Hoima City has 33 government primary schools and 5 government secondary schools—all implementing USE and UPOLET. Four more Seed Secondary Schools are under construction.
On health, the President highlighted upgrades to the region’s facilities, including the strengthening of Hoima Regional Referral Hospital and the planned elevation of Kigorobya HCIV to a General Hospital.
He urged residents to match government-led development with household wealth creation, encouraging small landholders to embrace the four-acre model and larger farmers to invest in commercial agriculture.
Cautioning on the management of Uganda’s 6.5 billion barrels of confirmed crude oil, Museveni stressed that oil revenues must be invested in long-term strategic projects such as industrialisation—not consumption.
Top NRM leaders, including Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among and Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, praised the President for transformative projects in Bunyoro—such as Hoima Stadium, Bunyoro University and the rapidly expanding road network—saying they reflect the NRM’s long-standing commitment to the sub-region.
Hoima District NRM Chairperson Vincent Muhumuza Savannah thanked the President for flagship developments like Hoima International Airport and the Regional Blood Bank, but raised concerns over persistent land evictions.
He appealed for the President’s intervention to ensure residents obtain secure and affordable land titles.
Hoima; CNOOC Uganda Limited, an oil and gas company has today launched the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers Training and Licensing Program 2022 that will see 110 drivers trained, Licensed and certified to professionally drive Heavy Goods trucks and trailers (class CH License) or rigid trucks (class CM license) in accordance with the East African community curriculum.
The training will be executed by Uganda Driving Standards Agency (UDSA) on behalf of CNOOC to meet the skills gaps in the logistics and transportation competencies especially in the oil and gas sector in Uganda.
CNOOC Uganda Limited National Content Manager, Mathew Kyaligonza and Petroleum Authority Uganda National Content Officer Aggrey Muhumuza take a photo with the drivers that are going to undertake the 3 months training
Uganda government and the JV Partners took FID early this year, a significant milestone for the people of Uganda which shall unlock billions of dollars of investment in Uganda’s oil and gas sector.
This decision paved the way for progress on contract awards as all major engineering, procurement and construction contracts have been awarded and are currently on-going or under mobilization to start execution. Our longer term strategic pillars are quality and enhancement for sustainable development of the oil and gas resource.
Prime Minister Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, Andrew Byakutaaga Ateenyi officially flags off the 2022 CNOOC HGV Drivers Training and Licensing Program at the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom Headquarters in Hoima district
Transportation is also among the goods and services to be provided by Ugandan companies, Ugandan citizens and Registered entities as detailed in the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) (National Content) Regulations, 2016. We have always put safety at the forefront of our business and that is why it is important to train these drivers who shall work with us or our contractors especially during the development stage.
This training will enable the trained drivers to explore and acquire more expertise in Heavy Goods Vehicles Driving and Road Safety which is well in line with the national content promotion guidelines” The selection of trainees in this particular cohort was undertaken in partnership with Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom that supported the identification and selection of trainees from 8 districts of Kikuube, Hoima, Masindi, Buliisa, Kiryandongo, Kakumiro, Kibaale and Kagadi together with the implementing service provider Uganda Driving Standards Agency(UDSA).
Some of the 110 Drivers that will undertake the 3 months CNOOC HGV Drivers Training and Licensing Program
The partnership with the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom was aimed at Host Community content enhancement for potential beneficiaries from the Bunyoro Sub-Region that hosts the Kingfisher Project.
Mr. Mathew Kyaligonza, the National Content Manager CNOOC Uganda Limited clearly elaborated that the key objectives of this training are to: Train Ugandan HGV drivers and support them to obtain required driving licenses (class CH license for truck and trailer or class CM license for rigid trucks); so that they are eligible for transportation and logistics related jobs in the oil & gas and other sectors.
Enhance the knowledge and practice of professional driving among Ugandan HGV drivers by training them according to the East African Community standardized curriculum for drivers of large commercial vehicles and/or international standards for HGV drivers.
In the interest of ensuring that the training maintains national social distancing and the Training Standard Operating Procedures to prevent COVID-9, the program shall maintain 4 trainees per instructor per day and only 1 trainee in a truck during practical sessions. This arrangement shall enable the Trainee to have ample time with their respective instructors during the training.
Rt. Hon. Andrew Byakutuga Ateenyi, the Prime Minister of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom stated that “We are grateful for the partnership between CNOOC Uganda Limited and Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom and we look forward to more opportunities of working together. We want our people to be skilled enough so that we can gain from the oil and gas resource”.
Mr. Ronald Nkata, the Chief instructor of the trained students stated that “This three (3) months program shall provide an interactive forum for us to share, explore and discuss concepts and issues of HGV driving and Road Safety with our trainees.“
In addition, this year CNOOC Uganda Limited is sponsoring the training and Certification of 160 Welders in 2G,3G,4G, 5G and 6G Coded welding to AWS international standards, 84 Teachers in the Train the Trainer program that included 5 certified programs for teachers from different Ugandan Vocational Training institutions (VTIs), 150 -200 SMEs in the Enterprise development program, the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) training and certification of 60 participants that shall provide the engineering construction industry workforce the skills it needs to meet the challenges of the future enabling development and qualification in a wide range of craft, technical and professional disciplines.
As an energy company with a strong sense of social responsibility, CNOOC Uganda Limited is committed to National Content promotion to enable Ugandans to tap into the opportunities in the oil and gas sector.
CNOOC Uganda Limited along with its key JV Partners TotalEnergies and UNOC have been involved in long term planning and strategies to ensure the first oil by 2025. We are close to the finish line and we hope that we can work together to attain this dream.
Hoima: May’s Tusker Lite Neon Party series took the partying to Hoima City, Uganda’s land of oil with Spice Diana as the headlining performer of the night.
Party lovers thronged Hoima Resort to be part of the iconic Neon green themed party series, which intend to go to major towns and cities across the country to add some flavor and light up their nightlife and hangout spots.
Clad in a big white tee and short shorts, the star of the night stood out beautifully on stage and was welcomed with thunderous roars and cheers from her fans.
With a Tusker Lite in hand, for almost everyone in attendance, the party goers egged Spice Diana on during her performance as she owned her stage and worked her crowd with popular songs like “Jangu Ondabe”, “Anti Kale” and “Kokonya”.
The crowd particularly went into a frenzy when the Dj played Omusheshe; they sang along word for word, and a few daring fans even jumped onto the stage and had a chance to share the mic and also danced with the songstress.
“Hoima has been an amazing experience. People turned up with a lot of energy and brought this party to life. I must say without a doubt that Hoima people really know how to own a party. Thank you Hoima for making the Tusker Lite Neon Party an exceptionally fun one,” said Elizabeth Mutamuliza, the Tusker Lite Brand Manager, UBL.
The party went on into the wee hours of Saturday morning, with DJ Jack who kept fans on their feet. A few lucky party animals got a chance to walk away with Tusker Lite goodies that included bags, jumpers, and beer, after winning in fun activities like basketball and fooseball, that are part of the Neon Parties.
National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) Hoima area office working with detectives from the Uganda Police Force arrested a suspect in the act of stealing 5 water meters.
Upon further questioning, the suspect lead them to a scrap dealer in Hoima town. Here, we recovered 10’s of meters.
It is believed that the scrap dealers smelt the meters and use the precious coating on them for fabrication works.
We urge the public to report any suspected meter theft cases at the nearest Police Station or contact the nearest NWSC Office.
#waterman
The Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Health continues to provide free mosquito nets to Ugandans as a way of fighting against malaria.
The Wave 3 of the champaign dubbed ‘Under The Net’ is set for next month and will cover 39 districts across the country.
Starting on 25th October till 5th November, 2020, teams from Ministry of Health will distribute LLIN in 39 districts and these are; Bukomasimbi, Kyenjojo, Kanungu, Kyotera, Luweero, Lwengo, Masaka, Mityana, Mpigi, Hoima, Butambala, Ibanda, Kitagwenda, Kamwenge, Gomba, Rakai, Kikuube, Ngora, Katakwi, Amuria, Oyam, Kole, Kumi, Bukedea, Agago, Manafwa, Abim, Amudat, Kaabong, Kapelebyong, Karenga, Kotido, Kiryandongo, Masindi, Buliisa, Moroto, Nabilatuk, Nakapiripirit and Napak. You can follow the conversation regarding Mosquito Net Distribution using #SleepUnderTheNetUg.
The ‘Under The Net’ campaign is aimed at chasing malaria out of Uganda.
