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    2021 ELECTIONS MAY BREAK RECORD, 20 PEOPLE SO FAR WANT TO OUST M7: We Are Not Going To Block Anyone Because Of Tax Clearance Certificate – EC Boss Byabakama: EC To Display All Registered Voters Across The Country Starting Wednesday…

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    4 years ago

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    The Electoral commission (EC) chairperson Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama has said that all aspirants on different elective political positions will be welcomed by EC regardless of whether their tax payment status is poor.

    It should be remembered that on 7th February 2020, the URA Commissioner General Doris Akol, while addressing journalists said that all 2021 aspirants will have to first clear with URA if they are to contest for any political position.

    Akol added that whoever clears with them will be given a tax clearance certificate which will confirm that he/she is compliant with their tax obligations and hence eligible to stand.

    However, according to the EC boss Byabakama, the Electoral Commission is not an agent of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) but an independent commission specifically for elections.

    “We welcome all aspirants who are eyeing to become the next leaders in Uganda at different positions. I would like to make it clear that the EC is not connected to URA. We deal with the elections but not taxes, we cannot block an aspirant from aspiring because he or she did not pay tax, that is not our role our role is to organize a free and fair elections,” Byabakama said.

    “If the law is amended then we shall introduce it but as per now we don’t have that element,” he said.

    Byabakama made these remarks while launching the commencement of Display of the National Voters’ Register and Registers for Special Interest Groups (SIGs) at the Electoral commission head offices along Jinja road in Kampala.

    He revealed that the Electoral Communication in preparation for the 2021 General Elections has appointed a period of 21 days (from 19th February to 10th March) as a period for the display of the National Voters’ register. The exercise is set to be conducted from Monday to Monday (8:00am – 6:00pm) at all polling stations throughout Uganda.

    The commission further appointed 19th – 28th February 2020 as a period for display of the voters’ Registers for Special Interest People (SIGs) including the youth, People With Disabilities and the old persons saying that this will enable persons comprising the special Interest Groups to check for the correctness of their particulars on their respective Voters’ Register.

    Byabakama added that the Display exercise will cost a total sum of 24.5 billion shillings to be carried out throughout the country at 34,344 polling stations in 135 districts. He further said that the Ministry of Finance has agreed to work together and facilitate the exercise.

    He said that over twenty presidential aspirants have approached the commission with interests of becoming the next president.

    “2020 presidential nominations may break the records with over twenty presidential aspirants. We have over twenty now and more are coming in day and night,” Byabakama said.

    He further urged all political aspirants to submit in their academic Qualification to the electoral commission at least two Months before the nomination day. He noted that the nomination period for various elective positions is indicated in a roadmap at the commission site www.ec.or.ug.

    He concluded by calling upon all stakeholders in the electoral process to participate in the exercise.

    BELOW IS THE FULL COMMUNICATION FROM EC:

    Commencement of Display of the National Voters’ Register and Registers for Special Interest Groups (SIGs), 19th February – 10th March 2020

    In preparation for the 2020-2021 General Elections, and in accordance with Section 25 of the Electoral Commission Act (Cap 140), the Electoral Commission has appointed 19th February – 10th March 2020 as the period for the Display of the National Voters’ Register.

    The display of the Voters’ Register shall begin at 8:00 am and end at 6:00 pm on each of the appointed dates including weekends, at all polling stations throughout Uganda.

    The Commission has further appointed 19th – 28th February 2020 as the period for display of the Voters’ Registers for the following Special Interest Groups (SIGs) at the village level: the Youths, Persons with Disability (PWD) and Older Persons.

    The purpose of this display exercise is to enable voters to:

    1. Check for the correctness of their particulars on the Voters’ Register;

    2. Confirm that their photographs appear against correct particulars on the Register;

    3. Raise objections to the inclusion and/or removal of a voter’s particulars from the Register;

    4. Report to the Display Officer, the following categories of persons (if they appear on the Register) for removal:

    a) Those who have died;

    b) Those who are under 18 years of age;

    c) Those who reside or originate from a parish other than the one they are registered in; and,

    d) Those who appear more than once on the Voters’ Register.

    5. In the case of Special Interest Groups, the Display at the village level is scheduled to take place from 19th to 28th February 2020. This will enable persons comprising the Special Interest Groups to check for the correctness of their particulars on their respective Voters’ Register: 

    a) In the case of Registers for Youths, the voters will be able to verify that the date of birth is correct. Eligible persons on the Registers for Youths must be aged 18 years and above but less than 30 years as defined by law;

    b) In the case of Registers for Persons with Disability (PWDs), the voters will be able to confirm that their particulars (nature of disability) were correctly captured on the Voters’ Register;

    c) In the case of Older Persons, voters will be able to verify that the date of birth is correct. Eligible persons on the Registers for Older Persons must be aged 60 years and above at the time of cut-off of registration of voters, that is, 23rd December 2019.

    During this exercise, the Electoral Commission will display lists of persons who were recommended for deletion from the National Voters’ Register during the Verification Exercise which was conducted at village level in October 2019.

    Please note that any eligible voter who applied for registration but whose particulars are missing on the Voters’ Register, will be able to present his/her case and seek to be included on the Register.

    After the display exercise, the lists of all persons recommended for deletion from the National Voters’ Register, shall also be displayed for a period of ten (10) days, that is, from 11th to 20th March 2020 at the respective Parish/Ward Headquarters.

    The purpose of this supplementary display exercise is to enable any person who may have been wrongly recommended for deletion to raise an objection to the Parish/Ward Tribunal.

    The Parish/Ward Tribunal shall consider and make the final decision concerning recommendations for inclusion, deletion, or correction made by the public.

    For avoidance of doubt, the Parish/Ward Tribunal is appointed by the Magistrate of the area, and is comprised of two elders (of 60 years and above) one male and one female, and three other members appointed in consultation with political parties and organisations participating in the elections in the area.

    At the end of the entire exercise, all returns will be retrieved from the field and recommendations effected by the Electoral Commission. A final National Voters’ Register for the 2020/2021 General Elections will then be produced.

    The general public should carefully note the following:

    1. This is a very important exercise, which could determine whether you vote on polling day or not;

    2. Fresh application for registration as a voter or application for transfer to another voting location shall not be accepted during this Display exercise;

    3. Persons who have applied and changed their particulars on the National Identification Register, for example, the names and/or date of birth, are required to notify the Electoral Commission in writing about the changes. Such persons will be required to provide relevant supporting documents to our Display Officers so that the changes are effected on the Voters’ Register.

    4. The display officers shall be physically stationed at the respective polling station, throughout the entire display period. This is to enable voters conveniently locate their polling station, especially those which might have been affected by the exercise of re-organisation of polling stations.

    5. In the case of display of SIGs Registers, Display Officers shall be physically stationed at a display centre in each Village, throughout the entire display period, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on each of the appointed dates, including weekends.

    6. The Registers for Special Interest Groups will be displayed for a shorter period because the elections for Older Persons, Youth and PWDs Committees will be conducted earlier than the others.

    7. The Display of Voters’ Registers shall be conducted with utmost impartiality and officials should allow any interested member of the public, including agents of political parties, to witness the exercise.

    8. As part of our awareness and mobilisation campaign, the Electoral Commission conducted stakeholder workshops in each of the twelve electoral regions of Uganda and met with respective district leaders to underscore the importance of participating in this exercise.

    The Commission is further conducting an extensive public awareness and mobilization campaign through print, electronic and digital media, as well as other public engagement initiatives to achieve high stakeholder participation in the cleaning of the National Voters’ Register and Registers for Special Interest Groups (SIGs).

    9. All complaints arising from the Display Exercise of the National Voters Register shall be addressed to the Returning Officers of the respective Electoral Districts and shall be handled in accordance with Article 61(1)(f) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and Section 15 of the Electoral Commission Act, Cap 140.

    As at the commencement of the Display exercise, the electoral statistics stand as follows:

    1. Number of Districts in Uganda: 135

    2. Number of Counties: 257

    3. Number of Constituencies: 296

    4. No. of Sub Counties/Towns/Municipal Divisions: 2,062

    5. Number of Parishes: 10,029

    6. Number of Villages: 68,733

    7. Number of Polling Stations: 34,344

    8. Number of Registered Voters: 17,782,594

    A clean Voters’ Register is a cornerstone for conducting peaceful, free, fair and credible elections. The Display exercise gives the electorate an opportunity to particiapte in the cleaning of the National Voters’ Register.

    The Commission, therefore, calls on all stakeholders in the electoral process to participate in this exercise. Voters are particularly urged to go to their respective polling stations during this period and check for the correctness of voter particulars on the Register.

    Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon

    Chairperson, Electoral Commission

    18th February 2020

    By Josephine Kauma

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    CRIME

    Lawyers Alaka, Mukasa Mbidde, Ochieng Listed Among Top Lawyers Likely To Face Arrest Over Balondemu’s Forged Medical Letter…

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    2 days ago

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    December 2, 2023

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    Embattled Kampala District Land Board chairperson David Balondemu (L) and lawyers Alaka (Top R) and Mbidde (bottom R)

    The mighty Grapevine has exclusively learnt that very soon, some top city lawyers are likely to face arrest over Kampala District Land Board chairperson David Balondemu’s alleged forged medical letters.

    Highly placed sources at police’s Directorate of Criminal Investigation(CID) have revealed that last week, Jackson Tweheyo on behalf of Maj. Dr. Tom Magambo the CID Director summoned lawyers Caleb Alaka, Evans Ochieng, Hassan Kamba, Fred Mukasa Mbidde, Robert Bautu to appear before the State House Anti-Corruption Unity to record statements on allegation of forging a medical letter.

    The lawyers were supposed to appear before the Department of Economic Fraud and Anti-Corruption on 28th of November 2023 but they all snubbed the summons.

    However, when contacted, lawyer Alaka rubbished the allegation of face arrest explaining that he personally hasn’t yet been summoned but his friend Bautu told him that he was summoned to appear before State House Anti-Corruption Unit.

    Counsel Alaka, a Criminal law giant explained that the State House Anti-Corruption Unit under the command of Brig. Gen. Henry Isoke doesn’t have powers to summon a lawyer on grounds of offences committed by his client.

    “They are not serious, Advocates are Officers of Court. We are just helping court to deliver justice. For us we just represent clients. They are the ones who give us documents including local council letters. So, we are not the ones authorising those documents,” Alaka noted.

    theGrapevine has learnt that lawyer Bautu wrote to State House Anti-Corruption Department explaining why they will not appear to record the said statements.

    He noted that they have the privilege to present the documents given to them by their client to a judicial officer and thus are not answerable for those documents.

    Buganda Road State Attorney Ivan Kyazze brought to the attention of the presiding magistrate in Balondemu’s bail application Winnie Nankya that the accused person with the help of his lawyers forged medical letters from Kampala Hospital.

    He presented the affidavit of Dr. Peter Kibuka the Kampala Hospital Chief Executive Officer denying the said letter noting that it was not authored from his hospital.

    The letter presented by lawyers indicated that Balondemu, who is battling multibillion fraud cases was supposed to have a surgical operations in the very week the application came before the magistrate.

    Highly placed sources at State House Anti-Corruption Unit told theGrapevine that the detectives were set to arrest the said lawyers last week but all of them run into hiding.

    The said lawyers were added on the list of over 50 city lawyers who are under investigation on allegations of abetting fraud and corruption.

    Among the lawyers who is set to be arrested before Christmas is one working with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) who issued a bribe of Shs70m to a top politician at City Hall to be given a juicy job.

    State alleges that Balondemu, Erick Geoffrey Mkwe, Joseph Ibona  together with others still at large fraudulently obtain Shs2.2bn from the American company KG Unlimited under the guise of awarding them a contract of supplying agricultural drone sprayers and fertilizers in the Ministry of Agriculture.

    Sources at the State House Anti-Corruption Unit said that Balodemu has two already sanctioned criminal files by Justice Jane Frances Abodo the Director Public Prosecution and 15 other files have not yet been sanctioned even though investigations are done.

     

    By Sengooba Alirabaki

    Views: 1,060

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    NATIONAL

    High Level Lobbying Kicks Off For UNRA’s Kagina To Replace Gen. Katumba In Ministry of Works As M7 Finalises New Cabinet That Will Sail Him Through 2026 Elections…

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    2 days ago

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    December 2, 2023

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    UNRA's Allen Kagina and President Museveni

    For fear of losing workaholic Allen Kagina the Executive Director of the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) in the ongoing process of merging government agencies as a mechanism to cut government expenditure, a number of lobbyists including politicians from both the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the opposition are persuading the appointing authority to appoint her a minister.

    According to a recent cabinet brief, UNRA is set to be taken back to the Ministry of Works and Transport which means that Kagina has to compete with other candidates to head a department in the ministry and her powers will be reduced because she will no longer be the final decision maker on road construction matters.

    Maverick Kira Municipality legislator, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda said that if such a move to merge government agencies is executed, it will be a disservice to the public because UNRA, being an independent body has been making constructive decisions which have benefited the public.

    Ssemujju noted that if UNRA is taken back to the Ministry of Works and Transport, he will be among those who will lobby and pray that Kagina is appointed a minister so that she remains the final decision maker.

    “For me I like that woman, not because she has helped construct and rehabilitate roads in my constituency but because she is not corrupt. Many people in Museveni’s government are very corrupt, their names are on the corruption wall of fame but for Kagina, No. I speak this with authority because as a Member of Parliament I’ve sat on several accountability committees including chairing COSASE but Kagina’s name was never cited in any corruption scandal, which is not easy when you are working in Museveni’s government,” Ssemujju said.

    He added, “And when you enter her office asking for construction of your road, she doesn’t make phone calls to receive orders from above, she makes her decision there and then. We need such people because she is close to Museveni’s family.”

    Highly placed sources in the corridors of power confirmed to theGrapevine that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is likely to reshuffle his cabinet during Christmas holidays.

    Sources disclosed that a number of people have been recommending Kagina for the position of Works and Transport minister.

    We have been told that Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala the current Minister for Works and Transport is set to be transferred to the Prime Minister’s Office to help the president clean that docket which has been named one of the most corrupt.

    Sources said that when Gen. Katumba went to the works ministry, he started a cleaning process and a number of untouchables were put to order.

    Sources revealed that in the Prime Minister’s Office, there are many untouchables especially in the office of the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees.

    When the current Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja tried to expose them, she was character assassinated and humiliated to the extent that the appointing authority started asking questions.

    Senior presidential advisor on media and also a seasoned social, political and economic commentator Joseph Tamale Mirundi recently disclosed that in the coming reshuffle, the president is going to appoint a team of ministers who will help him sail through the 2026 general elections.

    Mirundi explained that the President’s immediate opponent Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) of the National Unity Platform (NUP) is trying to portray his government as one full of human rights violators and they plan to use these accusations as a weapon during the 2026 campaigns.

    He noted that a number of ministers are living in fear of being fired in the next reshuffle.

    “Now all of them are running to get photos with Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Many of them have been fighting the MK Movement but they now want him to appoint them to organizing committees of barazas which are going to take place in their constituencies,” Mirundi said.

    He added that Gen. Muhoozi is going to be a strong factor in deciding who to appear on the list of incoming ministers.

    He was supported by shadow finance minister Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi who said that in the coming reshuffle, Museveni is going to appoint more youths in his cabinet as a way of countering Bobi Wine.

    The Butambala county legislator gave the example of Ruth Katushabe the former Bukomansimbi legislator and also the Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs who was assigned by Museveni to make sure that most of the students in Secondary and University vote for him come 2026.

    Kivumbi claimed that Katushabe has been moving school to school, university to university campaigning for Museveni and before her appearance at any learning institution, the heads first receive commands from above to allow her to talk to students.

    Kivumbi however boasted that NUP and Bobi Wine are also campaigning clandestinely in schools.

    Sources in the corridors of power told theGrapevine that among the ministers who are likely not to comeback are Amos Lugolobi the state minister for finance in charge of planning, Agnes Nandutu the state minister for Karamoja affairs and her boss Marry Gorreti Kituntu who are currently battling with corruption charges at the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court.

    Others are; Moses Ali the Second Prime minister, Anifa Kawooya the state minister for health,  James Magode Ikuya the state minister for East African affairs who sources claim are going to be fired on health grounds.

    Sources divulged that Gen. Edward Kale Kayihura the former Inspector General of Police is likely to be appointed a senior Minister of Internal Affairs, Lillian Aber the women’s representative for Kitgum District is set to be appointed a state minister in the Ministry of Labour, Otuke Member of Parliament Paul Omara is set to take over Lugolobi’s office, Kagoma North Constituency legislator Brandon Kintu who is also the NRM parliamentary caucus spokesperson will be taken to the Ministry of Information and National Guidance.

    Dr. Chris Baryomunsi is likely to be taken to the ministry of health and chances are high that Nabanja is going to retain her position as the country’s prime minister.

     

    By Sengooba Alirabaki

    Views: 1,145

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    NATIONAL

    Why NUP Want Dead Body Of Bobi Wine’s Bodyguard Exhumed; Mpuuga Set To Make More Demands…

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    2 days ago

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    December 2, 2023

    By

    Bobi Wine (R) with the late Ssenteza (L)

    The Opposition in Parliament lead by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP) Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba on Tuesday are set to task Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire the Internal Affairs senior minister to give a detailed report concerning the circumstances that caused the death of Francis Kalibbala Ssenteza the former bodyguard to National Unity Platform (NUP) Principal Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine).

    Shadow Finance minister and also Butambala County legislator Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi told theGrapevine that they were not convinced with Gen. Otafiire’s report and they are going to give the country a response through Mpuuga on the floor of Parliament.

    Kivumbi said that among the issues they want explained is the way Ssenteza was killed in a motor accident because Gen. Otafiire’s report claims that he was knocked by Bobi Wine’s Toyota Hiace which he used during the 2021 presidential campaigns.

    He narrated that Gen. Otafiire who signed the Statement, even though it was read by his State Minister Gen. David Muhoozi confirmed that at the scene of crime, there was a military vehicle.

    He added that government intentionally refused to carry out a postmortem report on Ssenteza’s dead body because they feared that it would reveal the cause of his death.

    “He stated that NUP supporters run away with the dead body and it is the reason they gave why they didn’t make a postmortem report but all of us know very well that the State has the capacity to exhume a body and carry out an autopsy because we cannot allow a person to die in such circumstances not subject his body to a postmortem,” Kivumbi said.

    Ssenteza, who was a carpenter at Mulago ku Biiri along Bombo road was knocked dead at Busega roundabout and buried in December of 2020 at his ancestral home in Masaka district.

    Kivumbi added that another explanation they want from Otafire is the circumstances under which Bobi Wine supporter Ritah Nabukenya died in a motor accident.

    He said that Otafire confirmed that Nabukenya was knocked by a speeding police patrol at Nakawa a Kampala city suburb and the driver of the patrol was arrested but the Director for Public Prosecution (DPP) Justice Jane Frances Abodo declined to sanction the file on grounds that it did not have supporting evidence.

    He insisted that the evidence was there but the file was not sanctioned on political grounds.

    However when contacted, Gen. Otafiire boasted that he is ready to face Mpuuga in parliament and he will answer all his questions on the floor of parliament because he will be there himself, not his junior minister.

    Highly placed sources in the LOP’s office told theGrapevine that immediately after Mpuuga makes his response, he will table fresh demands.

    They will include demands for an explanation on the arrest and humiliation of Muslim clerics and the issue of Balalo in northern Uganda particularly in Acholi.

    But Otafiire said that once the new demands are raised, he will ask the presiding speaker to give him more time to investigate the allegation and report back as he did with the first demands.

     

    By Hadijja Namagembe

    Views: 526

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