By Jumah Kakomo
The opposition Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) on Wednesday joined the National Unity Platform (NUP) in mourning the death of Edith Katende, wife to the party’s Deputy Spokesperson, Waiswa Mufumbiro, who succumbed to cancer.
Earlier in the day, NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu announced Katende’s death on his X platform, formerly known as Twitter, noting that she had been battling cancer for a prolonged period. Speaking to journalists at the UPC headquarters, party spokesperson Arach Oyat Sharon conveyed condolences to Mufumbiro, who is currently in prison, as well as to Katende’s family and friends.
Sharon used the occasion to call on the government to urgently improve cancer treatment services in Uganda. She noted that many lives continue to be lost due to limited access to specialized care and treatment facilities. She emphasized the need for better-equipped hospitals, increased funding for the health sector, and strengthened early diagnosis programs to help save lives.
She also reaffirmed UPC’s commitment to advocating for improved healthcare services for all Ugandans.
In a separate development, UPC Head of Media and Communications Faizo Muzeyi called on the government and other stakeholders to strengthen security and intelligence operations at the grassroots level following recent violent incidents in parts of the country.
His remarks follow a tragic attack in Ggaba on April 2, 2026, where a machete-wielding assailant reportedly invaded a pre-primary and daycare facility, killing four infants. In a separate incident in Apac, suspected attackers targeted a secondary school, leaving several students seriously injured and hospitalized.
Muzeyi said the country is facing challenging times and questioned the effectiveness of the current security structure. He argued that maintaining fully fledged police stations at the sub-county level may be insufficient in addressing emerging security threats.
The UPC is proposing the establishment of well-facilitated security units at the parish level, suggesting that closer proximity and improved resourcing could enhance surveillance, intelligence gathering, and rapid response to incidents.
The party urged government agencies and relevant stakeholders to take urgent action to strengthen community-level security systems in order to prevent further loss of life.
