Appearing before the Presidential Affairs Committee, State house comptroller, Lucy Nakyobe has said that musicians Catherine Kusasira and Mark Bugembe alias Buchaman are not Presidential Advisors because the president has not yet put their appointment in writing.

Nakyobe and a team from the State house had appeared before the committee to Present the institution’s budget estimate.

The repport compiled by the State House team shows that there were no changes in the amount estimated for Presidential Advisors’ salaries even though the President had appointed a few more in 2019.

When the MPs on the committee tasked the comptroller on the salaries of presidential advisors, Nakyobe said, “It is for that reason that they are not entitled to salary as State House staff.”

Recently, the Ministry of Public Service made it clear that Kusasira and Buchaman were not civil servants yet and are not entitled to the salary.

“The appointments are based on one’s social standing, it can be on technical competence, but we have not seen Buchaman and Kusasira’s appointments,” David Karubanga the State Minister for Public service said.

Late last year, President Museveni announced the appointment of Catherine Kusasira and Buchaman as advisors.

Musician Ibrahim Mayanja alias Big Eye has praised president Museveni as the most honest person he has ever seen on the face of the earth.

Big Eye said this after receiving a brand new yellow colored Tundra from president Museveni to be used in the campaigning process.

“Mr Museveni is the most honest person I have ever seen on this earth; he understands every person. In fact, I don’t regret supporting him. He has just gifted me with a brand-new car that is going to be used in the 2020 campaigns,” he said.

In A brief phone interview with the Grapevine, BigEye said that president Museveni is the only person who can understand Ugandans and other people, including people power activists who want to unseat him very selfishness, chaotic and violent.

“Other politicians are selfish; they are working for their families. People Power members are characterized with chaos and violence; they cannot rule our country.  We have to vote for the right person and that is President Museveni,” He emphasised.

Big Eye Is one of the local musicians that have been insulted, pelted with empty battles after expressing their support towards the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) ahead of the 2021 presidential elections.

Others include Moses Ssali alias Bebe Cool, Catherine Kusasira, Jenifer Nakanguubi alias Full Figure among others. However, Big Eye bragged that he has earned much from the torture he recently experienced, saying Mr. Museveni has compensated him with a lot of things.

“I was tortured, they insulted me and pelted empty bottles at me thinking that I will stop (supporting Museveni) but instead I have gained a lot from it like a brand-new car. I have 30 herds of cattle and am living a good life,” he bragged.

He further urged other youth to leave other parties which have no future and join the ruling party (NRM). “What I can tell other youth across the country is they should do what Hassan Ndugga did, they should join NRM because president Museveni is there to serve them,” a proud Big Eye said.

Recently, Kadongo Kamu singer Hassan Ndugga, a former People Power activist crossed to the ruling NRM party and even participated in the Afrika Kwetu Trek.

Ndugga told the media that he crossed to NRM because he never wanted to die poor. “Those criticizing me have never given me even a single penny, including Bobi Wine apart from praising me. I don’t want to die poor, that is why I joined the ruling party,” Ndugga said.

By Josephine Kauma

Local musician cum politician Ronald Mayinja has blasted events organizer Andrew Mukasa Alias Bajjo for attacking him over his new pressure group ‘Peace For All, All For Peace’.

Yesterday, Bajjo told the media that Mayinja met president Museveni and made a deal with him worth 2 billion shillings to abandon People Power and launch a new pressure group with intentions of breaking up People Power and fighting Bobi Wine’s support.

Bajjo and a one Kaweesi Yasin accused Mayinja of getting shillings 600 million deposit (on the 2 billion) from Mr. Museveni something that Mayinja vehemently refuted.

“My movement not a political party but a movement that agitates for peace not votes. Bajjo is mentally unstable. If he wasn’t, I would sue him so that court compels him to bring that evidence,” Mayinja said.

Mayinja added that he has met the president three times and in public places.

“I have met President Museveni 3 times only, in Kyanamukaka when Hon. Edward Ssekandi was made Vice President & his people requested our band to perform on his event, in Kiboga when Nankabirwa invited me and finally Serena at Kusasira’s show! All the meetings were public and in camera, those who say I met him and got 600m should bring pictures besides those 3 meetings!” Mayinjja said.

He added that he cannot risk meeting the president in secret or in the absence of the press.

“I cannot meet president Museveni privately because I disagree with him,” he added.

On Wednesday Last week, Mayinja launched ‘Peace For All, All For Peace’ pressure group at Calendar Hotel in Makindye, a Kampala suburb.

During the launch, Mayinja said that his team will move across the country to popularize the movement through organizing legal concerts with permission from the Police.

“We are going to promote mutual respect for one another regardless of one’s political affiliations, religion or tribe because we are all Ugandans,” he said.

The Peace for All Movement comes nearly five months after Mayinja stirred up controversy in September last year by singing his ‘Bizeemu’ song at Catherine Kusasira’s tears of a woman concert where president Museveni was chief guest.

By Josephine Kauma