Famous Buganda kingdom stalwart Aga  Sekalala Sr, who was also one of Uganda’s prominent businessmen, has passed on.

Acccording to credible sources, tycoon Sekalala, who was also the proprietor of Simba FM, UGACHICK and several other business ventures across the country, passed away while at his retirement home on Kazi Island, Bugaba- Bufumira Sub-county in Ssese Islands.

Reliable sources reveal that Owek. Sekalala, who was one of the few Buganda kingdom regents that raised reigning Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, has been one of the greatest pillars of Buganda Kingdom.

This is because he was one of the few nobles who grew up in the realm of the Buganda Kingdom throne and was very influential all throughout the life of Kabaka Mutebi’s father His Majesty Ssekabaka Fredrick Mutesa I.

According to Charles Tusubira, one of the elders in Ssese Islands, the late Ssekalala had worked tirelessly towards uplifting the lives the of people living in the islands by promoting education and sanitation amongst the island communities through constructing schools and financing health facilities.

Details about Owek. Sekalala’s demise and his final send-off will be communicated in our subsequent reports.

By Grapevine Reporter

Maverick city lawyer Hassan Male Mabirizi, has petitioned  the East African Court of Justices, seeking an order stopping National Unity Platform(NUP) principal Robert Kyagulanyi  aka Bobi Wine from withdrawing the  petition he filed at the Supreme Court challenging President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s reelection.

In his application for Stay of Proceedings or restraining of Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny-Dollo from taking part in the proceedings of Bobi Wine’s petition, Mabirizi seeks among others;

“Staying all the proceedings and under presidential elections petition No.1 of 2021 (Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert VS Yoweri Museveni Tibuhaburwa, the Electoral Commission and the Attorney General including, but not limited to the actual Misc Application, Misc Application No 05 of 2021 for withdrawal of the petition and any other proceeding be UNTIL FINAL DETERMINATION OF THE EAST AFRICAN COURT OF JUSTICE REERENCE N0 09 2021.”

He further insists that he will suffer irreparable damage if the petition proceeds with Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo participating on the panel of the nine justices of the Supreme Court, who are handling the said petition.

He prays to the E.A Court to speed up the hearing of the application for balance of convenience, which is likely to be in his favour.

Mabirizi challenges Chief Justice Dollo’s decision of declining to recuse himself from the panel of Justices who are hearing Bobi Wine’s petition on grounds of having been a lawyer to the 1^st respondent, Museveni, which is tantamount to conflict of interest and likely to result into bias.

The Attorney General however is yet respond  to Mabirizi’s Application.

Meanwhile, the  Supreme Court has set Thursday March 4^th, 2021 as the date for hearing the fate of Bobi Wine’s application for withdrawal of the petition and whether it shall be granted or not.

It should also be noted that former presidential candidate Willy Mayambala has since written to the Supreme Court seeking advise on how he can inherit the petition, such that it can be heard by court to its logical end.

By Arilabaki Sengooba

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has faulted social media platform Facebook for being used by opposition figures in Uganda to spread false rumours about the country.

Museveni made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting he held with a group of National Resistance Movement (NRM) cadres who conducted online campaigns for the ruling party during the recently concluded general election.

Blaming Facebook for trying to sabotage NRM party campaigns by blocking and or deleting all pages and accounts that were being managed by NRM supporters, Museveni said that; “They deleted our people’s accounts under the guise, but we can see the bias, the discrimination standards they used. You cannot say that these were doing wrong, what about the other group (opposition) that have been spreading all forms of wrong information and inciting our people?” Museveni questioned, according to a State House statement issued on Sunday.

He accused opposition politicians of spreading rumours using social media by painting a negative image about the country’s security situation in the eyes of the international community, saying that the limitation of access to Facebook will not stop the most important things from happening in Uganda.

It should be noted that ever since President Museveni fell out with the owners of Facebook, he has since stopped giving national updates through his official Facebook page like he used to.

Actually, the President last made a Facebook on post January 11^th, shortly before the country went into elections and since then he has never made any public communication via his Facebook account.

President Museveni fell out with   Facebook last year after  the government requested the social media platform owners to switch off all pages and media outlets that were presumed to be supporting Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) agenda.

However, instead implementing the government’s request, Facebook  advised government to take the matter to court, because it was likely to attract litigation.

In retaliation, state operatives led by Ashburg Katto, Andrew Mukasa aka Bajjo, hacked pages and  media outlets that were being managed by NRM bloggers on Facebook, something that annoyed President Museveni.

He thus ordered the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, plus the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to ensure that internet and social media are switched off completely, which  was the case until the electoral period was wound down.

Although last month President Museveni directed the UCC and Ministry of ICT to switch back on the internet and social media, access to  Facebook  and other social media platforms  still remains restricted.

By Grapevine Reporter