Uganda’s passport has been ranked 71st globally, granting its holders access to 66 visa-free, visa-on-arrival or Electronic Travel Authorisation destinations, according to the Henley Passport Index 2026 Global Ranking released in January 2026. The index, compiled by global citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners, evaluates 199 passports worldwide based on the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a prior visa. It is widely regarded as the most authoritative measure of global travel freedom and a key indicator of a country’s diplomatic reach and international standing. In the latest rankings, Uganda shares the 71st position with Armenia, with…
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In a sweeping diplomatic shake-up that has resonated across continents, the Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 U.S. ambassadors and senior career diplomats from posts around the world, a move officials describe as part of aligning the foreign service with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda. The recall notably includes ambassadors serving in Uganda, Rwanda and Nigeria, among other nations. Multiple news sources indicate that the U.S. State Department has begun issuing formal notifications to chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries, informing them that their tenures will end in January 2026. The affected diplomats, most of whom were…
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Asahi Group Holdings, the Japanese brewing and beverages giant, has picked Absa Bank Kenya PLC, ENS Africa, A&O Shearman and Nomura Holdings to advise on its USD 2.3 billion acquisition of a 65% controlling stake in East African Breweries Plc (EABL) from Diageo Plc, a transaction that ranks among the largest consumer-sector deals ever executed in East Africa. The advisory line-up brings together regional execution strength and global deal expertise. Absa Bank Kenya PLC is acting as financial adviser alongside Nomura, the Japan-headquartered investment bank, while ENS Africa and A&O Shearman, the London-headquartered global law firm, are providing legal counsel….
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The Government of Uganda and the United Nations World Food Programme signed a landmark agreement Wednesday that establishes Kampala as the home of the WFP Global Fleet Hub, a strategic base designed to accelerate humanitarian aid distribution across Africa. The agreement authorizes the WFP to deploy an Emergency Response Fleet bearing unique UN/WFP license plates. This is intended to eliminate lengthy bureaucratic procedures and significantly reduce delays often encountered when humanitarian vehicles cross African borders. Chief of Protocol, Amb. Charles Ssentongo, representing the Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that the decision validated Uganda’s regional leadership in humanitarian action and integration…
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Let’s start off with why Absa Group is involved in this B20 summit. When we decided to participate in B20, it was largely because we’re a pan-African bank, and this story being an African story with having a G20 for the first time on the African continent, we felt that it was quite important that we could bring all the African voices into the discussion. We see Africa decisively from an Absa perspective as the space we would want to grow in. And we are very deliberate about solving African stories. How does Absa’s recent acquisition of Standard Chartered’s retail…
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The Insurance Regulatory Authority of Uganda has given the green light for AAR General Insurance Uganda Limited to write non-life business in the country, formalising a move the AAR Group has long telegraphed: a strategic shift from being primarily a dominant health membership organisation. The approval, which comes amid a year of intense supervisory change and an industry reset, places AAR squarely in a non-life sector that is large, concentrated and claims-intensive, and in which incumbents were already spending heavily mid-year to defend and expand market share. AAR’s entry is not being attempted from scratch. The IRA’s market report shows…
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The past five years have not gone particularly well for Uganda’s billionaire class. Once the undisputed symbols of local enterprise and ambition, several of the country’s most prominent businessmen have found themselves entangled in complex financial and legal battles — most of them involving commercial banks and cross-border lenders. Among them, Hamis Kiggundu, the property and retail magnate behind Ham Enterprises, waged one of Uganda’s most closely watched banking disputes. His companies owed USD 4,014,444 to Diamond Trust Bank Uganda and USD 6,974,600 to Diamond Trust Bank Kenya — a combined USD 10.99 million (approximately UGX 40 billion) in credit…
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The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Competition Commission has imposed a fine of USD 750,000 on global alcoholic beverages manufacturer Diageo Plc, the majority shareholder in East African Breweries Limited (EABL), for engaging in anti-competitive business practices across Uganda, Eswatini and Zambia. The ruling, contained in a 13-page decision issued on September 21, 2025, concluded that Diageo’s actions violated regional competition laws by restricting trade and distorting market dynamics within the COMESA region. The Commission’s decision follows a multi-year investigation into the company’s distribution and production agreements with local partners, which were found to contain clauses that…
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Piracy and Intellectual Property theft have long plagued Uganda’s creative sector, robbing musicians, filmmakers, producers and innovators of both recognition and income. But government agencies, industry leaders and artistes themselves are now pushing harder than ever to safeguard creative work, urging Ugandans to value Intellectual Property (IP) as a cornerstone of economic growth. Speaking on the latest episode of the The Ugandan Podcast Season 4 organized by the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance in partnership with MultiChoice Uganda, Shirley Gladys Nakyejwe, an Intellectual Property Management Specialist at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, emphasized the importance of building…
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When MTN Uganda set in motion the structural separation of its mobile money business into a fully independent, Bank of Uganda–licensed fintech company, it was clear this would be one of the most complex corporate reorganisations in Uganda’s financial services sector in recent years. It required legal counsel with a proven track record in high-value, high-stakes transactions and MTN turned to Paul Mbuga, Partner at S&L Advocates (a member of DLA Piper Africa). Mbuga, a seasoned commercial and infrastructure lawyer, is currently advising the MTN Uganda team on every stage of the process. The separation, part of a wider MTN…
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