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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Uganda Airlines, the country’s flagship carrier and one of the government’s most ambitious public investments in recent years, has been placed under formal investigation by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), in collaboration with the Uganda Police Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID). The investigation was triggered by an official letter dated January 7, 2026, authored by Fred Lumala, the CID’s Economic Fraud and Anti-Corruption Department and addressed to the airline’s Chief Executive Officer. The document, referenced CID/ACU/395/25, outlines concerns regarding financial management during the 2024/2025 fiscal year. The letter confirms that investigators are examining financial transactions involving Uganda Airlines officials. Investigators…
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Ugandans will access Starlink-powered satellite internet only through licensed local telecommunications operators and not through a direct consumer launch, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has ruled. In a detailed clarification issued by the UCC Executive Director, Hon. Nyombi Thembo, the regulator said recent public comments attributed to him had been misunderstood, creating the impression that Starlink, in partnership with Airtel Uganda, was about to roll out direct-to-consumer services in the country. While acknowledging the excitement surrounding low-earth-orbit satellite technology, the Commission stressed that such an interpretation is inaccurate. The clarification follows the announcement of a group-level strategic agreement between Airtel…
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As Uganda’s insurance industry heads into 2026, it finds itself at a crossroads. Premiums are rising, claims are being paid at record levels, new players are entering the market, and digital products are reshaping distribution. Yet insurance penetration remains below one per cent, exposing structural weaknesses in an industry facing bigger risks and tougher regulatory demands. In this sit-down interview with CEO East Africa’s Paul Murungi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), Alhaj Dr. Kaddunabbi Ibrahim Lubega, explains why consolidation is no longer optional, what is driving growth in microinsurance and agricultural cover, how the industry…
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Ugandans applying for temporary visit and tourism visas to the United States of America will now be required to post a visa bond, following a new policy introduced by the U.S. Department of State under a pilot program aimed at addressing visa overstays. Uganda is among over 40 countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific, whose nationals will be subject to the visa bond requirement starting January 21, 2026. The measure applies to applicants seeking B1 and B2 visas, which cover short term business travel, tourism, and family visits. A visa bond is a financial guarantee intended to…
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The Commercial Division of the High Court of Uganda has dismissed a USD 400,000 shareholder loan recovery suit filed by businessman and lawyer Charles Odere, ruling that the matter must be resolved through arbitration in accordance with binding contractual agreements. The decision, delivered on December 24, 2025, by Acting Lady Justice Susan Odongo, concerned Civil Suit No. 963 of 2025, in which Odere sued Stanlib Arena Holdco and Chestnut Uganda Limited seeking recovery of a shareholder loan of USD 400,000, together with contractual and default interest, arising from the Arena Mall Project. Justice Odongo held that the High Court lacked…
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Uganda’s business registry has undergone a major reset, with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) deregistering 50,003 companies that failed to comply with statutory filing requirements, revealing deep patterns of dormancy across key sectors of the economy. According to the Registrar of Companies’ notice dated 30 December 2025, the affected entities were struck off after failing to file annual returns for five consecutive years and subsequently failing to apply for restoration within the legally allowed period under the Companies Act. A review of the deregistered entities list shows that the action cuts across multiple sectors, but is particularly concentrated in…
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There are years when an industry grows quietly, and then there are years when it changes character. For Uganda’s insurance industry, 2025 was unmistakably a change of character. Viewed from the numbers side, it was a strong year. By mid-year, insurers had written UGX 1.02 trillion in gross premiums, an 8.78% increase from the same period in 2024. Claims paid reached UGX 443 billion, meaning nearly half of all premiums collected were already being returned to policyholders. For Ibrahim Kaddunabbi Lubega, Chief Executive Officer of the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), that balance mattered more than topline growth. “Premium growth without…
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Paul Kavuma, the former Chief Executive Officer of Jubilee Allianz General Insurance Uganda, has announced his move to Liberty Uganda, where he takes up the role of Country Head of Operations. His transition marks another senior leadership shift in Uganda’s insurance sector following a year of consolidation and strategic realignments. Kavuma brings close to three decades of experience across both insurance underwriting and brokerage. Before joining Jubilee Allianz, he served as Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Insurers Association from 2018, where he played a central role in industry advocacy, regulatory engagement, and sector coordination. Earlier in his career, he…
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Deepak Pandey is poised to make a return to the top of Uganda’s insurance industry after being lined up as Chief Executive Officer of the reorganised Jubilee Life Insurance, according to sources familiar with the matter. The development follows the recent restructuring of Jubilee’s life and health insurance operations in Uganda, which saw the consolidation of the businesses into a single entity aimed at improving operational efficiency, governance, and market competitiveness. People with knowledge of the discussions say the reorganisation created room for a leadership reset at the life insurance unit. Sources say Pandey’s comeback reflects renewed confidence by the…
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