Uganda supported negotiations on a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation to curb illicit financial flows and profit shifting.

Akena argued that education must provide practical skills to children who drop out before Primary Five, and that investment should begin with training teachers rather than simply expanding enrolment. He said UPE funding of UGX 20,000 per pupil was far below what is required to provide quality education.

The new system is expected to reduce the distance residents travel in search of water, improve school attendance and retention, and reduce the risks faced by women and girls who often travel long distances to collect water.

The immediate phase will focus on crops that can mature quickly, including sorghum, green gram and white peas. Museveni cautioned households against relying heavily on maize, which he said takes longer to mature and is less suited to Karamoja’s dry conditions.

The President also recalled the close cooperation between Uganda and Tanzania, citing trade, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, the Murongo-Kyikagate mini-hydro project, roads in Tanzania, the Masaka-Bukoba transmission line and the Standard Gauge Railway, which has reached Isaka and is expected to extend towards Uganda and beyond.

As the Omuguta of Ikingura Oyo returns to Uganda, attention will turn to his final rites and the mourning process, and the dispute over his successor is likely to become an increasingly important issue for the Tooro Kingdom as it prepares for a new chapter in its monarchy.

The President said he later learnt from Queen Mother Best Kemigisa that Oyo had left behind a young boy who would eventually be presented to the public.

Discussions centred on areas of cooperation aimed at deepening Uganda-Tanzania relations and promoting shared interests and regional development.