Evelyn Kiapi Matsamura

In 1999, an HIV-infected 30-year-old man named Fred Mwanga shocked the country when he raped a three-month-old baby in a Kampala suburb. Even more upsetting, Mwanga’s action was not an isolated incident. The rate of HIV-infected adults sexually abusing the nation’s most vulnerable citizens is rising. As these ill men prey on the minors, they spread the deadly HIV virus.

Nearly a decade ago, the Kampala Declaration on Prison Conditions in Africa was drawn up to improve the situation of inmates across the continent. In an ironic twist, however, the capital that gave its name to the initiative has yet to meet the goals of the declaration. The same goes for the rest of Uganda. Prisons in the country are overcrowded and vermin-infested.

Reports. They gather dust on the desks of journalists and bureaucrats — after having been opened with reluctance, and closed with speed. Months of work may have gone into their production; but all too often, the only use for them seems to be as doorstops. The findings contained in reports are often disregarded by those who draw up social and economic policies.

Incidents of sexual abuse, particularly of children, appear to be on the rise in Uganda. However, this apparent increase has not been matched by a similar rise in prosecutions. Instead, many families are still choosing to settle the cases out of court — despite the effect this could have on abuse victims.

Fashion capitals of the world: New York, London, Paris … Kampala? Well, if Santa Anzo has anything to do with this, it’ll only be a matter of time. She is the brains behind the first-ever Uganda Fashion Week, which wrapped up this weekend in the country’s capital. The event, inspired by fashion weeks held elsewhere in the world, attracted 30 exhibitors — of whom all but three were women.