Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama’s Electoral Commission has cleared the air on allegations that they held a night meeting with the National Unity Platform (NUP) leadership.

On Thursday, appearing on NBS TV’s Frontline, Gideon Tugume, the Secretary for Information in Moses Kibalama’s NUP faction alleged that they have enough evidence including camera footage showing Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine’s NUP faction leaders, led by David Lewis Rubongoya, meeting top Electoral Commission leaders at night.

He claimed that the Tuesday night meeting resulted in the Electoral Commission letter disowning Kibalama’s faction and declaring Bobi Wine’s faction as legal.

Tugume was supported by government spokesperson and also the Media Center boss, Ofwono Opondo who insisted that the Electoral Commission should be investigated over the night meeting allegation.

However, in a phone conversation with theGrapevine, Mr. Paul Bukenya, the Electoral Commission spokesperson rubbished the allegation.
“It is not true that we meet people at night. Our offices are open between 8am to 5pm, beyond that time, we are officially closed for any business,” the soft spoken Mr. Bukenya explained.

He further emphasized that the Electoral Commission only deals with legally recognised institutions and Bobi Wine’s NUP is the recognised NUP leadership.

He explained that they cannot recognise an institution whose legal records they don’t have.

“All of us know that Bobi Wine’s NUP is the leading opposition party in parliament and we have been sending them taxpayers money because of their numerical strength in parliament not Kibalama’s faction,” he noted.

By Sengooba Alirabaki

Veteran radio talk show host Meddie Nsereko Ssebuliba has narrated how he saved now Operation Wealth Creation boss Gen. Salim Saleh from being punched by the late Dr. Suleiman Kiggundu over the Greenland bank closure.

The CBS FM Radio presenter disclosed that, “For the last 26 years which I have spent here moderating political talk shows, I have seen a lot of things that have surprised me, but I will never forget the two talk shows which put me in tension. One was when I hosted late Dr. Kiggundu and Gen. Salim Saleh over the closure of Greenland bank, and another is when I hosted President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Mambo Bado.”

He revealed that in the early 2000s, the closure of Greenland bank was a very big topic of discussion since many business people both big and small were customers to the bank.

Nsereko re-counted that as words filled with bitterness and anger were being exchanged between Dr. Kiggundu and Gen. Saleh’s camps, he was forced with approval from the producers of ‘Kkiriza oba ggana’ talk show to invite both Saleh and Kiggundu to a debate live on radio to explain their issues.

Nsereko related that Gen. Saleh was the first to arrive at Bulange Mengo, the headquarters of CBS radio. A few minutes to 7pm, Dr. Kiggundu also arrived. But when he looked at Gen. Saleh he quickly lost his temper and started throwing strong abusive words at him.

“Kigundu told me, Nsereko, I cannot sit in the same room with that man who has double standards, let me go. The man was very bitter and I understood his bitterness but to calm him down, I greeted him in Islam. I said, Dr. Salaam-Alaikum, let us enter the studio, he accepted and we entered the studio. We found Gen. Saleh already seated inside,” he said.

He narrated that when Dr. Kiggundu looked at Saleh he lost his temper again and tried to punch him.

“He grabbed him but I pleaded with him not to fight. When the talk show started, Dr. Kiggundu accused Gen. Saleh of betraying his loyalty because he supported them in the bush and even when they had just captured power, he kept on financially supporting them but it’s a pity that they paid him by taking his bank,” Nsereko divulged.

Nsereko said that Dr. Kiggundu also accused Gen. Saleh of being bad hearted especially towards Baganda and that’s why he spearheaded the move to impoverish him and fraudulently took his bank.

Nsereko said that in his defense, Gen. Saleh denied all the allegations insisting that it was Bank of Uganda that sold Greenland bank not him.

Nsereko asserted that the second show that put him on tension was during the 2006 election.

He narrated that because Besigye was breathing down President Museveni’s neck, towards the 2006 presidential elections, Museveni decided to appear on CBS’s Mambo Bado political talk show.

By then, Mambo Bado was the hottest and most listened to political talk show in the country.

Museveni complained that the show was full of opposition supporters who use the platform to abuse him. However, CBS radio management told him that they are not against him but his people don’t want to appear on talk shows to counteract opposition’s allegations.

“President Museveni told me, ‘You have been telling me that my people fear these opposition people, now I have come to talk for myself’,” Nsereko quoted Museveni’s opening remarks.

He said that after Museveni’s long submissions, he invited other people to counter his submissions and among them was a one Nakunda Muwanga who told the president that he is a dictator who is competing for president after tying the hands and legs of those competing against him.

Nsereko narrated that Museveni was very bitter with Muwanga’s submission and a few days later, Mambo Bado talk show was banned by the Uganda Communication Commission.

He added that Dr. Kizza Besigye, Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde, Gen. David Sejusa are the other prominent people who put him in a difficult position behind the microphone.

By Sengooba Alirabaki

Uganda Police spokesperson CP Fred Enanga has disclosed that the Directorate of Crime Intelligence (CID) has arrested 24 suspects who form part of a criminal network, involved in the financing of ADF terrorism activities, in the DRC and in Uganda.

In a statement released today, Enanga said that, “those arrested are Kyeyune Isma alias Ismail alias Beckam alias Buguman alias Musilamu alias Mohammad a 30 year old, boda-boda rider and a resident of Bulaga- Nakabugo and Kinamundu villages in Wakiso District, who was recruited in the ADF ranks in 2021, by Adam Matovu alias Manhajji alias Musa Muko from Kalerwe.

“The task team also arrested Musa Mubiru alias Musilamu alias Professor alias Sheikh alias Nathan; Kiiza Patrick alias Pato; Kinene Hamis alias Mis and Wadimba Jackson alias Sejusa. Together with others, they paid allegiance to the ADF and admitted to conspiring with others, to stage robberies of aggravated nature. The proceeds were being used to finance ADF activities (including recruitment of future terrorist fighter), and also cover welfare costs of families of ADF fighters.”

He added that the two suspects were trained in combat and martial art skills from Kawempe- Ttula, together with Ajode, Musa Kabanda alias Musomesa and Mwebe, who were arrested recently from the ADF hub in Luwero.

“During the disruptive operations, two notorious gang leaders, were fatally wounded, one while resisting arrest and the other during a foiled robbery. One of them was identified as; Tomusange Farouk alias Otto alias Juma Otti alias Ssebaduka Ramadhan alias Abdulaziz Nsubuga.

“His gang participated in the robbery of Ugx 300m, from Mohammad Ahmed, a Somali businessman at Equatorial Hotel on 25.05.2020, they robbed Her Worship Gladys Kamasanyu at Green Hill Academy on 17.07.2021; robbed Ugx 400m from Lee Yin Tang, a Chinese Businessman along Nkurumah road, robbed JUWAN LAL, an Indian businessman on the 24.07.2022, along Mawanda road; on the 9.02.2021, they robbed 100.000 Euros from Kushamohan Konnakutty, an Indian businessman at the Jinja Road Traffic junction, among others,” he added.

“The second gang leader, identified as Mugalu Ibra alias Nakwero, was shot dead during a foiled robbery at Old Kampala in Mengo on the 2.06.2022. The former convict was involved in the robbery of Ugx 150m and two mobile phones from Gitawu Abdallah, a Kenyan businessman along Apollo Kaggwa road; robbed USD 4500 and Ugx 20m, from KE QIU FANG MA LEE, a Chinese businessman; also robbed 3 separate South Sudanese business persons at Kawaala (USD 80.000); Bakuli Mengo (USD 30.000); Kasubi – Namungoona (USD 10.000).”

Enanga divulged that the criminal gang network conducted effective surveillance against foreign businessmen transporting cash, whom they attacked at suitable get-away points.

“They further utilized various methods of secret communication to conceal their criminal activities. Several exhibits of motorcycles, mobile phones and documents were recovered,” Enanga said.

By Grapevine Reporter