3nd January, 2026
🇺🇬 Police issue traffic diversions as heavy congestion hits Mpigi
📍MPIGI, Motorists on the Kampala-Masaka highway are facing severe delays due to extreme congestion in Mpigi District. Police have advised drivers heading toward Masaka to use alternative routes to avoid the gridlock. The main diversion redirects traffic to the Nakawuka-Kasanje-Mpigi road for lighter vehicles and the longer Nsangi–Buloba–Mityana route for heavy trucks and some public transport. The congestion is driven by a combination of year-end travel to villages for New Year’s Eve and religious gatherings, and ongoing roadworks on the Busega-Mpigi Expressway, which has narrowed lanes near the Mpigi interchange.
🇺🇬 Police deploy Helicopters for aerial surveillance of Kampala–Masaka Highway gridlock
📍KAMPALA, The police have deployed helicopters to conduct aerial surveillance and real-time management of the severe traffic congestion plaguing the Kampala-Masaka highway. The operation began on Dec. 30, 2025, with Acting Deputy Director of Traffic, ACP Norman Musinga, leading fly-overs to identify bottlenecks. From the air, police are spotting broken-down vehicles, illegal overlapping, and unauthorized diversions, and are directing ground teams at key junctions like Busega, Kyengera, Maya, and Mpigi to clear obstructions immediately.
🇺🇬 President Museveni to host live “Bazzukulu” Q&A with Gen-Z ahead of elections
📍NAKASERO, President Yoweri Museveni will host a live interactive session titled “Bazzukulu” on Jan. 4, 2026, aimed at engaging youth on key issues ahead of the 2026 general elections. The session focus on job creation, digital economy, innovation and wealth creation will be broadcast across major TV and radio stations and streamed live on social media platforms, including X (Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube. Unlike his earlier pre-recorded podcasts, this event will feature real-time Q&A, with young voters able to submit questions via social media hashtags and dedicated phone lines.
🇪🇬 Egypt draws “Red Line” on River Nile: “No new dams” without prior approval
📍CAIRO, Egypt has declared that it will not permit the construction of any new dams on the Nile River unless they are agreed upon in advance. Speaking to Saudi network MBC on Dec 28, 2025, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty framed the Nile water issue as an “existential threat” that transcends typical border security. “Any new dams that are not built by prior notification and coordination will face a strong Egyptian reaction,” Abdelatty warned. The Minister stated that the 13-year negotiation track with Ethiopia regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has reached a “dead end.”
🇺🇬 URSB permanently deregisters 50,003 Companies for failing to file Annual Returns
📍KAMPALA, The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has permanently removed 50,003 companies from the official register for failing to apply for restoration after being struck off for non-compliance. In a public notice issued on Dec. 30, 2025, the Registrar of Companies stated that the entities had not filed annual returns for five or more consecutive years, as required by the Companies Act, CAP 106. Consequences of permanent deregistration include loss of legal status, potential termination of bank accounts and contracts, and personal liability for directors over outstanding debts.
🇺🇬 Taxi conductor arrested for murder after woman’s body found at Kabale Church
📍KABALE, Police in Kabale have finally arrested 27-year-old taxi conductor Andrew Ainamani for the murder of a woman whose body was discovered dumped at Nyakijumba Catholic Church in late November. The victim, identified as Patricia from Nyabushabi Cell, was found on Nov 30, 2025. A police sniffer dog led investigators from the church to Ainamani’s nearby home, where drag marks and blood-soaked bedding were recovered. Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson ASP Elly Maate says the body was kept inside the house for about three days before being moved to the church.
🇺🇬 Minister Anywar condemns bush burning in Northern Uganda, cites environmental harm
📍GULU, The State Minister for Water and Environment, Hon. Beatrice Atim Anywar, has strongly condemned the widespread practice of bush burning in northern Uganda, warning it destroys soil fertility, degrades the environment, and increases the risk of uncontrolled fires. The minister, who is on a visit to the Acholi sub-region, noted that many communities burn bushes during the dry season to hunt bush meat or encourage fresh grass for livestock. She reminded the public that Executive Order No. 3, signed by President Yoweri Museveni, prohibits bush burning.
🇺🇬 Mob demolishes ghetto kiosks after phone snatching in Mukono
📍MUKONO, A group of industrial workers in Mukono tore down kiosks in the Kamwanyi “boxers ghetto” on Monday after a phone was snatched from a carpenter watching football at a cinema hall. The incident occurred around 10:00 a.m. on Dec. 29 when an individual identified only as “Boez” from Kamwanyi reportedly grabbed a Tecno Pop 9 phone from carpenter Kiggundu John at a cinema in the Industrial Area Zone, Ntawo Ward. The thief then fled and hid in the nearby informal settlement. In response, fellow workers descended on the ghetto and destroyed several kiosks.
🇰🇪 Plane skids off-road in JKIA Monday Afternoon scare
📍NAIROBI, a domestic flight from Elwak Airstrip in Mandera County, veered off a taxiway after landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on the Afternoon of Dec. 29, 2025, but all 50 passengers and crew were safely evacuated with no injuries. The incident occurred on Taxiway Echo as the aircraft was moving toward the terminal after landing, though the aircraft did not block the main runway. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) have launched an investigation into the cause.
🇸🇸 South Sudan airstrike on civilians kills 26, including 11 children
📍JUBA, An airstrike by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) on a civilian area in Lankien, Nyirol County, has killed at least 26 people, more than double the initial death toll. The Jonglei Civil Society Network (JCSN) confirmed on Dec. 30, 2025, that the victims included 11 children, 10 women, and 5 men, with 30 others injured. The attack targeted an area under opposition SPLA-IO control in Jonglei State. The civil society group demanded a full explanation from the government, accountability for the attack, and enhanced protection for civilians in conflict zones.
🇺🇬 A Tally too far: Why CCG boss Bireete is starting 2026 behind bars
📌Dr. Sarah Bireete, the Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), has been charged and remanded to Luzira Prison over allegations of unlawfully accessing or disclosing personal voter data. Appearing before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko on Jan. 2, 2026, Dr. Bireete pleaded not guilty to charges under Section 35 of the Data Protection and Privacy Act. Bireete and others still at large allegedly illegally hosted voter data on an unauthorized website, http://www.registry.ugtally.com.
🇺🇬 NRM’s Museveni vows to protect bibanja holders, touts industrial jobs in Mukono
📍President Yoweri Museveni pushed his re-election campaign into Greater Mukono on Jan. 2, 2026, staging two rallies in Kayunga and Mukono to consolidate support in the battleground region. The day began at the Busaana playgrounds in Kayunga where NRM candidate Museveni vowed to protect bibanja holders from land evictions. At St. Joseph SS, Mukono, Museveni touted factories as engines of job growth, contrasting 480,000 government jobs with 1.3 million created by industry. He urged voters not to “gamble” with Uganda’s future, insisting the NRM alone guarantees peace and stability.
🇺🇬 ‘No plans to arrest you’: Police reassure a nervous Bobi Wine
📍The police have roundly dismissed claims by NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) of an alleged plan by security agencies to arrest him ahead of Jan. 15 polls. Kyagulanyi’s claims come after activist Sarah Bireete was arraigned on Jan 2, 2026, and remanded over charges of unlawful access and disclosure of voter register data. A panicky Kyagulanyi even dispatched party Secretary General David Rubongoya to Bireete’s court cell, ostensibly to “express solidarity” with her. Police called Kyagulanyi’s allegations “unfounded and provocative,” stating they provide security for his campaigns and only act lawfully.
🇺🇬 Gov’t distributes 100,400 hand hoes to boost farming in Luweero
📍LUWEERO, The government has handed over 100,400 hand hoes to farmers in Luweero District to strengthen household food production, improve food security, and reduce poverty among smallholder farmers. The consignment was officially delivered by State Minister Dr. Chrysostom Muyingo at the Luweero Sub-county Headquarters on Jan. 2, 2026. The hoes will be distributed with one hoe per household across all 18 sub-counties in the district. Dr. Muyingo urged beneficiaries to use the tools for the upcoming March planting season.
🇺🇬 President Museveni fulfils Shs 10 Million pledge to Kayunga Market Vendors
📍WAKISO, President Yoweri Museveni, has delivered on his Shs 10 million pledge to vendors at Kayunga Daily Market in Wakiso Town Council, aimed at supporting their savings group and access to government wealth-creation programs. The cash was handed over by Ian Gumisiriza Jeremiah, the Special Presidential Assistant, on Jan. 2, 2026. In his remarks, Gumisiriza urged the vendors to actively engage in initiatives such as Emyooga, the Parish Development Model (PDM), and skilling hubs to secure low-interest loans and improve their livelihoods.
🇺🇬 Two drunk drivers arrested in Mukono as police intensify festive crackdown
📍MUKONO, Traffic police in Mukono District arrested two motorists for drunk driving on Jan 1, 2026, as part of the ongoing nationwide “Arrive Alive” road safety operation. The drivers of motor vehicle UAZ 742S and UBN 117P were intercepted at checkpoints in Namawojjolo and Mbalala along the busy Kampala-Jinja Highway. Random breathalyzer tests revealed their blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) exceeded the legal limit. The “Arrive Alive” campaign, launched in mid-December 2025, aims to reduce road accidents during the holiday and election period through heightened enforcement and public awareness.
🇺🇬 Police probe New Year’s arson attacks in Wakiso, Mukono linked to disputes
📍Police are investigating two separate arson attacks on homes in Wakiso and Mukono districts that occurred in the early hours of New Year’s Day while the owners were away celebrating. In Kireka-Bira village, Wakiso, the home of Mercy Natukunda and her husband was set ablaze around 4:00 a.m. on January 1 while they were at overnight prayers. A female suspect known to the victims was arrested at the scene. In Kitega village, Mukono, Ritah Namutebi’s house too was torched. Police are searching for a man whom the victim alleges to be the arsonist.
🇺🇬 UPDF soldiers guarding Minister Jeje Odongo kill one, injure five in Amuria shooting
📍AMURIA, a New Year’s celebration in Orungo County, Amuria District, turned tragic when UPDF soldiers attached to Foreign Affairs Minister Gen. Jeje Odongo Abubakar’s security detail opened fire on civilians, killing one and injuring five others. The incident occurred at Apasi Trading Centre in Orungo on the night of Jan. 1, 2025. According to RDC Paul Eseru, the soldiers “found people having a celebration, and from nowhere, they started shooting at the people.” Gen. Jeje Odongo was campaigning in Orungo when the incident occurred.
🇰🇪 Kenya’s Digital Intelligence Unit to monitor Social Media goes live
📍Kenya’s ICT Ministry has confirmed plans to establish a Digital Intelligence Unit tasked with monitoring online activity to curb what it calls the “misuse of social media” and prevent protests that could trigger civil unrest. Officials cite the Gen Z-led Finance Bill protests of 2024-25, arguing digital platforms have been “weaponized” for misinformation and illegal mobilization. Consequently, a Ksh 150M allocation has been made to the DCI for social media monitoring. The unit will deploy Optimus 3.0, software capable of tracing identities, tracking devices and locations, and monitoring activity across X, TikTok, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
🇨🇩 ADF attack kills 15 civilians during New Year celebrations in Eastern DRC
📍DRC, At least 15 civilians were killed in an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels during New Year’s celebrations in the Bapere sector of Lubero territory, North Kivu, on Jan. 1, 2026. The assault targeted three towns simultaneously as residents gathered for festivities. Nine people were killed in Kilonge, three in Maendeleo, and two in Katanga. Several others were wounded or reported missing. The attack adds to a series of violent incidents in eastern Congo, where the ADF continues to launch deadly raids.
🇰🇪 16-Story Building Collapses in Nairobi’s South C Estate
📍KENYA, A massive rescue operation is currently underway in Nairobi’s South C residential estate after a 16-story building under construction collapsed in the early hours of Jan. 2, 2026. Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, who visited the site along Muhoho Avenue this morning, has confirmed that at least four people are trapped beneath the heavy debris. Two security guards who were on duty at the time are among those buried. At least one person, believed to be a pedestrian passing by at the time of the collapse, was rescued with injuries.
Bantu MEDIA 