dfcu Bank is inviting customers to move their everyday and festive spending from cash to card with an end-of-year campaign that rewards every swipe, tap and online payment made using a dfcu Visa card.

Running under the theme “Pay. Save. Get More.” until 31 December 2026, the campaign offers cardholders up to UGX 40,000 in cashback for every UGX 500,000 spent at any merchant point of sale that accepts dfcu cards, equivalent to up to 8% back, plus discounts of up to 20% on online shopping and airline bookings.

Up to 8% Cashback
The offers cover popular spending categories among Ugandans at this time of year, including dining, fuel, groceries, retail, travel, hospitality and online shopping. Cashback is calculated from verified eligible spend, with no draws or prize entries.

Customers simply pay using their dfcu Visa card, accumulate eligible spend and earn value back on purchases they were already planning to make.

Up to 20% Discounts
For online shopping and airline bookings, cardholders can enjoy discounts of up to 20%. The airline offers apply to bookings with Emirates, Qatar Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, giving customers travelling across borders more value on flights paid for with their dfcu Visa cards.

Isaac Bigirwa, dfcu Bank Head of Cards and Payments, explained that the final quarter of the year is one of the busiest spending periods, as households stock up for the holidays, families travel, and friends and colleagues gather to celebrate.

According to Bigirwa, the campaign is designed to turn cards in wallets into cards in use by giving customers practical reasons to reach for their Visa card first and to keep doing so throughout the festive season.

“Many of our customers already carry a dfcu Visa card, and the festive season is when spending is at its highest, so it is the right moment to make that card work harder for them. Pay. Save. Get More. is a simple promise. Use your card for the things you were already going to buy, and you get value back through cashback on your eligible spend and discounts when you shop online or book your flights. It is also a safer and more convenient way to pay, without the need to carry cash,” Bigirwa said.

The campaign primarily targets existing dfcu debit and credit cardholders, particularly those who hold a card but use it only occasionally. It also speaks to digitally active customers, festive-season shoppers, commuters, travellers, diners and families spending across various retail and service categories.

Customers can take part through contactless, point-of-sale and e-commerce payments, subject to the campaign terms and conditions.

As the season builds, dfcu Bank is highlighting the cashback offer at selected merchants where customers shop and dine, including Fraine Supermarket and Caramel. However, the cashback applies at any merchant point of sale that accepts dfcu cards.

Customers will see the campaign across social media, digital platforms, radio, television, and participating merchant outlets, featuring live demonstrations of how easily they can pay with a dfcu Visa card.

The campaign reflects dfcu’s wider drive to promote secure, convenient and cashless payments while making everyday banking more rewarding. Customers are encouraged to use their dfcu Visa cards at merchants and online, and to keep track of their eligible spending to earn cashback.

A mystery surrounding the failure of singer Jose Chameleone’s television station, Leone TV, has resurfaced after the musician accused a consultant identified only as Isabirye of taking his money without delivering.

However, Joel Isabirye, the alleged consultant, later came forward with a public statement disputing Chameleone’s account and offering a different explanation for why the station never went on air.

The controversy began on Monday, 9 November 2026, when Chameleone, while on a TikTok live with Bruno K and Lil Pazo, shared what happened to his much-anticipated television station.

Chameleone claimed he paid a man he identified only as “Isabirye” UGX 250 million to establish Leone TV, only for the consultant to pay for a test signal and pocket the rest.

Chameleone further claimed that he dragged the man to court over this matter. According to his account, Isabirye offered to refund UGX 10 million, an offer Chameleone declined after consulting his father, Gerald Mayanja.

Fighting back…

On Tuesday, 10 November, 2026, media consultant Joel Isabirye released a statement titled Why Chameleone’s TV failed to take off: Consultant’s response, disputing almost every major aspect of Chameleone’s account.

Isabirye began the statement by asserting that the matter had never reached a commercial court, and by describing Chameleone’s claims of taking a consultant to court as false.

He then explained that Jose Chameleone approached him in 2020 to establish Leone TV, but the project stalled at UCC because the singer failed to meet the regulator’s financial capacity requirements.

He maintained that UCC documents supported his account, adding that Chameleone could still secure a licence if he had met the regulator’s financial and other requirements.

On the disputed UGX 250 million, Isabirye denied receiving the amount, noting that total spending on Leone TV was no more than UGX 70 million.

In the statement, the expenditure covered UGX 10 million for control room computers, UGX 23 million for UCC application and licensing fees, UGX 12 million in consultancy fees, UGX 17 million for renting an encoder and decoder, and UGX 4 million for studio and office space in Makindye.

Isabirye added that all transactions are backed by receipts and deposit slips, copies of which were shared with Chameleone’s now ex-wife, Daniela Atim, through weekly project reports at the singer’s request. He also questioned the source of the alleged UGX 250 million, insisting that Chameleone should account for the money if he received it.

Isabirye further suggested that the money could have been a government donation.

Defending his professional record, Isabirye cited another television project he had handled for a Ugandan politician. According to him, the politician’s Masaka-based television station went on air because the donor funding received was used appropriately.

Interestingly, the controversy comes as Jose Chameleone promotes his upcoming Unlimited: The Final Chapter show, slated for 4 December 2026.

09 November 2026 – The United States Department of State (DOS), the country’s foreign affairs and diplomacy agency, has maintained Uganda’s placement on its highest travel warning of Level 4 (Do Not Travel).

Setting aside the tension around the announcement for a moment. This is a look at the American travel advisory itself: where it began, what its four levels mean, and its history with Uganda, dating back to the 1990s.

The US began issuing official travel safety information in 1978, largely to alert airlines, travel agencies and companies about security threats and other risks affecting international travel.

Over the years, the system evolved into a public information service for Americans travelling abroad. Before 2018, the State Department used two main categories: Travel Warnings, which addressed longer-term dangers, and Travel Alerts, which covered shorter-term threats.

On 10 January 2018, the US introduced the current four-level travel advisory system, replacing the previous categories with a standardised classification that covers every country in the world, as below.

Level 1 (Blue) Exercise Normal Precautions: This is the lowest classification, including countries like Canada, Ireland, and Japan. Travellers are advised to take ordinary safety precautions, just as they would when travelling to any foreign country.

Level 2 (Yellow) Exercise Increased Caution: Travellers are warned about heightened security risks, such as crime, terrorism or other specific threats. South Africa, Tanzania, India, and Mexico are among the destinations in this category where Americans are advised to remain alert and take additional precautions.

Level 3 (Orange) Reconsider Travel: Citing serious safety and security risks, the United States advises its citizens to reconsider visiting countries at Level 4. Countries under this category include Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya and Colombia.

Level 4 (Red) Do Not Travel: This is the highest classification. It indicates potentially life-threatening risks. The US advises its citizens against travelling to the destination and those already there to leave when safe to do so. The US government may also cite limited capacity to provide emergency assistance to its citizens there. Iran, the DRC, Ukraine, Somalia and our motherland, Uganda, are currently among the 23 nations classified under Level 4 of the US travel advisory.

However, a Level 4 advisory does not automatically amount to a travel ban; it is a warning urging Americans not to enter a country.

At all four levels, the State Department also uses specific risk indicators, including crime, terrorism, health threats, civil unrest, and kidnapping.

How Often Does the US Update Travel Advisories?
The State Department does not follow a fixed calendar when changing its travel advisories. While Levels 1 and 2 are reviewed at least annually and Levels 3 and 4 every six months, major incidents like terrorist attacks, disease outbreaks, or civil unrest can prompt immediate changes.

Uganda’s History with US Travel Advisories Since the 1990s

1990s-2005: Rebel Attacks and Security Warnings
During the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency of mass abductions and attacks across northern Uganda, the United States issued Travel Warnings explicitly advising Americans not to travel to all of northern Uganda. Some reports specifically named districts such as Gulu, Kitgum, Lira, and Pader.

On 07 May 2004, the US Embassy in Kampala issued an urgent security warning after reports that the LRA was targeting American citizens. It advised Americans against travelling to or residing in the affected northern districts and urged those already there to reconsider their stay.

On 1 March 1999, Rwandan Hutu rebels attacked tourists at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, killing 8 foreign nationals, including two Americans. The attack prompted the U.S. Department of State to immediately issue a Travel Warning against all travel to southwestern Uganda and areas bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

On 08 November 2005, suspected LRA rebels ambushed a vehicle of tourists at Murchison Falls National Park, killing a foreign national. Following the incident, the US State Department updated its travel warning, explicitly advising Americans not to visit the park.

2006-2017: Regional Security and Terrorism Concerns
The 11 July 2010 Kampala bombings, linked to Al-Shabaab, killed more than 70 people watching the World Cup final, prompting renewed US warnings about terrorist attacks in public places and areas frequented by foreigners.

2018-2022: Introduction of the Four-Level System
When the US introduced its new travel advisory system on 10 January 2018, Uganda was classified at Level 2. This remained in place until March 2020, when the U.S. issued a blanket Global Level 4 Health Advisory in response to COVID-19.

When the global advisory was lifted, Uganda received a country-specific Level 3 rating on 10 August 2020, which remained in place through the political unrest of November 2020 ahead of the January 2021 elections.

In December 2021, the US maintained Uganda at Level 3, citing crime and terrorism, following several incidents in October and November 202, including the twin bombings in central Kampala, the Komamboga explosion, the Swift Bus explosion in Mpigi, and the Kapeeka-Nakaseke explosion.

2023-2025: Terrorism and Legislative Concerns
2022 through 2025, Uganda remained at Level 3 (Reconsider Travel), with the US citing crime, terrorism, unrest and laws targeting gay people. The concerns included the October 2023 ADF attack in Queen Elizabeth National Park, which killed two foreign tourists and their Ugandan guide, and the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act. The advisory also highlighted security risks to visitors, particularly in national parks and areas near the DRC border.

May 2026 – Present: Uganda Moves to Level 4
On 17 May 2026, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Ebola virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. In response, the United States raised Uganda from Level 3 to Level 4.

On 04 June 2026, the US renewed its travel advisory and maintained Uganda at Level 4 (Do Not Travel), citing crime, health, terrorism, and unrest. Five months later, the 9 November 2026 update reaffirms Uganda’s Level 4 travel advisory.

05 November 2026 – The Kyabazinga (King) of Busoga, His Majesty Isebantu William Wilberforce Kadhumbula Gabula Nadiope IV, 38, and the Queen consort, Her Royal Highness Inhebantu Jovia Mutesi, 29, have announced the birth of their third son, Prince Nadiope Ezra Josiah.

The young Prince was born on Sunday, 1 November 2026, a particularly remarkable occasion for the Royal Family as he shares his birthday with his father, the Kyabazinga.

The announcement marks another addition to the Royal Family, following the birth of their firstborn twin sons, Prince William Ethan Nadiope and Prince Arnold Eli Nadiope, on 27 August 2025.

The birth of their third son comes just over a year after the Busoga King William Gabula Nadiope IV and Queen Jovia Mutesi welcomed twins, and nearly three years after they solemnised their marriage in a grand royal wedding ceremony on 18 November 2023 at Christ’s Cathedral Bugembe in Jinja.

Frank Gashumba, the outspoken Ugandan social commentator known for his views on almost every matter of public interest, caused a national stir on one of those fateful Tuesdays in early October 2026.

Appearing on a local radio station, Gashumba launched a scathing attack on religious leaders, particularly born-again (balokole pentecostals) pastors, prophets and others of their ilk, whom he accused of staging fake miracles to fleece their followers.

Describing them as thieves, goons, fake pastors and prophets, and anything but men of God, Gashumba went as far as calling them “miyaayu” (feral cat) living lavishly at the expense of poor Ugandans while enjoying protection from the state.

He then issued a bold challenge: any pastor claiming to possess healing powers was welcome to visit an intensive care unit (ICU) at Mulago, Nsambya, or Mengo Hospital, heal a cancer patient and walk away with UGX 200 million. Gashumba would later raise the prize to UGX 500 million.

Among the first born-again leaders to respond to Gashumba’s challenge was Robert Kayanja of Miracle Centre Cathedral, one of Uganda’s largest Pentecostal churches. His response was anything but conciliatory.

“Because you have ridiculed the blood of Jesus and you attacked God’s people, your own blood will kill you. You will turn into chapatti.” Robert Kayanja declared.

Other pastors, meanwhile, kept chiming in with insults, calling Gashumba a fool, fraud (mufere), idiot, among others. And so began what would soon become a month-long turmoil between Frank Gashumba and born-again pastors and prophets in Uganda.

Those familiar with Gashumba, however, know he is hardly the sort of man to retreat in a fight. Far from backing down, he continued firing back at the “men of God,” even hinting at alleged scandals involving some Ugandan pastors. Among those Gashumba threatened to expose were alleged gay affairs, “breaking people’s marriages,” fraud and, perhaps most shockingly, involvement in murder cases involving guns.

Robert Kayanja, on the other side, wasn’t backing down either. In his subsequent response, he pronounced a curse on Gashumba’s family, extending it to the fourth generation.

“Your own blood will k*ll you… the dust will fight you, the wind will chase you, the ground will reject you… for four generations,” Kayanja enacted.

What had started as a war between a 51-year-old outspoken man and the born-again fraternity quickly devolved into an all-out family feud. Sheila Gashumba, Frank’s daughter, took on Kayanja’s son in a verbal fight on X, while Frank’s wife, Malaika Mutoni, squared off against Kayanja’s wife, Jessica.

Meanwhile, reports emerged that a group of religious leaders and pastors, whose identities remain undisclosed, were meeting with Frank Gashumba’s household to pray against the curses being directed at him. Among those reportedly involved was the charismatic pastor Martin Ssempa, popularly associated with the “Why Are You Gay?”

As the dispute between the two camps gathered momentum, public opinion on social media appeared to tilt in Gashumba’s favour. Ugandan musicians Elijah Kitaka and Exodus UG (George Lubega Timothy) are among those publicly criticising Kayanja, aligning with Gashumba. Both are former members of Kayanja’s church.

Despite the mounting attacks, controversy, and support he continued to receive, Gashumba has remained undeterred, appearing on radio and television shows and podcasts to defend his stance and challenging Pentecostal leaders to take up the UGX 500 million miracle challenge.

This was supposed to be a scriptural breakdown by Joshua Mwesigwa, but… happy Sunday!

When sharing a web link, you don’t always need everything that comes after the question mark. Basic tech lesson right there.

These extra characters, known as URL parameters, serve various purposes, from helping websites and apps track user sessions and traffic sources to remembering user preferences. However, they can also reveal how a link was generated, including the platform and the device used to share it.

This has become more apparent with X (formerly Twitter), where shared links have been found to carry identifiers that reveal the device used and even the method used to share the link.

For instance, try copying and sharing a link to a post, profile or any other page on X. You will notice some additional characters at the end, including s= followed by a number.

Interestingly, testing has proven that these numbers correspond to different devices and sharing methods, as listed below.

s=19 – copying a link on Android.
s=20 – copying a link on desktop web
s=21 – copying a link on iOS.
s=46 – copying a link on iPhone.
s=51 – copying a link on iPhone, share via Gmail.
s=33 – copying a link on Android, share via Discord.

These four characters reveal the device used to share a link from X.

Fix? Trim all link parameters after the question mark. You don’t need them; in fact, they compromise your privacy.

Take this X post link, for example. Both versions open the same post, but the first one carries extra information about the device and sharing method.

With URL parameters: https://x.com/nymynet/status/1795739746053816506?a=NvLMqtTfP0mzzbAVPZU&s=20

Without parameters: https://x.com/nymynet/status/1795739746053816506

Why share all those extra details when you don’t have to?

PHP, short for Hypertext Preprocessor, is an open-source scripting language that powers roughly 70% of websites and apps that use a known server-side programming language. We are talking millions of websites and web applications, from high-traffic platforms like Wikipedia to those built with content management systems such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and Magento, as well as frameworks like Laravel.

On 21 October 2026, researchers using AI discovered two critical security vulnerabilities in PHP. The team behind the disclosure said that attackers could exploit these vulnerable servers remotely without even logging in.

The worrying part is that the flaws are in PHP’s core engine, not necessarily in the applications built with it. That means your website’s code could be perfectly secure, yet the underlying PHP installation could still leave your server exposed. These attacks can allow unauthorised code execution, steal sensitive information, tamper with files or compromise affected systems.

NSA & NCSC on PHP Security Vulnerabilities
The threat is serious enough that some organisations in Europe and elsewhere temporarily took websites offline to address the vulnerabilities. The US National Security Agency (NSA), the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), and other cybersecurity authorities globally have continued to caution organisations about the dangers of this imminent threat.

PHP Vulnerability Fix: Patched PHP Version
Fortunately, the PHP project has since released security updates to address both flaws. Organisations running supported versions can protect their systems immediately by upgrading to PHP 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36, or 8.2.35. However, those running older, unsupported deployments may need to migrate to one of these modern releases, as PHP 8.1 and earlier versions have reached End of Life and do not receive security updates.

If your website runs on a CMS (like WordPress) or uses shared hosting, contact your hosting provider to confirm PHP has been patched. If you manage your own VPS or dedicated server, update PHP to a patched version immediately.

AI Effect on Cybersecurity
Historically, weaponising a massive, complex security flaw of this magnitude to hack a website required a deep understanding of cybersecurity, memory management, and software engineering, but AI is changing that. We are getting to a point where someone with just a laptop and a capable Large Language Model (LLM) could point an autonomous agent at websites across the internet and command it to launch attacks until it uncovers a vulnerability.

And you might be thinking, “Claude and ChatGPT aren’t gonna let me do this,” but there are plenty of open-source models that people can run on their own hardware to do stuff like this.

Should we say the barrier to executing sophisticated cyberattacks is falling super-fast, and websites aren’t getting any more secure?

Written by Isaac Odwako.

Tanzania is phasing out physical airtime scratch cards to promote digital payments and expand electronic recharge services. The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) announced the plan in a public notice issued on 8 October 2026.

The transition follows public awareness campaigns launched on 1 October, with the initial phase scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027. The pilot will cover all districts in Dar es Salaam and selected districts in Dodoma, Arusha, Mwanza and Mbeya. Authorities will announce a nationwide implementation date later.

Under the plan, subscribers will adopt digital recharge methods, including mobile applications, USSD codes, mobile money wallets, bank ATMs and authorised banking agents. Major operators affected include Vodacom Tanzania, Airtel Tanzania, Yas (formerly Tigo), Halotel and the state-owned Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation (TTCL). The move is said to reduce the environmental impact of physical vouchers and support the country’s transition towards cashless (digital) financial services.

Uganda’s 2018 Airtime Scratch Card Ban Reversal
Uganda attempted a similar transition in 2018 when the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) announced plans to prohibit airtime scratch cards, setting 31 July 2018 as the deadline. Unlike Tanzania’s emphasis on digitalisation and environmental concerns, Uganda’s directive was driven largely by security concerns over unregistered SIM cards and their alleged links to criminal activities.

Lawmakers and the public strongly opposed the ban, prompting the government to reverse the decision on August 9, 2018. However, because MTN, Airtel, and Africell, Uganda’s top telecom operators at the time, had already stopped printing and distributing scratch cards ahead of the ban, the market shift was unstoppable. Electronic airtime purchases seamlessly took over as vendors sold out the remaining paper stock.

Kenya’s Digital Adoption Without Ban
Known for a robust cashless economy in the region, Kenya has never enacted a formal statutory ban on physical scratch cards from the government or the Communications Authority (CA). Instead, their phase-out happened organically.

The rapid, near-universal adoption of Safaricom’s M-Pesa ecosystem, alongside digital offerings from Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya, shifted most users to electronic top-ups. Airtime scratch cards remain legal and are still printed and sold at small kiosks to serve rural markets.

And now, the big question: Does Tanzania need a government-led phase-out to move from airtime scratch cards to digital recharges, or can its major telecoms and market demand drive the transition, as Kenya’s experience suggests?

24 September 2026: A sombre morning fell over Uganda over the death of legendary saxophonist and singer Moses Matovu, 77, who passed away at Kibuli Hospital early that day.

According to police, Afrigo band legend Moses Matovu succumbed to injuries following an early-morning attack at Kibuli Zone B, Makindye Division. Reports indicate that Moses was assaulted after dropping off Rose Tusiime at her residence at 5:30 am. While some sources link the incident to a suspected love triangle, insiders maintain that it was a routine drop-off of a “band member” at their home.

The attacker, who fled the scene, is believed to be Rose’s former partner. Witnesses describe the suspect as a taxi driver who allegedly assaulted Tumusiime first before turning his aggression toward Matovu. The attack occurred about 1 km from Matovu’s Kibuli residence.

Update: Later in the evening, Uganda police arrested and identified 41-year-old Nsamba Vincent as the prime suspect in connection with the murder of Moses Matovu.

As the investigation develops, here’s a brief overview of Moses Matovu and why his passing leaves such a profound void in Uganda.

Known among peers as Papa Moi, Moses Matovu Bukenya of Afrigo Band was born on Sunday, 19 June 1949, in Kawempe, Kampala. He was the son of Abdallah Bukenya bin Adam and Solome Nakitto.

Moses began his musical journey in 1953, at just 4 years old, singing in the Namirembe Cathedral Choir. However, before fully committing to music, he was a talented professional footballer who played for prominent teams like Nakivubo Boys, Express FC, and Police FC.

In 1967, he entered the professional music industry as a vocalist with the Thunderbirds Band. A year later, he and several other notable musicians migrated to the Police Band, where he received his first formal music training and mastered the saxophone and flute.

In 1969, Moses moved to the Katwe-based Cranes Band, where he further honed his skills as a singer, instrumentalist, and original songwriter. This was the same ensemble Philly Bongoley Lutaaya joined after returning from Zaire (now DR Congo) in 1973, before moving to Freddie Kanyike’s River Nile Band in 1974, which was pioneered by Alex Mukulu and Eddy Ganja.

Following internal disagreements and the eventual collapse of Cranes Band, Moses eventually teamed up with seven other original members from the splintering Cranes Band to officially co-found Afrigo Band on 31 August 1975. They made their official public debut and launch on 1 November 1975 at the Bat Valley Bar and Restaurant. Moses coined the name Afrigo as a play on the phrase “Africa Go Beyond”

Moses Matovu’s tragic demise leaves Jeff Sewava, Afrigo’s first bandleader, currently living in Germany, as the only surviving member of Afrigo Band’s original eight-member lineup.

In 1976, President Idi Amin, impressed by Afrigo Band’s music at Cape Villas (Jajja Villas) on Ggaba Road, contracted the band as his personal house band, with its members receiving a fixed monthly salary. After Amin was deposed in 1979, Afrigo Band was associated with his regime and, amid the ensuing looting, lost all its instruments, forcing the band to start over.

As the bandleader, saxophonist and lead vocalist, Moses Matovu steered Afrigo Band to become Uganda’s longest-running and most celebrated live musical group.

Under his visionary leadership, the band successfully adapted to changing entertainment eras, recorded 23 albums, and popularised a unique blend of African rumba, jazz, and traditional Ugandan rhythms.

Moses Matovu, who lived as a widower in his later years, is survived by 11 children, as he often shared, and by an undisclosed number of grandchildren.

According to family members, Moses Matovu, though Muslim, will be buried at 4:00 PM on Friday, 25 September 2025, at his ancestral home in Kyanja.

Apple Music appears to be experimenting with a new look.

A thicker, lowercase, and nostalgic “music” wordmark has appeared alongside branding for Apple Music Hall, Apple’s new live music venue at Battersea Power Station in London.

The new logo design has already sparked speculation that Apple could be preparing a broader visual refresh for Apple Music across the app, website and other platforms.

However, Apple has neither changed nor announced a wider Apple Music rebrand. For now, it remains unclear whether the new wordmark is exclusive to Apple Music Hall or will eventually replace the service’s existing branding.

What is Apple Music Hall?
Officially announced on 21 September 2026, Apple Music Hall is a brand-new, state-of-the-art live music venue and production facility designed to bring artists and fans closer together. The 600-capacity space features a 38-foot-wide reconfigurable stage and a 48-speaker Spatial Audio system positioned around the audience.

Built for live performances and production, the venue includes two dedicated recording and mixing studios, infrastructure for 16 or more cameras and a broadcast control room. This allows artists to record performances in Spatial Audio, produce broadcast-ready mixes and capture multicamera video from a single show. Performances can also be livestreamed globally.

Apple is opening the venue alongside new Apple Music Radio studios at Battersea Power Station, where London-based Apple Music Radio hosts and shows will now broadcast.

Is this Apple Music’s new logo?
Apple has not confirmed this yet…

On 21 October 2026, across all its platforms, Apple Music updated its logo to a bold new design, as first seen at the Apple Music Hall in London a month earlier.

09 September 2026 – UBC TV news anchor and editor Prince Edward Kijanangoma Rukidi has been named the new Omukama of the Tooro Kingdom, following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV on 27 August, 2026.

Msgr. Isiah Mayombo announced the succession on Wednesday evening, 9 September, at Karuziika Palace in the presence of the Babiito royal clan leaders, who oversee the selection of the Tooro monarch.

Led by Babiito royal clan head Omusuuga Charles Akiiki Kamurasi, a 21-member succession committee chose Prince Edward Kijanangoma after reviewing several potential heirs from the royal family.

The newly named King, Prince Edward, is the son of the late Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma and grandson of former Tooro King George David Rukidi III, who reigned 1904 – 1965.

His enthronement will follow the traditional customs and rituals of the Tooro Kingdom. Once crowned, he will take the regnal name selected by the Babiito clan leaders.

Meanwhile, some members of the Tooro royal family, including the late King’s sister Princess Nsemere Komuntale, backed by their paternal aunt Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya, have publicly refuted the announcement by the Babiito clan leaders.

The disagreement was thereafter reinforced through Tooro Kingdom’s official platforms, posting scanned copies of the late King Oyo’s 2022 will, under the caption: “Under the Will, his [King Oyo’s] son is designated as the first heir and successor to the throne. Should he be unable to assume the throne, succession passes in order to Prince Komwiswa Yoweri, followed by Prince Nyaika Solomon.”

11 Sept. 2026: Edward Kijanangoma Rukidi Wife & Children
Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma exchanged vows to his Iteso bride, Rebecca Donna Amoding, in December 2018 at Watoto Church, Ntinda. While Rebecca’s professional background as a corporate human resources executive is well known, the couple has kept their personal life tightly under wraps, leaving details about their children and day-to-day life out of the public eye.

Edward Kijanangoma Rukidi in Rwanda
For about 8 years,  the Tooro prince, Edward Kijanangoma Rukidi, previously worked as a news anchor for Rwanda Television (RTV) under the Kinyarwanda-style pseudonym Eddie David Nkurunkenzire. Though rumoured to be a safety precaution, media analysts maintain the pseudonym was merely a standard professional requirement for Rwandan airwaves.

Edward Kijanangoma later returned to Uganda to join UBC in 2014, serving as a reporter, editor, talk show host, and main news anchor until the day he was named successor to the Tooro throne.

Updated on 12 Sept. 2026: New Omukama of Tooro Nyabongo I
During the funeral service for the late King Oyo at St. John’s Cathedral in Fort Portal, the Omusuuga publicly declared Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I as the new Omukama of Tooro. Highly placed sources confirmed that the new King, Nyabongo I, subsequently performed the sacred traditional ritual, dropping nine coffee beans into King Oyo’s grave to seal the succession.

Updated on 15 Sept. 2026: Nyabongo I Coronation Confirmed
On Wednesday, 15 September 2026, Omusuga Charles Kamurasi announced that the formal coronation of Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I as the new King of Tooro will be held on 29 September 2026, after all cultural rites are completed.

The announcement followed a session of the Tooro Supreme Council at the kingdom’s Muchwa Parliament and headquarters, where members overwhelmingly endorsed Nyabongo I as the successor to the late King Oyo Nyimba Rukidi IV.

The name George Desmond Kamurasi has emerged as the reported choice to succeed the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV as the next Omukama of Tooro.

According to journalist Andrew Mwenda, the Royal Succession Committee, chaired by Omusuuga, Charles Kayondo Kamurasi Akiiki, selected the 36-year-old Kamurasi during a meeting held at Fort Motel in Fort Portal City on Friday, 04 September, 2026. Of the 21 members on the committee, 18 attended the meeting, and 15 reportedly voted in favour of Kamurasi.

The decision, however, has not yet been formally announced. The committee is expected to officially announce its choice to the Babiito royal clan leaders after the late king’s burial. King Oyo’s burial is scheduled for Saturday, 12 September 2026.

So, who is George Desmond Kamurasi?

George Desmond Kamurasi Royal Lineage
George Desmond Kamurasi is a member of the Babiito royal family of Tooro and the son of the late Prince George Desmond “Jimmy” Mugenyi.

Kamurasi’s claim to the Tooro throne comes through his father, Prince Jimmy Mugenyi, a son of former Tooro King Sir George David Matthew Kamurasi Rukidi III, who reigned from 1928 to 1965.

Rukidi III was succeeded by his son, King Patrick David Matthew Rwamuhokya Olimi Kaboyo II, who reigned from 1965 to 1995. Prince Jimmy Mugenyi, one of the young brothers of Kaboyo II, passed away at 69 in September 2016 and was survived by four children: three boys and one girl.

Kaboyo II was succeeded by his son, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who reigned from 1995 until his death in 2026.

The family lineage can therefore be traced as follows:

King George Rukidi III → Prince Jimmy Mugenyi → George Desmond Kamurasi

King George Rukidi III → King Patrick Olimi Kaboyo II → King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.

This makes Kamurasi and the late King Oyo first cousins, as their fathers, Prince Jimmy Mugenyi and King Patrick Olimi Kaboyo II, were brothers.

According to journalist Andrew Mwenda, King George Rukidi III left a will that placed Prince Jimmy Mugenyi second in the line of succession to his elder brother, King Patrick Olimi Kaboyo II. This succession arrangement is now being cited in connection with Kamurasi’s reported selection as Oyo’s successor.

George Desmond Kamurasi Personal Life, Residency & Career
Public records indicate that Kamurasi was born in August 1990, making him 36 in 2026. UK Companies House records list him as a British national residing in England. His professional profile as a football goalkeeper and coach narrows it down to London.

George Desmond Kamurasi: Wife and Children
While circulating photos appear to show George Desmond Kamurasi at his wedding to a British woman and spending time with a young girl believed to be his daughter, few details about his immediate family have been officially verified.

George Desmond Kamurasi and his younger brothers and sister are currently in Uganda ahead of their cousin’s burial on Saturday, 12 September 2026.