BY RICHARD SSEWAKIRYANGA This article by Richard Ssewakiryanga, Senior Research Fellow, CBR, engages a sharp and timely debate on moral responsibility, intellectual labour, and elite silence in Uganda’s political life. Responding to Shemi Esquire’s critique of Mahmood Mamdani’s Book – Slow Poison, it argues for a more careful reading of what memoir, scholarship, and historical reflection...Read More

Policy Think Piece AI & Social Research: Moving from Hype to Value Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking social research “by storm.” Across Uganda,Africa, and the wider world, researchers, students, and practitioners are adopting generative AI tools to draft reports, code interviews, and even write academic papers. This excitement has triggered a wave of shallow prompting,...Read More

Shaping Uganda Together: Elite Consensus as a Pathway to Participatory and Accountable Governance Discover how Uganda can achieve participatory and accountable governance through “elite consensus” in this thought-provoking speech by Richard Ssewakiryanga, Senior Research Fellow and Executive Director at the Centre for Basic Research. ​ Delivered at the WSR Confidence Building Conference, the document explores...Read More

 On Thursday, 29th, 2025, the Centre for Basic Research (CBR) hosted a powerful seminar under its Navigating Uganda’s Political Future series, focused on the timely and urgent theme: “Money and Elections: Rethinking the Cost of Democracy in Uganda.”With Uganda heading into the 2026 general elections, this seminar convened thought leaders, civil society actors, researchers, and...Read More

In Memory of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (1938–2024):The Centre for Basic Research joins the global community in mourning the loss of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, one of Africa’s most influential literary and intellectual figures. His passing marks the end of an era—but his legacy lives on, vibrant and irrepressible.Ngũgĩ’s profound contributions to literature and critical thought fundamentally...Read More

In Loving Memory of Dr. Arthur Syahuka Muhindo In Loving Memory of Dr. Arthur Syahuka Muhindo02 March 1957 – 25 May 2025As the Centre for Basic Research (CBR), we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Arthur Syahuka Muhindo—our colleague, mentor, and one of the eight pioneering researchers who helped shape CBR into the formidable...Read More

The Centre for Basic Research (CBR) recently hosted a thought-provoking seminar on Gender and Elections in Uganda, featuring Hon. Adeke Anna Ebaju, the District Woman MP and member of the opposition from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).In her powerful address, Hon. Adeke shed light on the systemic challenges that women face in Uganda’s electoral...Read More

To Celebrate International Women’s Day, the Centre for Basic Research (CBR) is proud to have participated in #WomenUganda2025, an event hosted by the Netherlands Embassy in Uganda. The event was held at the home of H.E. Ms. Frederieke Quispel, Ambassador of the Netherlands Embassy in Uganda. This gathering brought together key stakeholders, thought leaders, and...Read More

 In March 2021, CBR was appointed to serve as Fund Manager for Rapid Response Funds (RRF) for IGAD CEWARN for 4 years (till March 2023). As the Finance and Administration Unit (FAU) for the RRF funds, CBR receives and transmits to the CEWERU unit in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and its preferred implementing stakeholders...Read More

 On behalf of the Conflict Early Warning and Response Unit (CEWERU) in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is also the National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs), CBR has since 2002, been serving as the IGAD’s Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN) 1st ever National Research Institute(NRI). CBR served in...Read More