Refugees are pouring in. Bran keeps a list of why. Besides “killing and torturing” are “abduction of men, trading has stopped, no schools, looting of properties”. “It was preventive fleeing,” says Charlie Yaxley of the UN high commissioner for refugees. [...] Yet inside Uganda something extraordinary is happening. Refugees can move freely, work and own a business. “Uganda is incredibly switched on,” says Musarait Kashmiri from African Initiatives for Relief and Development, which has opened 343km of roads in Bidi Bidi. “Uganda is a showcase,” says Yaxley.

Three countries can now jointly market their tourism products online with the launch of the first joint East African destination portal, visiteastafrica.org. Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) CEO Betty Radier joined top tourism officials from Uganda and Rwanda in unveiling the platform at the Pearl of Africa Trade Expo held in Uganda at the weekend, a KTB statement issued on Sunday said. 

The Energy Africa Compact signed by the U.K.'s Department for International Development with the Ugandan government aims to improve access to, and innovation in, solar energy in the country. [...] Energy Africa Compact agreement with Ugandan officials will work towards improving access to solar energy to the estimated 30 million people in the country without access to electricity.

Some 6,000 Nigerian girls will receive training in digital skills in early 2017 from an international foundation that uses technology to empower underprivileged youth and women in the developing world. “Our mission is really to create a rich learning community where the appropriate use of technology affords opportunities for youth and women living in developing economies,” said Youth for Technology Foundation President and CEO Njideka Harry in an interview.

Beyond the act and acting - technical, aesthetic and cinematographic crescendos, Queen of Katwe presents opportunities and suggests ideas that the country can tap into to develop a robust creative industry, rebrand the national image, diversify opportunities for citizenry, and inspire new talent in different fields of the economy.

Uganda is one of the most favourable environments in the world for refugees, according to the UNHCR. While many countries keep refugees in camps away from citizens, Uganda allows them to set up businesses, work for others, and move freely around the country.

Uganda faces a particular impediment: a stubbornly high birth rate, and the prospect of seeing a population of 38 million nearly triple by 2050. [...] To achieve middle-income status, Uganda must cut its birth rate sharply and quickly, experts say, as well as foster educational opportunities for adolescent girls.