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    Bamugemereire Speaks Out On Extra 18 Months Given To Them By Museveni To Squeeze Land Grabbers, Otafiire And Bigirimana To Be Summoned

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    President Yoweri Museveni has extended the tenure of the commission of inquiry into land matters by 18 months from 04-May-2018.

    According to the commission’s lead counsel Ebert Byenkya, the appointing authority extended the tenure on 04th May and it was immediately gazeted.

    “We welcome the decision by the appointing authority and we promise to use this time approprietly for the good of the country given that we still have a lot of work to do,” Byenkya said.

    Byenkya added that the president will directly handle the issue of the money that is going to be used by the commission in the 18 months.

    He said that the commission is going to use this added time to investigate new cases and also work on the ones that are pending.

    “You know, many people have complained against some of these big people especially those in government, we are going to handle such complaints and carry out more country wide fieldwork tours to meet the local people and hear their complaints,” Byenkya added.

    Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, the chairperson of the commission also welcomed the president’s decision and announced to the public that Museveni has also appointed Douglas Dingus Dingus as the commission’s secretary replacing olive Mukwaya who was appointed as a high court judge.

    President Museveni also appointed Daniel Lutimba as the commission’s assistant secretary and Andrew Idiot. The president also confirmed John Bosco Suuza as the deputy lead counsel. Byenkya remains the lead counsel of the commission.

    “We would like to renew the pledges of this commission to the mandate and terms of reference that His Excellence the president entrusted with us and we will continue to work tirelessly in order to achieve the goals of the terms of reference and do a good job with the hope of achieving a lasting change in which land is administered, acquired, managed and registered in this country,” Bamugemereire said.

    Bamugemereire’s commission has touched many untouchables who have included ministers: Betty Amongi (Lands minister), Charles Bakabulindi (sports minister), Mululi Mukasa (public service minister), Ronald Kibuule (Waters tate minister)Godfrey Ngobi Gume (state minister for cooperatives), Generals: David Muhoozi (CDF), Kale Kayihura (former IGP), Businessmen: Sudhir  Ruparelia, Joseph Lukyamuzi, Emphrahim, Ntaganda, Abid Alam, others include prophet Samuel Kakande, Tooro Queen mother Best Kemigisa among others. The Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga also made an appearance before the commission given that the Kabaka of Buganda is the biggest landlord in central Uganda.

     

    MORE BIG FISH TO BE GRILLED: Minister Otafiire, PS Bigirimana To Appear Before Bamugemereire

    Insiders in the commission have told The Grapevine that in this new tenure, the main witness to appear before it will be the justice and constitutional affairs minister Severino Kahinda Otafiire. The commission wants Otafiire to answer questions regarding the way his company Galley Smith obtained 100 acres of land in Natabulirirwa village, Mukono district. Sowedi Lubega, a director with National oil and lubricants East Africa limited testified before the commission that Galley Smith sabotaged their work of establishing a free trade zone area in Mukono.

    Lubega said that the land was given to him by Uganda land commission and the president was aware of the move but Lands minister Amongi declined to give him the land even after paying a lot of money to some lands officials, claiming that it belonged to Otafiire.

    Bamugemereire ordered lands minister Amongi to send to the commission a file where she investigated Otafiire’s company for further investigation because it seems there was economic sabotage in refusing to give Lubega land.

    The commission  is also expecting another big fish in by the names of Pius Bigirimana, the permanent secretary ministry of labour. Albert Mwesigye, the undersecretary to the Uganda land fund testified before the commission that Bigirimana is among the people who sold air to Uganda land fund and was compensated a lot of money.

    Mwesigye said that Bigirimana  was compensated 100m shillings for nonexistent land.

    Mwesigye told the commission that when they carried out investigations and realized that Bigirimana didn’t have land they told him to refund the money which he refused to do.

    The Uganda land fund money were supposed to compensate only landlords with many tenants on their land.

     

    By Jamil Lutakome 

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    UNTOLD STORY: Shs.8bn Boost Threatens Bobi Wine As Mpuuga Deepens Clandestine Mobilization To Take Over Top NUP Leadership…

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    NUP boss Bobi Wine (R) and former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga (L)

    National Unity Platform (NUP) Principle Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) recently confirmed that a section of fellow leaders in his party are planning to force him out of the party leadership.

    He explained that a number of politicians in 2020 decided to join him and his party to get political offices after establishing that Ugandans had embraced him and his people.

    Bobi Wine revealed that these people immediately after winning political offices started fighting him and boasting that they should be the ones to lead the struggle because of their political experience, and him and other leaders who formed NUP should accept to be led.

    Highly placed sources in NUP told theGrapevine that Bobi Wine made this statement after establish that his immediate political competitor in NUP and also the former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba has been clandestinely mobilizing and meeting different people including NUP grass root leaders.

    Sources allege that Mpuuga has been holding private meetings at Pope Paul II Hotel in Ndeeba a Kampala Suburb and at Serena Hotel Kigo with a number of opposition legislators in attendance.

    “He has not only met social media influencers, Mpuuga also met those leaders who he is very sure will attend the 2025 NUP National Delegates Conference and participate in electing the new party leadership,” a source said.

    Sources added that Mpuuga started the drive in 2023 but was threatened by Bobi Wine’s henchman David Lewis Rubongoya who is the party Secretary General, and because he was still interested in the Office of the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, he put the meetings on hold.

    Sources assert that to dismantle Mpuuga’s structures, Bobi Wine through his brother Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu the chief party mobilizer also resurrected the KUNGA Mobilization drive a decision that Mpuuga vehemently rejected. He was joined by other legislators who claimed that KUNGA is targeting their positions.

    Addressing the media at parliament, Mpuuga confirmed that he is not going to leave NUP because he is one of the founding leaders.

    “I wish to state that I am a founder member of NUP where I serve as a Deputy President. I am not leaving the party I founded and I’m not doing anything that destroys a young party I participated in establishing with conscience and conviction. At least I’m not yet moved to that level,” Mpuuga stated.

    He added that he is going to make sure that he cleans and streamlines the leadership problems in one of the country’s youngest political parties.

    Mpuuga further assured Bobi Wine and his people at Makerere Kavule that he will not resign as parliamentary commissioner because he has done nothing wrong that warrants resignation.

    He stated, “I wish to affirm that I confess no wrong doing whether in law or elementary common sense. The position of the law has been clarified to whoever wished to understand; but to not deliberately slander and defame me for short-term political security.”

    “Let me now assure the entire NUP leadership, membership, supporters and the general public, that NUP is my party and I harbor no intentions whatsoever of leaving; I am going Nowhere, rather I’ll in the coming days embark on a process of instituting internal Party reforms to make it a credible and competent Government in waiting,” he vowed.

    Mpuuga’s henchman and also Kimanya-Kabonera legislator Dr. Abed Bwanika was the first to reveal the plan of not leaving the party insisting that Bobi Wine cannot just push them out of the party in which they invested their energy and brains during its building process.

    Bwanika said that they are going to fight from inside the party and make sure that all mediocres and jokers are forced out of the party leadership so that the political struggle against President Museveni’s government is energised like it was before Bobi Wine took over the leadership of the country’s main opposition political party.

    He also revealed that they have the support of well thinking members of the society including cultural and religious leaders.

    Former Kawempe South Member of Parliament Mubarak Munyagwa confirmed the ongoing private meetings chaired by Mpuuga himself and other legislators both at Pope Paul II Hotel and Serena Kigo Hotel.

    He further claimed that Mpuuga’s camp secured a Shs8bn financial boost to facilitate his ongoing political drive to change the party leadership.

    Sources in Bobi Wine’s camp confirmed that panic is high within the party because Mpuuga has created a strong base among delegates yet many of the foot soldiers, who support Bobi Wine are not voters in the delegates’ conference.

    Bobi Wine was advised to welcome the mediation efforts to solve his misunderstandings with Mpuuga amicably otherwise he is likely to be defeated in the coming 2025 delegates’ conference.

    Sources added that Bobi Wine and his blue eyed boy Rubongoya are very desperate because even the amended party constitution has no capacity to save him.

    “Our constitution has not yet started working, it is still in the process and we shall inform our members when it starts working,” Bobi Wine said while appearing on Radio Simba’s Olutindo program.

    Masaka Diocese Bishop Serverus Jjumba has already offered himself to lead the mediation talks between Mpuuga and Bobi Wine to solve their misunderstanding.

    However, it is not clear whether Bobi Wine will accept him because his people accuse the man of God for conspiring with a section of leaders in Buganda Kingdom led by Buganda Premier Charles Peter Mayiga to fuel Mpuuga’s plans to force him out of power.

    Sources close to Bobi Wine disclosed that the musician turned politician was briefed that Mayiga is secretly leading a team that is mobilizing funds to facilitate Mpuuga’s NUP takeover.

     

    By Sengooba Alirabaki

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    Panic At Upper Prison As NUP Political Prisoners Threaten Luzira Security Over LoP Ssenyonyi’s Recent Visit…

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    The Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP) Joel Ssenyonyi

    Officer In-Charge Upper Prison Luzira Brayn Mbazira has directed his men to be on alert and beef up the prisons security after National Unity Platform (NUP) political prisoners started throwing threats at each other over the recent visit of the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP) Joel Ssenyonyi and other opposition legislators.

    Highly placed sources at Upper prison revealed to theGrapevine that the development comes after prisoners who are supporters of Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) and NUP started pointing accusing fingures at some of their friends who met Ssenyonyi in prison.

    The prisoners were not happy with Ssenyonyi’s decision of meeting only a few of their colleagues instead of meeting them all as a group.

    When Ssenyonyi visited the prison, he met Ibrahim Muwonge and a one Opio and did not meet other political prisoners. They were only informed after he left.

    Sources said that the NUP prisoners were very bitter because Ssenyonyi didn’t even leave them with essential commodities like soap, sugar, salt and some money to use in prison but he only gave Muwonge and Opio.

    “Since the beginning of this year, these NUP prisoners no longer want to cooperate with Muwonge because he is a friend to Muhammad Ssebuufu who is the Chief NRM mobilizer in Upper Prison. And because of that bad blood, the prison leadership decided to transfer Muwonge from Ward 3 where inmates on deadly offences like murder, terrorism, treason are detained from to Boma where there is a lot of freedom,” a source said.

    In Boma, prisoners are allowed to spend the entire day moving around the prison, exercising by running, jogging unlike in Ward 3 prison where they are given few minutes to move out of their detention rooms with strict security.

    Sources further said that Opio, another inmate who Ssenyonyi’s team met, was also transferred from Upper prison to Murchison bay.

    NUP supporters allege that it was after a deal which he sealed.

    To confirm their allegations, they claim that Muwonge and Opio were forced to meet Ssenyonyi since meeting him as a whole team would spoil their chances of being pardoned by president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as they were promised recently.

    State claims that Muwonge and other NUP supporters with political motives cut down electricity poles.

    All the accused persons denied the charges and were sent to Luzira prison.

    While in prison, divisionism started among the group when they started receiving information that President Museveni was set to pardon some of them so that they can be used as State witnesses against their colleagues.

    Sources said that nowadays, these NUP prisoners spend much of their time with city socialist Charlse Olim (Sipapa) who was charged with aggravated robbery and he is the one who is comforting them.

    Many of them are not happy with NUP leadership who they accuse of not delivering their letters to Bobi Wine which they sent asking him to buy for them essential commodities like; soap, salt, sugar and clothes.

    However, insiders in the Office of the Leader Of Opposition in Parliament told theGrapevine that Ssenyonyi has resurrected the fight to rescue all party political prisoners and he has started with those before the General Court Martial.

     

    By Sengooba Alirabaki

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    Lawyer Mabirizi, Judge Ssekaana At War Again Over Principal Judge Zeija’s Directive…

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    L-R: Lawyer Male Mabirizi, Justice Musa Ssekaana and the Principal Judge Dr. Flavian Zeija

    Controversial city lawyer Kassim Male Mabirizi is at war again with Justice Musa Ssekaana the Head of the Civil Division of the High Court Kampala over Principal Judge Dr. Flavian Zeija’s directive.

    The fresh war resulted from a special session scheduled by Justice Ssekaana to mention 35 cases filed by Mabirizi against the Attorney General and other government agencies.

    Justice Ssekaana acted on the directive of Dr. Zeija who directed him as the head of the Division to make sure that Mabirizi’s cases are given special treatment to reduce the case backlog before the Division.

    However, Mabirizi declined to appear before Justice Ssekaana accusing him of violating the Principle Judge’s order claiming that he guided that all his files allocated to different judges be heard by the respective judges not Justice Ssekaana alone as he wanted to do.

    “It defeats logic that at 2pm, 35 cases involving myself will be mentioned! This has never happened in any part of the world,” Mabirizi stated in his letter dated 22nd March 2024 protesting the move by Justice Ssekaana to allocate himself all his cases.

    He further explained that Ssekaana’s actions violate Article 28 and 44 (c) of the Constitution. He further insists that he cannot be part of what he termed as aggravated derogation of the right to fair hearing using the judiciary as a weapon.

    Mabirizi wondered why justice Ssekaana fixed his cases without consulting him on whether he would be available on that particular day, given that on that day, he also had matters before Mbale High Court.

    He challenged Ssekaana to prove whether there are any of his files allocated to him.

    Mabiri stated that Ssekaana recused himself from the only matter before him after what he termed as unconstitutionally condemning him to 18 months imprisonment.

    Mabirizi’s sharp verbal war with Justice Ssekaana started in 2020 when Mabirizi asked him to recuse himself from the case he filed against Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama the chairperson of the Electoral Commission and the Electoral Commission as a body insisting that he will not serve him with justice since he was a former lawyer of the Electoral Commission.

    Justice Ssekaana declined to recuse himself and threatened to imprison him.

    Mabirizi then vowed never to appear before Justice Ssekaana. He later sent him to 18 months in prison in absentia.

    Mabirizi also accuses Justice Ssekaana, as the patron of Uganda Muslim Lawyers Association of fueling the association members to blast him for attacking a fellow Muslim, who is expected to be appointed the next Principal Judge.

     

    By Hadijah Namagembe

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