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    INSIDE STORY: How Bishop Luwalira Was Dragged In Deadly Fight For Namirembe Diocese Top Job As Rev. Gakumba Committee Plots To Expose Those Who Want To Control Historical Diocese…

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    The mighty Grapevine has exclusively learnt that the five member committee chaired by Retired Northern Uganda Bishop Emeritus Rev. Johnson Gakumba has concluded the writing of their final report which is going to be tabled to the House of Bishop for discussion to guide them on the next course of action concerning the process of electing the next Namirembe Diocese Bishop.

    Bishop Dr. Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira is retiring next month and the Church needs a replacement.

    Highly placed sources at Namirembe Cathedral revealed to theGrapevine that any decision from the House of Bishops is likely to put the entire Church of Uganda on the spot because Namirembe Diocese is the foundation of the Church that is why their issue has to be handled carefully and it is the reason why the Archbishop Dr. Steven Kazimba Mugalu pleaded to the country to pray for him when he was in Mityana diocese.

    Dr. Kazimba disclosed that bad people are on his neck and he needs people’s prayers to survive the storm.

    Dr. Luwalira’s successor was supposed to be elected by the House of Bishops last month but the process was suspended by the House of Bishops chaired by Dr. Kazimba over allegation of mismanaging the process and fraud among the members of the vetting committee chaired by Makerere University law don Fred Mpanga, the Chancellor of Namirembe Diocese.

    The decision to appoint Rev. Gakumba committee to investigate the allegation was based on the affidavit sworn by two members of the vetting committee who revealed dirty deals that some members of the vetting committee were involved in during the process of selecting the three names of the clergymen forwarded to the House of Bishops while choosing Dr. Luwalira’s successor.

    In their affidavits, the petitioners claimed that Mpanga’s committee didn’t follow the Provincial Canon especially 3.7.24 which states that, “After evaluation of all the candidates proposed for consideration for nomination on the basis of the above named mentioned criteria, the Diocesan Nominees with the requisite qualification shall be forwarded to the House of Bishops by the Diocesan Chancellor, on behalf of the committee, for consideration for appointment as Bishop.”

    The petitioners also claimed that Mpanga violated Provincial Canon which states, “Before forwarding the names of the selected candidates to House of Bishops, through the Archbishop, the Diocesan Chancellor shall require and obtain from each of the candidates the following items.”

    The items include two passport size copies of recent photographs, Curriculum vitae with academic and professional documents, Certificate of Baptism, Certificate of Confirmation in the Christian faith, Marriage Certificate.

    The petitioners alleged that this was not done and the chairperson of the committee didn’t allow members to debate on the names of the 10 people who applied for the slot.

    They further alleged that when Mpanga summoned them for a retreat which they thought was going to discuss the matter in depth, he told them that they were supposed to leave their vehicles at Namirembe Cathedral and be transported in one mini-bus car to Kings College Budo where the meeting took place.

    The petitioners claimed that they discovered that the reason why they decided to transport them in a mini-bus was because they didn’t want them to discuss the process to nominate the best candidate.

    When they reached Kings College Budo, they were told that they have come to agree on only three names which they will send to the House of Bishops.

    They did not get a chance to scrutinize all the 10 candidates.

    The petitioners insisted that they tried to put up a spirited fight but Mpanga being a lawyer overpowered them and smuggled the name of Rev. Abraham Muyinda the Vicar of Namirembe Cathedral who even didn’t apply for the job to the final list.

    Sources said that this was done to facilitate their longtime calculation to control Namirembe Diocese.

    Source disclosed that the architects of the move wanted to favor Rev. Can. Moses Banja, the Archdeacon of Luzira whose name was also on the list because of his age.

    He is 59-years-old and the movers are very sure that within 6 years, he will be retiring and they will be electing another Bishop.

    However, insiders at Namirembe told theGrapevine that Rev. Gakumba’s committee is supposed to investigate allegations that Rev. Con. Banja has a strong relationship with Mpanga.

    It is alleged he is his personal lawyer and also a close friend to his wife Rev. Can. Prof Olivia Nassaka, the Ndejje University deputy chancellor.

    Sources added that the main aim of favouring Rev. Con. Banja in the race is to smoothen the road for the already prepared successor to him, Rev. Samuel Muwonge, the Namirembe Diocese Mission secretary who will fulfill their interests.

    Rev. Muwonge is a very connected man of God in Church of Uganda and Namirembe Dioceses because he married Rev. Con. Henry Ssegawa’s daughter who is also very influential in the church.

    Another name which was forwarded to the House of Bishops to be considered is that of Rev. Edward Stanley Kabanda.

    At the beginning of the process, Bishop Luwalira was very impartial until he was dragged in the fight to help the alleged mafias achieve their interests.

    Sources disclosed that the people who have been influencing the vetting process are targeting the Diocese’s multi billion properties which they want to control.

    Among them includes; Huge chunks of land, schools like Kings College Budo, Budo Junior School, Gayaza Junior School, Gayaza High School, Mengo Senior School and others.

    Sources said that they also want to control the political, economic and social opinions from Namirembe especially at this time when the country is vying for political transition from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s leadership to the new leadership.

    Sources said that for a longtime, the alleged mafias have been trying to compromise Bishop Luwalira but he has been standing his ground to protect the Diocese’s properties and public image.

    They at one time even resorted to using intimidation to scare him.

    They gave the example of a one Solomon Herbert Kaddu who attacked Dr. Luwalira during Easter prayers dressed in a backcloth. Kaddu was planted to intimidate Luwalira.

    Sources within Rev. Gakumba’s committee told theGrapevine that Mpanga is still in trouble because there are members on the committee who want him to be captured in their report for trying to hijack the proceedings.

    They claim that when they invited the witnesses who were members of his committee to testify, he also summoned them and met them at Namirembe and cautioned them not to obey Rev. Gakumba’s committee orders.

    He also wanted all members of his committee to appear at once before Gakumba’s committee, not one by one.

    A section of the committee members protested his prayers.

    Rev. Gakumba’s committee met all the summoned members one by one and a number of them according to source distanced themselves from the report sent to the House of Bishops.

    Rev. Gakumba’s committee will advises the House of Bishops on whether to capture Mpanga’s report or cancel the entire process of selecting Dr. Luwalira’s successor and announce a fresh process with a new committee or the same committee.

    theGrapevine tried to reach out to Adams Sadiiki the Church of Uganda spokesperson for a comment on when his boss Dr. Kazimba will summon the House of Bishops to discuss Rev. Gakumba’s report but his MTN phone number was not being picked.

    Last month, Anglicans at Namirembe Diocese led by former Buganda Kingdom security minister David Kiwalabye Male warned that they are not going to accept Bishops given to them by individuals.

    They vowed to only accept Bishops given to them by God through the process put in place by the Church of Uganda to elect the Bishops of Dioceses.

     

    By Sengooba Alirabaki

    Views: 1,468

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    CRIME

    Lawyers Alaka, Mukasa Mbidde, Ochieng Listed Among Top Lawyers Likely To Face Arrest Over Balondemu’s Forged Medical Letter…

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    2 days ago

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    December 2, 2023

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    Embattled Kampala District Land Board chairperson David Balondemu (L) and lawyers Alaka (Top R) and Mbidde (bottom R)

    The mighty Grapevine has exclusively learnt that very soon, some top city lawyers are likely to face arrest over Kampala District Land Board chairperson David Balondemu’s alleged forged medical letters.

    Highly placed sources at police’s Directorate of Criminal Investigation(CID) have revealed that last week, Jackson Tweheyo on behalf of Maj. Dr. Tom Magambo the CID Director summoned lawyers Caleb Alaka, Evans Ochieng, Hassan Kamba, Fred Mukasa Mbidde, Robert Bautu to appear before the State House Anti-Corruption Unity to record statements on allegation of forging a medical letter.

    The lawyers were supposed to appear before the Department of Economic Fraud and Anti-Corruption on 28th of November 2023 but they all snubbed the summons.

    However, when contacted, lawyer Alaka rubbished the allegation of face arrest explaining that he personally hasn’t yet been summoned but his friend Bautu told him that he was summoned to appear before State House Anti-Corruption Unit.

    Counsel Alaka, a Criminal law giant explained that the State House Anti-Corruption Unit under the command of Brig. Gen. Henry Isoke doesn’t have powers to summon a lawyer on grounds of offences committed by his client.

    “They are not serious, Advocates are Officers of Court. We are just helping court to deliver justice. For us we just represent clients. They are the ones who give us documents including local council letters. So, we are not the ones authorising those documents,” Alaka noted.

    theGrapevine has learnt that lawyer Bautu wrote to State House Anti-Corruption Department explaining why they will not appear to record the said statements.

    He noted that they have the privilege to present the documents given to them by their client to a judicial officer and thus are not answerable for those documents.

    Buganda Road State Attorney Ivan Kyazze brought to the attention of the presiding magistrate in Balondemu’s bail application Winnie Nankya that the accused person with the help of his lawyers forged medical letters from Kampala Hospital.

    He presented the affidavit of Dr. Peter Kibuka the Kampala Hospital Chief Executive Officer denying the said letter noting that it was not authored from his hospital.

    The letter presented by lawyers indicated that Balondemu, who is battling multibillion fraud cases was supposed to have a surgical operations in the very week the application came before the magistrate.

    Highly placed sources at State House Anti-Corruption Unit told theGrapevine that the detectives were set to arrest the said lawyers last week but all of them run into hiding.

    The said lawyers were added on the list of over 50 city lawyers who are under investigation on allegations of abetting fraud and corruption.

    Among the lawyers who is set to be arrested before Christmas is one working with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) who issued a bribe of Shs70m to a top politician at City Hall to be given a juicy job.

    State alleges that Balondemu, Erick Geoffrey Mkwe, Joseph Ibona  together with others still at large fraudulently obtain Shs2.2bn from the American company KG Unlimited under the guise of awarding them a contract of supplying agricultural drone sprayers and fertilizers in the Ministry of Agriculture.

    Sources at the State House Anti-Corruption Unit said that Balodemu has two already sanctioned criminal files by Justice Jane Frances Abodo the Director Public Prosecution and 15 other files have not yet been sanctioned even though investigations are done.

     

    By Sengooba Alirabaki

    Views: 1,022

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    NATIONAL

    High Level Lobbying Kicks Off For UNRA’s Kagina To Replace Gen. Katumba In Ministry of Works As M7 Finalises New Cabinet That Will Sail Him Through 2026 Elections…

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    2 days ago

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    December 2, 2023

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    UNRA's Allen Kagina and President Museveni

    For fear of losing workaholic Allen Kagina the Executive Director of the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) in the ongoing process of merging government agencies as a mechanism to cut government expenditure, a number of lobbyists including politicians from both the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the opposition are persuading the appointing authority to appoint her a minister.

    According to a recent cabinet brief, UNRA is set to be taken back to the Ministry of Works and Transport which means that Kagina has to compete with other candidates to head a department in the ministry and her powers will be reduced because she will no longer be the final decision maker on road construction matters.

    Maverick Kira Municipality legislator, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda said that if such a move to merge government agencies is executed, it will be a disservice to the public because UNRA, being an independent body has been making constructive decisions which have benefited the public.

    Ssemujju noted that if UNRA is taken back to the Ministry of Works and Transport, he will be among those who will lobby and pray that Kagina is appointed a minister so that she remains the final decision maker.

    “For me I like that woman, not because she has helped construct and rehabilitate roads in my constituency but because she is not corrupt. Many people in Museveni’s government are very corrupt, their names are on the corruption wall of fame but for Kagina, No. I speak this with authority because as a Member of Parliament I’ve sat on several accountability committees including chairing COSASE but Kagina’s name was never cited in any corruption scandal, which is not easy when you are working in Museveni’s government,” Ssemujju said.

    He added, “And when you enter her office asking for construction of your road, she doesn’t make phone calls to receive orders from above, she makes her decision there and then. We need such people because she is close to Museveni’s family.”

    Highly placed sources in the corridors of power confirmed to theGrapevine that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is likely to reshuffle his cabinet during Christmas holidays.

    Sources disclosed that a number of people have been recommending Kagina for the position of Works and Transport minister.

    We have been told that Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala the current Minister for Works and Transport is set to be transferred to the Prime Minister’s Office to help the president clean that docket which has been named one of the most corrupt.

    Sources said that when Gen. Katumba went to the works ministry, he started a cleaning process and a number of untouchables were put to order.

    Sources revealed that in the Prime Minister’s Office, there are many untouchables especially in the office of the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees.

    When the current Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja tried to expose them, she was character assassinated and humiliated to the extent that the appointing authority started asking questions.

    Senior presidential advisor on media and also a seasoned social, political and economic commentator Joseph Tamale Mirundi recently disclosed that in the coming reshuffle, the president is going to appoint a team of ministers who will help him sail through the 2026 general elections.

    Mirundi explained that the President’s immediate opponent Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) of the National Unity Platform (NUP) is trying to portray his government as one full of human rights violators and they plan to use these accusations as a weapon during the 2026 campaigns.

    He noted that a number of ministers are living in fear of being fired in the next reshuffle.

    “Now all of them are running to get photos with Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Many of them have been fighting the MK Movement but they now want him to appoint them to organizing committees of barazas which are going to take place in their constituencies,” Mirundi said.

    He added that Gen. Muhoozi is going to be a strong factor in deciding who to appear on the list of incoming ministers.

    He was supported by shadow finance minister Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi who said that in the coming reshuffle, Museveni is going to appoint more youths in his cabinet as a way of countering Bobi Wine.

    The Butambala county legislator gave the example of Ruth Katushabe the former Bukomansimbi legislator and also the Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs who was assigned by Museveni to make sure that most of the students in Secondary and University vote for him come 2026.

    Kivumbi claimed that Katushabe has been moving school to school, university to university campaigning for Museveni and before her appearance at any learning institution, the heads first receive commands from above to allow her to talk to students.

    Kivumbi however boasted that NUP and Bobi Wine are also campaigning clandestinely in schools.

    Sources in the corridors of power told theGrapevine that among the ministers who are likely not to comeback are Amos Lugolobi the state minister for finance in charge of planning, Agnes Nandutu the state minister for Karamoja affairs and her boss Marry Gorreti Kituntu who are currently battling with corruption charges at the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court.

    Others are; Moses Ali the Second Prime minister, Anifa Kawooya the state minister for health,  James Magode Ikuya the state minister for East African affairs who sources claim are going to be fired on health grounds.

    Sources divulged that Gen. Edward Kale Kayihura the former Inspector General of Police is likely to be appointed a senior Minister of Internal Affairs, Lillian Aber the women’s representative for Kitgum District is set to be appointed a state minister in the Ministry of Labour, Otuke Member of Parliament Paul Omara is set to take over Lugolobi’s office, Kagoma North Constituency legislator Brandon Kintu who is also the NRM parliamentary caucus spokesperson will be taken to the Ministry of Information and National Guidance.

    Dr. Chris Baryomunsi is likely to be taken to the ministry of health and chances are high that Nabanja is going to retain her position as the country’s prime minister.

     

    By Sengooba Alirabaki

    Views: 1,108

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    NATIONAL

    Why NUP Want Dead Body Of Bobi Wine’s Bodyguard Exhumed; Mpuuga Set To Make More Demands…

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    2 days ago

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    December 2, 2023

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    Bobi Wine (R) with the late Ssenteza (L)

    The Opposition in Parliament lead by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP) Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba on Tuesday are set to task Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire the Internal Affairs senior minister to give a detailed report concerning the circumstances that caused the death of Francis Kalibbala Ssenteza the former bodyguard to National Unity Platform (NUP) Principal Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine).

    Shadow Finance minister and also Butambala County legislator Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi told theGrapevine that they were not convinced with Gen. Otafiire’s report and they are going to give the country a response through Mpuuga on the floor of Parliament.

    Kivumbi said that among the issues they want explained is the way Ssenteza was killed in a motor accident because Gen. Otafiire’s report claims that he was knocked by Bobi Wine’s Toyota Hiace which he used during the 2021 presidential campaigns.

    He narrated that Gen. Otafiire who signed the Statement, even though it was read by his State Minister Gen. David Muhoozi confirmed that at the scene of crime, there was a military vehicle.

    He added that government intentionally refused to carry out a postmortem report on Ssenteza’s dead body because they feared that it would reveal the cause of his death.

    “He stated that NUP supporters run away with the dead body and it is the reason they gave why they didn’t make a postmortem report but all of us know very well that the State has the capacity to exhume a body and carry out an autopsy because we cannot allow a person to die in such circumstances not subject his body to a postmortem,” Kivumbi said.

    Ssenteza, who was a carpenter at Mulago ku Biiri along Bombo road was knocked dead at Busega roundabout and buried in December of 2020 at his ancestral home in Masaka district.

    Kivumbi added that another explanation they want from Otafire is the circumstances under which Bobi Wine supporter Ritah Nabukenya died in a motor accident.

    He said that Otafire confirmed that Nabukenya was knocked by a speeding police patrol at Nakawa a Kampala city suburb and the driver of the patrol was arrested but the Director for Public Prosecution (DPP) Justice Jane Frances Abodo declined to sanction the file on grounds that it did not have supporting evidence.

    He insisted that the evidence was there but the file was not sanctioned on political grounds.

    However when contacted, Gen. Otafiire boasted that he is ready to face Mpuuga in parliament and he will answer all his questions on the floor of parliament because he will be there himself, not his junior minister.

    Highly placed sources in the LOP’s office told theGrapevine that immediately after Mpuuga makes his response, he will table fresh demands.

    They will include demands for an explanation on the arrest and humiliation of Muslim clerics and the issue of Balalo in northern Uganda particularly in Acholi.

    But Otafiire said that once the new demands are raised, he will ask the presiding speaker to give him more time to investigate the allegation and report back as he did with the first demands.

     

    By Hadijja Namagembe

    Views: 504

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