Ugandan newspapers will fill you with the latest news that you need to know; providing you with the most interesting of what is happening in Uganda and the rest of the world. You can easily keep up-to-date with the latest in entertainment, business and politics when you read the top five newspapers.
Interestingly, they will give you the ‘story behind the story’ – issues you probably don’t read about in the west or never get to see in the papers (both local and international).
The NewVision is probably the equivalent of the SUN in the UK and the Bild in German. It is the top news and sports newspaper in Uganda – this will greatly be disputed by its closest rivals … and … and the fight for the top spot goes on. Here you will also find the latest in entertainment; celebrity gossip, fashion and more. You will find news of all kinds and you will easily see why it’s top of the list. It is state owned with the government of Uganda as its majority shareholder.
Without doubt, the Daily Monitor is right in there with the top papers. Largely owned by The Nation Media Group, it strikes the image of an independent Ugandan newspaper that will report on issues without influence. Their style of reporting is the free autonomous; they will report on national news stories that would probably not come out in the government owned NewVision and/ or in a way that is impartial – I guess that gives them their share of readers.
Both the Daily Monitor and the New Vision are daily Ugandan newspapers that come out every day, 7 days a week. So grab yourself a copy whenever and whereever.
There is more to choose from and The Observer gives you that option. It is a weekly newspaper that will give you the opportunity to more variety and because it comes out weekly, its readers are always longing for the next issue. The news stories here go into depth especially the local and regional news and are good at interviews.
If you are a businessman, you will find a lot of information on business and finance in the Business Week. It is a regional magazine that reports on issues that cut across East Africa. You will also discover news on regional politics, science and technology, sports and more …
Another of the Ugandan newspapers is The Independent. This is probably considered a highbrow newsmagazine and with its high quality open journalism, it is a highly respected tabloid that reports on regional and global current affairs. Its readership is considerably big and continues to grow.
Now, it doesn’t matter whether you live in the north of Uganda or the west, majority of these Uganda newspapers are distributed nationwide … and the beauty is; you can quite easily catch one of the local tabloids that are in the local languages to get you a lively taste of local news. That reminds me of why you need to learn a local language – you will be amazed at the fun and how easily you can do this!
In the central, you might grab a copy of Bukedde – this literally means ‘sun rise’. This luganda (local language spoken in the central region) tabloid usually has those eye catching headlines that will tempt you to find out more. Go on, grab yourself a copy and read the inside story. It also carries pictures that are exclusively fascinating and will tell you the story – first time! even before you read about it.
In the east, Etop, a local Ugandan newspaper printed in Ateso (widely spoken in the north eastern) covers all there is in the region, well as Rupinyi – printed in Luo (widely spoken in the north) covers the north and Orumuri – printed in Runyankore/Rukiga (the 2 local languages are predominantly spoken in the west and southwest) dominates the west.
A bulk of the local Ugandan newspapers on the market is printed by the Vision Group, the same company that prints the NewVision; Etop, Rupinyi, Bukedde and Orumuri, which gives them a big market share.
Also famous is the Red Pepper. It is famed for its investigative journalism that delves into the lives of celebrities and the general public. It dare not catch you … It brings out stories of what goes on behind the scenes, covering politics, sport, personalities and more.
There are other regional newspapers that are famous and extensively eat into market share. The East African (covers regional issues of the East African States and more) and the Daily Nation (a sister newspaper to the Daily Monitor that covers Kenya) are among the prominent.
The history and trend of newspapers in Uganda is an interesting one and with the competition for readership getting vigorous every day, the successful ones carry on while others disappear in the mist.
…And the beauty is, majority of these and more are now on the web as well.
You will find reading Ugandan newspapers very informative and will keep you up-to-date in every way – locally and globally, bringing the world closer to you.