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    Bad People Never Sleep, Why Should The Good Ones Sleep? Leaders Without Cadreship To Blame For Kasese Massacre…

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    The June 16 attack on Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe, Kasese, at the border with DRC, was a tragedy waiting to happen. This is despite the great assurances that Ugandans generally enjoy in terms of peace, tranquility and security.

    In the military, they say that when there is peace, that’s when you train harder so that in times of war, you fight easier. Failure to prepare during peace times means that any time you can be caught unawares.

    Let me first take the moment to honour the memory of the students murdered in that attack and commiserate with their families and the nation at large. Their killing hurt us all, the peace-loving and God-fearing citizens, but we know that the security forces and the Almighty Creator will avenge us. Those children did not have to die but their death will not be in vain. If ADF was celebrating a silver jubilee since the 1998 Kicwamba massacre, that’s up to them. True Ugandans are peace-loving people; they love to be happy and to let others be happy, they coexist, they celebrate each other!

    That incident was waiting to happen because at any one time, bad people are always plotting evil-how to kill, steal and destroy. Someone once said “The bad people never sleep. Why should the good ones sleep?” This is a challenge!

    The Kasese incident happened not due to the absence of security but because of so much security that people, especially leaders, have thrown caution and the sense of duty to the wind. The military and sister agencies have done their utmost to make insurgents lose appetite for blood by squeezing them home and away.

    They have forced them to drop their guns which must be a preserve of the Government armed forces for the security and safety of Ugandans. Failing to roam freely with guns, the killers have resorted to the use of odd and cruel substitutes such as knives, machetes, iron bars, fire, improvised explosives, and so on. Their ability to terrorise Ugandans has been so seriously degraded that they have resorted to attacking soft targets since they can’t face the direct fire power of the armed forces.

    Going for the vulnerable not only exposes their bloodthirsty agenda but also turns Ugandans against them.

    If there are any persons with normal working minds that have previously looked at them with a soft spot, for whatever reason, now they have lost all the sympathy.

    If they can attack a school; another time they attacked a church on the Congo side, they have no qualms attacking a hospital or a kindergarten. This means that everyone is a target.

    Sparing a breastfeeding woman was just a ruse to confuse us but we see them by their general works like they have done in the past and in Congo where they butcher and cook people in pots. It just means that when the woman is no longer breastfeeding, they will come for her and the toddler.

    Another positive outcome from the attack is to refocus us to be vigilant at all times, and serious to ensure that all controls are in place to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

    While the security forces are up to the task, the civilian leadership leaves a lot to desire. If the great asset of numbers of Ugandans decided to be the eyes of one another and the eyes of the state, bad elements would not survive.

    I want to put this at the feet of local leaders such as Local Council leaders at the grassroots; criminality thrives because these leaders have abdicated from their duties and betrayed the trust Ugandans put in them.

    Every single inch of Uganda is governed by a representative of Government, with systems in place for reporting any unauthorised presence and action.

    It’s not possible to have police and the military deployed at every homestead because such personnel numbers have never, and will never, exist.

    But that gap should be filled by the network of LCs who should be fully in charge of their areas of jurisdiction, knowing their residents and the visitors (or strangers) coming in.

    Some LCs are, unbelievably, detached from the ground. They don’t know the people in their localities and the people don’t know them.

    Some are in the position to “cut deals” in land and property, plus extorting money for stamps. At worst, some are engaged in working with and protecting criminal elements. This is a low caliber of leaders without an iota of cadreship or patriotism.

    During the days of the Resistance Councils (RCs), the Chairpersons and their committees were up to the task, practicing “resistance” against bad elements and being fully in charge of their areas. Where did that culture go? Does democracy dilute the milestones of the revolution like that?

    In Rwanda, anybody arriving in any locality has to go through a process. One must be introduced to the local authorities, the purpose of their visit recorded, how long they intend to stay, and so on and so forth.

    His or her details are taken and followed up. That way, it’s very easy to detect illegals. This leaves little room for illegals to find anywhere to place their feet and cause problems.

    LCs should rise to the occasion and realise that we live in extraordinary times. Leadership is seen in action, not in titles.

    They should take charge of their areas and report upwards so that the top is in the know of what’s transpiring everywhere.

    They should have registers of residents and those operating within. LCs should be linked to Immigration for ease of tracking movement of people in and out of the country.

    Security works best with an effective intelligence network which must be rooted at the basic administrative unit-the village.

     

    Faruk Kirunda is the Deputy Presidential Press Secretary

    Contact: faruk.kirunda@statehouse.go.ug

    0776980486/0783990861

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    CRIME

    Brig. Gen. Ddamulira Advised To Clear Air On Allegation Of Shielding Criminal Gangs To Avoid Ending Up Like Gen. Kayihura…

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    Criminal Intelligence boss Brig. Gen. Christopher Ddamulira

    Uganda’s representative to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) James Kakooza has advised the nonsense police’s Director for Criminal Intelligence Brig. Gen. Christopher Ddamulira Sserujogi to come up openly and clear the air on allegation made against him of shielding criminal gangs in Kampala city and Metropolitan areas because he fears a nasty ending like former Inspector General of Police Gen. Edward Kale Kayihura.

    Kakooza revealed that when Gen. Kayihura was at the helm of police leadership, allegations were made against him that he used criminal gangs to solve political questions.

    Kakooza narrated that he severally pleaded with Kayihura that if the allegations are true, he should stop because it was soiling his name.

    He added that Gen. Kayihura’s enemies based on his cooperation with criminal gangs to fabricate criminal allegations against him including pinning him over his involvement in the high level murders in the country.

    He stated that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni based on the said allegation to fire Kayihura from police leadership and ordered for his arrest and prosecution in the court martial.

    “If president Museveni didn’t handle Gen Kayihura’s issues with maturity and experience, he would have ended up being sentenced to death or life imprisonment because the allegations placed on him were very treasonous. So my young brother Brig. Gen. Ddamulira should come out and clear the air on those allegations put against him,” Kakooza stated.

    He added that Brig. Gen. Ddamulira’s statement will not only cleared him but it will also clear the good name of the UPDF institution.

    Kakooza’s advice comes days after Kira Municipality legislator and also the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda accused Brig. Gen. Ddamulira of shielding criminals that beat up FDC delegates and stole their belongings both at Busabala and Katonga where they had gone to attend the Extra-Ordinary Delegates Conference summoned by party national chairperson Wasswa Birigwa.

    The Observer newspaper journalist Baker Batte also accused the criminal gang of stealing his brand new laptop.

    However, while speaking to theGrapevine, Batte confirmed that his latotop was recovered by Katwe police even though they have not yet handed it over to him.

    The ghetto leadership in Kampala city, Mukono, Wakiso districts also issued a statement asking Ssemujju to apologize to Brig. Gen. Ddamulira for tarnishing his name that he is shielding criminal gangs in the city.

    Shafik Kalyango, the coordinator ghetto structures, John Lukuse and Geoffrey Nsamba who were arrested by police for terrorising FDC delegates.

    They confessed that they are members of the ghetto structures which is supervised by State House, Brig. Gen. Ddamulira and officials from the ministry in charge of Kampala Metropolitan whose objective is to turn them into good citizens.

    Kalyango added that they are mobilizing the ghetto youths who have not yet joined their structures to avoid being used by the politicians to fight their battles against their political enemies and among them are those who beat FDC delegates and journalists.

    Ssemujju admitted to having seen Kalyango’s letter on social media even though it he not yet been officially served.

    He appreciated the efforts made by Brig. Gen. Ddamulira to organise youths in the city.

    He added that officially, Brig. Gen. Ddamulira denied having knowledge of the criminals hired by the Najjanankumbi FDC camp of party president Patrick Amuriat Oboi and Nathan Nandala Mafabi the Secretary General.

    Ssemujju however noted that there are elements in security circles who are working with criminal gangs in the city.

    He pleaded with Brig. Gen. Ddamulira to use his office to tame them because they will wreak havoc in the country.

     

    By Sengooba Alirabaki

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    CRIME

    Serial Litigant Wants High Court Judge Mutonyi To Be Sentence To Death By Hanging Or Beheaded For Failing To Post His Ruling On Judiciary Website…

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    Justice Margaret Mutonyi

    George Okello, the Resident High Court Judge of Gulu has issued a permanent injunction restraining and baring serial litigant Joseph Opiyo Otiiti from filing any other Court lawsuits against any judicial officer in Uganda.

    In his ruling dated 12th September, 2023, Judge Okello stated that whereas his court appreciates the right of every person to access courts, as observed in a plethora of cases, the matter before him was a very exceptional case in which Opiyo should be barred from continuing his reckless suits against judicial officers simply because they have decided otherwise in cases where he is involved.

    The shocking ruling resulted from an application filed by Opiyo against Vian Kwizera the Grade One Magistrate accusing him of violating his rights when he presided over a matter filed by Gulu Principle State Attorney Joseph Nyeko against him seeking a Court Order to subject Opiyo to mental examination.

    Opiyo sued the Magistrate for allowing Nyeko’s application to have him subjected to medical examination to determine his mental status as Stated under Section 50 of the Mental Health Act 2018.

    Opiyo also accused the magistrate of violating his right when he delayed the quick hearing of his application challenging the staying of his cases in court until he was subjected to mental examination and court furnished with the medical report.

    He further accused him of refusing to give him the record of proceedings to help him challenge his ruling.

    In his application, Opiyo was also seeking aggravated damages of Shs350, 000,000 for defamation and for calling him a person of unsound mind.

    He further prayed that court recovers damages through attachment of 80% of the Magistrates’ salary and retirement benefits, until all his pending cases in court are concluded and finally executed.

    He further prayed for security for himself and his family for 50 years due to fear that he will be murdered.

    He prayed for the prosecution of the magistrate and other judicial officers who violated his human rights.

    The magistrate opposed the application through her affidavit denying all the allegations and explaining that she observed the applicant’s rights during all the judicial hearings.

    He added that none of the applicant’s rights were violated and he gave him all the records of the proceedings on the matter he presided over.

    Nyeko’s application to subject Opiyo to medical examination resulted from the numerous lawsuits filed against judicial officers including one he filed against Justice Margaret Mutonyi because she had upheld preliminary objection raised in a suit lodged by Opiyo against the Actions Against Hunger and the judge was sued together with two law firms of M.S M. Oyet and Company Advocates, Mumtaz Kassam Kassam Mumtaz and Moses Oyet lawyers of Action Against Hunger.

    The judge noted that it was wrong for Opiyo to sue judicial officers, lawyers and their law firms explaining that judicial officers and Advocates enjoyed immunity at common law for their conduct of litigation and that the action made against them by an unhappy litigant was barred.

    The case was presided over by Justice Stephen Mubiru who dismissed it with costs for being barred by law.

    Opiyo again instituted a lawsuit against Justice Mubiru for dismissing his case together with Justice Mutonyi who he accused of not posting the ruling she made against him on judiciary website.

    He pleaded to the presiding judge Alex Mackay Ajiji that Justice Mutonyi be sentenced to death by hanging or beheading over her actions of not posting his ruling on the judiciary website, which was an act of war against the Republic of Uganda.

    The presiding judge ordered in his ruling that due to compulsive behavior Opiyo exhibited in Court, the hearing of his numerous cases pending in court be stayed until a medical report is furnished as to his mental health status.

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    KCCA Top Boss Remanded To Prison Over Shs450m Fraudulent Deals…

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    Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court’s Ritah Neumbe Kidasa has remanded Hanniffer Mpuugu the deputy mayor Kampala Central Division over Shs450m fraudulent land deals.

    Court denied Mpuugu’s application seeking to be released on court bail based on the affidavit sworn by police detective Peter Abwona who pleaded to the magistrate not to release her claiming that she will jump the bail.

    In his affidavit presented to court by Doreen Erima the State Attorney, Abwona told Court that when the accused person was arrested by Kira Road police operatives in August 2022 on the said file, she was given police bond which she violated and declined to report back to police as one of the conditions given to her when released.

    Abwona said that Mpuugu’s file was forwarded to the Resident State Attorney for sanctioning and was later taken to court which issued criminal summons to have her arrested but she kept in hiding until an arrest warrant was issued against her.

    He explained to court that detectives traced her through her phone engagements but she kept on changing lines until they finally arrested her along Kampala-Gayaza road when she was with her children going for a party at Kasangati.

    The magistrate was convinced with Erima’s submission and objected to Mpuugu’s application for bail.

    She was remanded until 13th September, 2023 when the hearing of her case will be kicked off.

    According to court documents, in 2021, Mpuugu entered a land transaction with Grace Mulinde to sell him land situated at plot 4 Berkeley Road Entebbe Municipality in Wakiso district.

    The accused person was paid Shs450m and she assured the complainant that the land had no issues and that she was free to use.

    However, when he started using the land, he was denied access to it by members of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union who claimed its ownership.

    They told him that Mpuugu fraudulently forged their land title and efforts to recover his money were fruitless as she kept on deceiving him that she was sorting out the matter with the Nurses until he lost hope and decided to drag her to the police.

     

    By Grapevine Reporter

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