The Permanent Secretary and Secretary to Judiciary Pius Bigirimana has exclusively confirmed to the mighty Grapevine that the Judiciary is handling administratively the eviction threats from Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, the Kabaka of Buganda Kingdom and city businessman Sudhir Ruparelia.

“I cannot comment much on those issues but we are handling them administratively,” Bigirimana said in a telephone interview.

Multiple credible sources in judiciary intimated to theGrapevine that Kabaka Mutebi’s government has given judiciary three options; either to pay their rent arrears which are in billions of shillings, vacate their building or buy them.

The building in question house Mwanga II and Mengo Chief Magistrate’s Court.

“We don’t have the money to buy the building, and the only option we have now is to vacate and we are working overtime to make sure that before the end of this year, we vaccate Kabaka Mutebi’s building. They have already issued the eviction notice and we cannot wait to be humiliated by Court bailiffs. Because if we insist, we risk seeing our court files being throuwn out and making headlines,” a top judicial officer said.

He added that the judiciary is still searching for a suitable building where to shift to. The one they got near Noah’s Ark Secondary School Kabuusu was rejected because it can only house Mwanga II Court yet their goal is to get a building which can house both courts as it is at Kabaka’s building.

The insider added that another building at Wakulukuku was also rejected because it is too far. The two courts at Kabaka’s building handle cases from Lubaga division and Natete, yet the Wankulukuku building was too small and could only house Mengo Chief Magistrate’s Court.

The building where Kabaka is evicting the judiciary is part of the first properties that  president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s government returned to Kabaka in 1993.

Buganda Kingdom  was not reached for a comment because Owekitiibwa Noah Kiyimba, the Kingdom spokesperson’s known phone known numbers were not going through, We were later told that he is out of the country.

“He travelled with Premier Charles Peter Mayiga to the United States Of America. And he is the only person authorized to speak on that matter,” a top minister in Kabaka’s government told theGrapevine.

Last year, Mengo wrote to president Museveni’s government demanding rent arrears worth Shs.215bn.

Among the government properties that are seated on Kabaka’s land include Entebbe State House.

Mayiga told the media early this month that government is not paying rent on which State House is seated.

Others government buildings that have huge rent arrears include sub county buildings, military barracks, prisons, schools and others.

However, controversial city lawyer Hassan Male Mabirizi protested the move to evict the judiciary through a deadly letter to Kabaka Mutebi’s lawyers of K&K Advocates.

In his letter Mabirizi wants the Kabaka to halt demanding rent and evicting government agencies from their buildings until the determination of his petition he filed at the Constitutional Court.

“Under paragraph 4 of the above petition, 1, among others prayed orders Nullifying all arrangements, settlements and understanding between Kabaka and Government of Uganda that Kabaka be compelled to refund to government of Uganda all monies received under cover of ground rent, lease premiums” the letter reads in parts.

Last year, the Judiciary vacated Kasangati Magistrate Court which was also owned by Buganda building. They relocated to another remote place in Namavundu.

SUDHIR EVICTS ANTI-CORRUPTION AND WAR CRIMES COURTS

The judiciary also faces another eviction from city businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, the chairman Ruparalia Group of Companies who wants to take over the buildings which are housing the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court, the Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Court, Crimes War Division of the High Court.

Highly placed sources in Judiciary revealed to theGrapevine that Sudhir informed them that he bought the said building located at Kololo, a Kampala suburb from the owner (names withheld) and he told the judiciary to leave because he wants to use it for other businesses.

Sources said that the judiciary top management decided to shift to Col. John Mugenyi’s building at  Wandegeya opposite the Ministry of Health headquarters.

Col. Mugenyi’s building has been empty since the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) vacated it early this year. The judiciary rented it to house the Supreme Court.

Insiders in the judiciary disclosed that they are very sure that by the end of this year, the Supreme Court will be shifted to the new building at the High Court Criminal Division near City Square which is going to house the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal is currently renting at Twed Towers in Nakasero, a Kampala suburb.

Sources further disclosed that the High Court Land Division and Civil Division of the High Court will remain renting at Twed Towers because they all cannot fit in the new building at the High Court Criminal Division.

By Sengooba Alirabaki

Uganda Biotechnology and Biosafety Consortium (UBBS) scientists led by Dr. Fredrick Kabi, the leading principal investigator in the fight to develop the anti-tick and tick borne disease vaccine has saved Ugandans from spending Shs38tn on buying acaricide, establishing measures to control ticks and treating their animals from deadly ticks.

UBBS scientists’ goal is to create innovations and research on Biotechnology for socio-economic transformation and climate change resilience.

During their innovations, the Scientists use living things or parts of living things to make useful products that benefit mankind and the environment.

In agriculture, UBBS innovations are often used in combination with conventional breeding to develop improved plant varieties.

In an engagement with Online media journalists, Dr. Kabi revealed that since childhood, he has been thinking about how he could use his knowledge to solve the ticks problem after establishing that 80% of cattle mostly in Africa are at risk of ticks and tick borne diseases.

He explained that when he started the project of manufacturing the anti-tick vaccines ten years back, he was helped by other scientists to meet President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who was very happy with their initiative.

“President Museveni has been very supportive and we thank him as scientists for the achievement we have had. The vaccination has passed the trial stage and very soon, the vaccine is going to be on the market and we are very sure that the president and all herdsmen around the country whose animals were being finished off by ticks are going to get peace.” Dr. Kabi said.

He added that according to his research, Ugandans have been spending between Shs2.5-38tn annually on fighting ticks using high cost treatments and control measures which in turn affect their animals’ productivity and the market.

He explained that if his vaccine goes onto the market, farmers are going to stop using the acaricide to kill ticks because they have lost the potency due to their longevity of over 100 years in use.

Dr. Kabi added that acaricide is not only costly to a farmer but also affects the environment and leads to food contamination and death of non-targeted life through meat and milk.

He said that Uganda is not going to be the first country to use vaccination to kill ticks. He gave examples of Cuba and Austria who started vaccinating their animals as early as 1939.

“Vaccines are safe, organic and more sustainable for tick control and this has been established by the National Drug Authority (NDA) and other drug regulatory bodies which permitted the conducting of continued field trials,” Dr. Kabi said.

He added that their trial were carried out on cattle breeds of Friesians, Boram and Ankole cattle which were heavily affected by ticks and exercise took 360 days covering all climate seasons in areas of North East Uganda, Northern Uganda, Ankole, Bunyoro among others.

Dr. Kabi said that in their observation during the trials, they established that there was no adverse effect associated with the trials.

For the 360 days, they only used the vaccine and did not use acaricide, but the ticks were successfully managed.

He revealed that since their trials succeeded, farmers’ lives have changed because their cattle are now free from ticks and the productivity is high which has saved farmers who were dying of stress caused by ticks which killed their animals.

Dr. Kabi thanked president Museveni for the new modern technology equipment which he procured for them to help them during their research and innovation.

Dr. Andrew Kiggundu the UBBS president pleaded with the concerned authorities to speed up the process of enacting a law to legalise UBBS work because it will help the world’s growing population which currently stands at eight billion.

By Sengooba Alirabaki

It seems Her Royal Highness Sylivia Nagginda Luswata, the Queen of Buganda (Nnaabagereka) is still bitter with Mengo administration led by Premier Charles Peter Mayiga.

This is after she recently snubbed more Buganda Kingdom official functions.

Women in Buganda Kingdom were shocked last week when Nagginda, without sending a representative or a message snubbed their woman’s day celebrations held at Ssesse Island Beach Hotel which is in one of the kingdom counties.

It is alleged that Nagginda was expected to be the chief guest as it has always been in the previous years since she officially got married to the King but she did not show up.

Towards the event, Buganda Kingdom official media houses CBS radio and BBS TV even ran announcements that Nagginda was going to be the chief guest and Premier Mayiga was going to be among the other guests.

On the D-day of the event, Mayiga was absent and he was represented by his first deputy premier Prof. Twaha Kawaase who encouraged women in Buganda to welcome technology and be very careful with men who always use  women make-up because that’s is a sign for homos.

Nagginda did not show up.

Sources added that Mayiga was also going to attend the women’s day celebrations but canceled it at the last hour after learning that Nagginda was not going to show up, that is why he assigned Kawaasi to represent him.

Nagginda also snubbed another official ceremony where she was expected to welcome Queen Temitope Morenike Enitan from Ghana who was her official guest.

Queen Temitope had come to deepen Buganda kingdom’s cooperation with Ghana Kingdom. However the Nnaabagereka only sent a representative.

Highly placed sources at Bulange, the kingdom headquarter revealed to theGrapevine that Mayiga did not attend but assigned Noah Kiyimba, his information minister to lead the Kingdom’s delegation to welcome Queen Temitope.

Nagginda decided to celebrate women’s day with women at St. Augustine Seeta Catholic Parish where she urged them to emulate St. Monica, St. Augustine’s mother, to always pray for their children.

When theGrapevine tried to reach the Nnaabagereka’s office to find out why she snubbed the official kingdom event for women’s day, the lady who picked but hung up after saying ‘hello’ and listening to our question.

On April 20^th this year, while at St. Stephen’s Kireka Church, during her thanksgiving ceremony where she was thanking God for blessing her and helping her to write her book, the Nnaabagereka blasted people attacking her over some of the controversial private content in her book which she made public.

She admitted that she stepped on some people’s toes in his some of her revelations but pleaded with them for forgiveness.

Most of current Mengo administration leaders including the Premier Mayiga snubbed the launch.

Nagginda last appeared on a Buganda Kingdom official ceremony during Kabaka Mutebi’s 68^th birthday run at Mengo palace and sources claim it was after the intervention of the Anglican Church Bishops who pleaded with her after she missed the Kabaka birthday party in controversial fashion.

The Nagginda – Mengo establishment rift was seen on the launch of her book at Sheraton Hotel Kampala when Mengo’s current leadership, including Mayiga and most Buganda Kingdom Royal family members snubbed her ceremony.

The event was not even broadcasted on the kingdom’s media platforms BBS TV and CBS radio.

Sources told theGrapevine that it was a decision from above.

Sources further disclosed that Mayiga issued a memo warning the Kingdom staff working under his leadership not to attend the ceremony.

However, Mengo later explained that Mayiga was on the two weeks leave.

Mayiga later rubbished allegation that there is a rift between him and Nagginda.

Suprisingly, when Omuttaka Kasujju Lubinga denounced Nagginda’s twins that they are not among Kabaka Mutebi’s children, BBS TV and CBS radio carried it as a big story.

Sources told this website that Nagginda was advised not to launch her book because her husband was not happy with some of the content in it but she defied the advice.

Sources close to both camps have intimated to theGrapevine that the rift did not start this year but it has been brewing since Mayiga took a decision to appoint Dr. Prosperous Nakinddu Kavuma as the education minister and gave her a role to supervise the activities of the office of the Nnaabagereka something that Nagginda didn’t like since she wanted her office to be independent.

The United Kingdom based African fusion band the Ganda Boys singers Denis Mugagga and Dan Sewagudde were also cited in the Nagginda, Mayiga fight.

The singers wanted to meet Kabaka and to perform at his 68th birthday party but Mayiga set tough conditions for them and they decided to meet Nagginda.

The rift deepened when Nagginda’s close friend, former Finance minister in President Museveni’s government Maria Kiwanuka was replaced with William Ssekabembe as the K2 telecom board chairperson.

Highly placed sources told theGrapevine that Nagginda takes a lot of time without seeing Kabaka Mutebi who spends his time at his Banda palace.

Nagginda’s palace is at Kireka and it is their matrimonial home.

However, kingdom insiders told theGrapevine that elders from Buganda, Bishops from the Anglican Church and their family friends are trying all their level to make sure that their misunderstandings are settled.

By Sengooba Alirabaki