By Jamil Lutakome

Arua Municipality Member of Parliament Ibrahim Abiriga is bitter with president Museveni for jettisoning him after passing the Age Limit bill.

Speaking to NBS, Abiriga revealed that president Museveni broke his heart after he refused to give him the huge sums of money he promised him.

“When I was still an RDC, I meet president Museveni and explained to him how I used my money to solicit support for him.  He promised to refund all the money but up to now, he has never given me that money,” Abiriga cried.

He further explained that when he started the Age Limit bill, he again reminded the president of his promise. Museveni assured him that he will pay him after the bill is passed. Abiriga says since the bill was passed, he has tried to reach the president but he never picks his calls.

“I’m excluded in everything in the NRM party, those people who are near the president are telling him lies about me, that’s why he doesn’t pick my calls,” Abiriga grieved.

Abiriga added that he now survives on loans and borrowing to cater for his extended family needs and his electorate. He says people think he got a lot of money from the president to blow the trumpet for the age limit bill which is not the case.

Abiriga however boasted that he is glad that people in Buganda love him and wherever he passes, they sing praises to his name.

By Stella Mugoya

Museveni’s defence minister Adolf Mwesige has survived the wrath of MPs the parliamentary defence committee.

The fight was sparked off when the deputy chairperson of the committee, Kezakia Mbogo failed to manage the meeting in the accepted manner, after trying to protect the minister who was dodging some questions from committee members.

It all started when MPs Ssekikuubo Theodore, Muwanga Kivumbi and Gilbert Olanya asked the minister to explain why Ugandan troops are still camping at the Congo-Uganda border. The MPs also tasked the defence minister to explain why the army is doing police work and why they are releasing criminals that are arrested by police. The minister refused to reply to the MPs questions which forced the committee chairperson to adjourn the meeting immediately without agreeing with fellow committee members.

This sparked off a fight as MPs blocked the minister from vacating the room before answering their queries. They immediately stood up and locked the exit door shouting and ordering the chairman to call the meeting back to order so that the minister can answer them.

“Tell us, when is he going to answer our questions, if not  we shall not allow him out. Let’s go back and sit, call the meeting back to order and let them all sit down. Afande, you are mature enough you can’t just push me. Just go back and sit and let the meeting be adjourned properly,” Ssekikuubo and Olanya geared on while standing  at the locked door.

The minister tried to look for a way to escape but the biter MPs could not allow him access to the door. “Are you the sergeant at arms, let them settle first then we shall leave the door,”Ssekikuubo said while fighting fellow MP from Ntoroko, Rwenulikya Ibanda, who was trying to defend the minister.

He added that,” These queries must be answered by UPDF, they must tell us but our chairman is here saying it isn’t of concern. We need to know who ordered the army to cross the borders.”

The bitter MPs criticised their chairman for having a hidden agenda. “Chairman, if you have a hidden agenda in these matters, then we are opposing it,” Ssekikuubo warned.

Muwanga Kivumbi, one of the committee members, expressed his bitterness at fellow committee member Rwenulikya Ibanda for trying to be a Judas. Kivumbi said that it was Ibanda who confessed, while they were compiling the committee questions, that as a boarder MP, he saw Ugandan troops in Congo, but after seeing the minister, he started changing his statements. “He is just hopeless,” Kivumbi blasted Ibanda.

Olanya, a committee member, blasted the acting chairman saying, “We have a duty of protecting our soldiers and our country. I support the calling of a committee meeting to examine the role of the chairperson. Nabakooba had problems of managing this committee, she had challenges and we thought that since you are a senior member you could manage it better.”

Kato Lubwama, who is also a committee member warned, “the biggest problem this committee has is some people who think they are bigger than others, all of us are MPs but it comes to a point when some members don’t want all of us to speak. Yes, you are a chairman but all of us are part of this committee. You must respect us and if we have a mandate to remove him let us do. Go back to school and learn these things.”

Kezakia was acting as the chairperson of the committee since Nabakooba, who is the committee chairperson was not around.

Opposition Chief Whip, who also doubles as the spokesperson of Forum For Democratic Change (FDC), Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has asked for the resignation of police boss Kale Kayihura and an investigation into his relationship with boda boda 2010 patron Abdul Kitatta.

“What needs to happen is to carry out an investigation into the relationship between Boda Boda 2010, the IGP Kale Kayihura and the entire police establishment. You saw these fellows taking over court, when some Ugandans had taken Kayihura to court over the beating that happened at Kalerwe.  Who and where does Kitatta report, for them to go around beating up people and now his alleged involvement in the murder of Case Hospital accountant. The IGP must be thoroughly investigated,” Nganda said.

Kayihura has on several occasions told the media that Boda boda 2010 has been very helpful in curtailing crime in  Kampala. Today, Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima told journalists at the Media centre that, “what the IGP said recently in parliament is very clear, He alluded to the fact Abdu Kitatta as an individual under his umbrella organization which is fully registered was helpful in fighting crime in Kampala. And he also said, that is there is anybody who has evidence to the fact that he commits crime, let him come forward. This says one thing, if you are my brother or my friend, do what is within the law, if anything is questionable the law will check that and it will come in.”

A section of boda boda riders rejoicing over the demise that has befallen boda boda 2010 boss Kitatta

Some property from boda boda 2010 offices that was destroyed

Earlier today, some boda boda riders raided the offices of Boda Boda 2010 in Wakaliga and burnt them down. They also burnt stationery and furniture they found inside.