UPDATE: Nutrition and legal experts have warned traders and manufacturers dealing in banned, highly hazardous pesticides of legal action, citing risks to public health and Uganda’s agricultural exports. David Kabanda, Executive Director of the Centre for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROHT), called for enforcement of existing laws against local and international companies selling the chemicals. Legislator Brenda Nabukenya said hazardous pesticides were contributing to rejection of Uganda’s agricultural exports in Europe, Kenya and South Sudan. The remarks were made on Thursday during the launch of the National Strategy to Phase Out Highly Hazardous Pesticides and Scale Up Agroecology in Uganda. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

UPDATE: Buganda Road Court Magistrate Court has ordered prison authorities to assess the health condition of a female activist who collapsed during a court session. The case has been adjourned to October 19, 2026, for a bail application hearing. She is among 10 Rooted in Resistance activists arrested on August 31 while attempting to march to Parliament to deliver a petition calling for reforms in Uganda’s oil policies and investment priorities. Defence lawyer Kato Tumusiime criticised the prolonged detention, citing prison congestion and extended remand, and urged the judiciary to expedite hearings. Meanwhile, four other activists from the same group, arrested on August 10, were remanded until October 26 for a bail application hearing. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

UPDATE: Minister of State for Animal Industry, Lt Col Bright Rwamirama, has warned that District Veterinary Officers found corrupting the government animal vaccination programme by administering underdoses to farmers to reserve vaccines for sale will face arrest and demotion. Rwamirama stressed the need for farmers to receive adequate supplies of free vaccines to protect Uganda’s livestock sector and safeguard livelihoods and the wider economy from disease outbreaks. He made the remarks on Tuesday while dispatching free Trypanosomiasis (Nagana) vaccines to 41 high-burden districts to contain the spread of the disease. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

UPDATE: At least 2.1 million taxpayers have had their Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) mapped to National Identification Numbers (NINs) as Uganda moves to adopt NINs as the primary tax identifier for individuals. Speaking on the closing day of the NIRA My Identity Expo and Symposium 2026 at the Kololo Independence Grounds, Ruth Anne Agwang, URA’s Manager of Tax Register, outlined the structured transition roadmap designed to lift Uganda’s tax-to-GDP ratio from 14% to 20%. NIRA's Public Relations Manager, Obsbon Mushabe, said the integration will enable government to effectively plan and easily track citizens. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

WATCH: Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga has urged communities to embrace collective fundraising for development instead of relying solely on government or wealthy individuals. Mayiga said such initiatives can support socio-economic transformation in areas including health, education, employment and poverty reduction. He spoke at Bulange Mengo during a meeting ahead of the October 1 fundraising drive to honour the legacy of the late Most Rev Dr Joseph Nakabaale Kiwanuka. Masaka Diocesan Bishop Severus Jjumba called for the preservation of Bishop Kiwanuka’s legacy, particularly in religion, health, agriculture, education and the fight against poverty. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @princewdavid

UPDATE: Mukono South MP Robert Maseruka has called for amendments to fishing regulations, including halving the 200-square-kilometre Lacteine Protected Area, to protect endangered species while supporting communities dependent on fishing. This comes amid growing public concern over alleged exploitation. Mukono District Fisheries Officer Mustafa Kalyango said some officials allegedly continue fishing in the protected area, limiting access for local fishermen. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

UPDATE: Uganda has transitioned from the Tax Identification Number (TIN) system to using National Identification Numbers (NINs) for tax registration, in a reform aimed at raising the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio from 14% to 20%. URA Commissioner General John Musinguzi says the move will help curb duplication and tax evasion. URA will also begin nationwide registration of businesses using applicants’ fingerprints. The programme was launched Tuesday by Internal Affairs Minister Ephraim Kamuntu at the NIRA My Identity Expo and Symposium 2026 at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala. See related story: links.monitor.co.ug/PbAriK #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

UPDATE: Uganda will begin printing its own security documents, including passports, national IDs and ballot papers, by 2028, with currency production to follow, according to the Uganda Security Printing Company (USPC). This follows the near completion of the security printing facility in Entebbe, a major infrastructural project whose construction commenced in 2022. Speaking at the NIRA Expo at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, USPC Projects Implementation Manager, Abdul Nsubuga, highlighted the massive financial drain caused by outsourcing document production abroad. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

WATCH: The government has been urged to strengthen efforts to combat prostate cancer amid a rising disease burden. Dr Henry Oabanja, a Consultant Urologist at the Uganda Cancer Institute, said Uganda is among the countries with a high burden of prostate cancer, stressing the importance of early screening, detection and treatment. Uganda Cancer Institute Executive Director, Dr Jackson Orem, called for increased investment in cancer diagnosis and treatment infrastructure to address the growing burden. According to the WHO, prostate cancer was the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among men globally in 2024, with more than 1.5 million cases and nearly 420,000 deaths recorded worldwide. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

UPDATE: Alex Kakooza, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, has raised concerns over the alleged mismanagement of Sh80 billion under the cattle restocking programme, saying ineligible beneficiaries were approved at the expense of actual vulnerable groups. The programme targets widows, persons with disabilities, child-headed households and former abductees. The OPM has written to different districts including Gulu City, Dokolo, Apac, Amuria, Ngora, Lira, Kumi, Amolatar, Oyam and Kole, demanding the refund of the mismanaged money. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

UPDATE: A section of female Rotarians have called on the government to prioritise male family planning methods and strengthen measures to promote responsible fatherhood. Brendalynn Kirungi, the leader of Rotary Club of Saturday E-Jazz, said the government should consider policies aimed at encouraging men to limit the number of children they father, arguing that the absence of effective mechanisms to promote responsible parenthood has contributed to cases where men have more children than they can adequately support, leaving some children vulnerable. Meanwhile, Tynna Ruguga called for stricter penalties for men convicted of defilement, saying the practice exposes women and children to vulnerability. They made the remarks during the Rotary Kampala Platinum meeting on Wednesday evening. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @princewdavid

UPDATE: The government has been urged to phase out PLE and UCE exams to curb school dropouts. Prof Waswa Balunywa, former Principal of Makerere University Business School (MUBS), decried the millions of children who drop out of school annually, noting that phasing out the exams will ensure continuity of learners. William Odoch, president of the Rotary Club of Kampala Platinum, called for sustainable solutions rather than focusing on symptoms. They made the remarks on Wednesday during the Rotary Kampala Platinum meeting. According to the Ministry of Education records in 2024, at least 1.6 million learners from both private and government schools who joined S1 in 2019, failed to make it to S6 this year due to various reasons. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @princewdavid

WATCH: KCCA last evening dispatched 200 children rescued from the streets of Kampala to Napak District to resume formal education following successful rescue and rehabilitation. The children had been undergoing rehabilitation at Masulita Children’s Village (MCV) in Wakiso District. KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki has warned individuals who traffic children to the streets for financial gain, saying the Authority will investigate and prosecute all perpetrators. According to authorities, many of the children come from Karamoja and are brought to Kampala to solicit money for exploitation. Each child is reportedly required to raise at least Shs5,000 per day, regardless of the circumstances. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

UPDATE: The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has launched birth and death registration across cultural institutions to strengthen national statistics and support effective planning. UBOS Executive Director Chris Mukiza said reliable data from cultural institutions is vital for planning and promoting economic development, urging stakeholders to support the registration exercise. He made the remarks during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UBOS and the Samia Bugwe and Tieng Adhola cultural institutions. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

UPDATE: The Law Development Centre (LDC) Magistrate’s Court has remanded six youth activists from Rooted in Resistance until September 17, 2026, on charges of unlawful assembly. They were arrested on Monday as they attempted to deliver petitions demanding reforms in Uganda’s oil sector. Human rights lawyer Kakuru Tumusiime criticised the activists’ detention for more than 48 hours and called on the government and relevant agencies to address concerns raised in the youths’ petitions. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

WATCH: Government has been urged to extend specialised treatment to lower health units to help patients in rural areas struggling with the existing healthcare gap. Chris Gumisiriza, the chairperson of the Archdiocese of Mbarara Development Association (AMDA), said that although government has improved health facilities across Uganda, there is still a lack of sufficient human resources. Stakeholders also noted that many hospitals lack adequate facilities to handle cases such as cancer, fistula and TB. The remarks were made ahead of the 12th Health Socio-Economic AMDA Outreach targeting vulnerable and impoverished communities in Kigezi this Friday. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

WATCH: Heaps of uncollected garbage remain visible along major roads in Kampala, two days after the government’s National Cleaning Day exercise, raising concerns about waste collection and public health risks. Garbage is visible near shops and along road pavements in Makindye, Nsambya, Ndeeba and Rubaga, with some piles limiting space for pedestrians. Harriet Tibulihwa Ssali, a businesswoman in Makindye, says the lack of proper waste disposal arrangements undermined the campaign’s objective, warning that uncollected garbage could be washed into drainage channels during heavy rains. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid

WATCH: The government says it has renewed efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, restore degraded ecosystems and develop carbon credits as Uganda tackles the effects of climate change. Ministry of Water and Environment Permanent Secretary Alfred Okidi has called for increased investment in scientific expertise, technology and community engagement to develop carbon projects that deliver measurable benefits for the environment, communities and the economy. The development follows a 30-year cooperation agreement between the government and East African Carbon Company to develop nature-based carbon projects in Uganda. #MonitorUpdates 📹: @PrinceWdavid