Uganda Musicians Associations (UMA) Electoral Commission has put UMA elections on standstill and put the Policy Board in charge until the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) provides enough funds for the elections.

The UMA elections, which were scheduled for tomorrow, June 28^th.

Speaking to theGrapevine, Jeff Geoffrey Ekongot, the UMA EC chairperson said that they (UMA EC) have agreed with the Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi to cancel the election as they wait for funds.

“The minister called us and we agreed that she will look into the matters we raised in the letter including the issue of musicians who are upcountry, she has promised to look for funds to finance the elections,” he said.

He added, “We don’t know how long this is going to take, however, the Minister has assured us that in roughly one month, the election will be conducted.”

When we asked him who will be in charge of UMA as elections await, Ekongot told this website that the minister who had initially undermined the policy board has today met them hence accepting them  to take over.

“The meeting was also attended by Policy Board members. Ofcourse she expressed her doubt about them, but she promised to consult the Attorney General and get back to us.”

He furthermore divulged that it is still the policy board that is going to take on UMA for this period as elections await.

EKONGOT DRAGS PHINA MUGERWA TO POLICE FOR STEALING DOCUMENTS.

Meanwhile, Ekongot has dragged Musician Phina Mugerwa alias Masanyalaze to police for stealing UMA documents.

Ekongot revealed that the day his documents got lost, it was Masanyalaze, an aspirant for the position of General Secretary in the UMA who came to office and stole them.

“As someone who is in charge of the office, I had to take on the responsibility to make a statement at police that there are documents that were stolen from my office. I even gave them the suspect’s name,” he explained.

He added, “I also explained to the Policy Board the issue of those documents. They are now the ones in charge of the case and they will guide me on what to do next.”

He also disclosed that among the documents that were stolen is the resolution which put in place the Policy Board that the Minister is questioning.

When we asked him why he is pointing a finger at Masanyalaze, Ekongot told theGrapevine that despite the fact that he was not in office at that time, there are people who saw Masanyalaze pick documents from his table.

He divulged that it is at that point that they looked for the UMA resolution document which they couldn’t find.

By: Kalamira Hope and Wansaale Joel

Multiple credible sources at Kampala based law firm MMAKS Advocates have revealed to theGrapevine that their boss, Mr. Apollo Nelson Makubuya is set to be introduced by his fiancé Ms. Anne Juuko, the Chief Executive Officer Stanbic Bank at her parents’ home early next week.

Sources divulged that a few friends in the banking sector, lawyers and officials from the Mengo establishment have been invited to the expected expensive ceremony.

In January this year, Mr. Makubuya and Ms. Juuko had their engagement ceremony which was attended by friends and family.

“Dear friends. I am pleased to announce that Omumbejja Anne N. Juuko and I were engaged this last Sunday. We plan to get married this year. We thank all of you for your love and support. God bless,” Makubuya announced.

Mr. Makubuya’s wife Stella Nansikombi Makubuya succumbed to cancer in 2018 and left him with three children.

Sources intimated to theGrapevine that in July, the couple is expected to make their marriage vows at Namirembe Cathedral in Kampala and the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II is expected to be the chief guest.

Before being appointed chief palace adviser to Kabaka Mutebi, Mr. Makubuya, the groom to be, was formerly the Attorney General of Buganda Kingdom, Minister of Constitution affairs and the Deputy Prime minister of the kingdom.

Meanwhile, Ms. Ann Juuko, the bride to be is the youngest Stanbic Uganda CEO, the first female and the second Ugandan to head the bank, since South Africa’s Standard Bank acquired a controlling stake in Uganda Commercial Bank in 2001 and subsequently merged and rebranded the bank to Stanbic Uganda.

She replaced Patrick Mweheire, who was appointed Regional Chief Executive, East Africa, for Standard Bank Group.

Anne started her banking career in 2001, worked in various roles before being appointed as Vice President, Head Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities at Citibank Uganda Limited and was later seconded to Citibank Kenya as Vice President, Customer Sales and Derivatives Marketing.

She joined Stanbic Bank Uganda in 2012.

Just recently, the London based Global Brands Magazine (GBM) named Ms. Juuko, the ‘Best Woman CEO’ in Uganda’s Banking sector for the year 2021.

By Sengooba Alirabaki

Battle lines have been drawn between Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) and Uganda Musicians Associations (UMA) Electoral Commission ahead of UMA Elections.

The Minister of Gender, and Social Development, Betty Amongi, through a letter addressed to UMA EC Chairperson, Geoffrey Ekongot said that she had received petitions from four regions namely, Soroti-Teso Cluster, Mubende Cluster, Ankole-Kigezi cluster and Northern Region cluster comprising of Acholi, Lango, Karamoja, and West Nile).

Amongi says that the petitioners are raising a number of issues which include unfairness in having only one national polling centre in Kampala at National Theatre, complaints about the distance between their area of residence and the polling centre in Kampala, complaints about lack of finances and lack of inclusivity of all members in the voting process.

In a letter to the UMA EC, Amongi noted, “Arising out of the above contestations, I have obtained from Uganda Registration Services Bureau the dully registered Ugandan Musicians’ Association Constitution (2019) to guide my decision and advisory to you.”

She continued, “First, the registered Ugandan Musician Association Constitution, 2019 of UMA does not provide for a policy Board to oversee the activities of UMA election as articulated during the meeting which took place on 22/06/2022 at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.”

She further quoted Article IX Section 1(f) of the UMA constitution which states that the Chairperson of the Executive Board shall appoint an election committee of three members, none of whom are candidates, to conduct elections.

“Article IX, Section 3 (d), provides for list of voting members to be kept by the Treasure and availed to the Chairperson Electoral Commission at least thirty minutes prior to voting time.”

Amongi divulged that, “In view of the aforementioned Constitutional breach, and numerous contestations from the petitions received, which can lead to the disenfranchisement of the UMA members nationwide, it is prudent that the scheduled elections on Tuesday 28th, June be postponed to allow consensus building.”

In response to Amongi’s letter, UMA EC chairperson Geoffrey Ekongot assured MGLSD in a letter that whereas it is good practice to register documents, there is nothing in their constitution that makes it mandatory to register such documents.

“Moreover, no provision suggests or implies that failure to register with URSB would invalidate a document. The issue of the UMA amended constitution which provides for the UMA Policy Board and its functions is a matter of fact and technicalities tailored in bad faith to impeach the same are clearly misguided,” he said.

He further noted that in reference to the nature and procedure of voting, MGLSD should be guided by the amended constitution as provided.

When theGrapevine talked to Ekongot about the written document, he told theGrapevine that first and foremost, UMA is a private organization and for the minister to directly make decisions for them is harsh, inconsiderate and a high-handed usurpation of private mandate.

He added, “Secondly, the expenses that have already been extended to conduct the polls cannot be recovered and the Association is already financially overstretched and has no apparent or prospective expectation of funds to extend the exercise.

“May it also be noted that neither you nor your office was helpful in mobilizing for the election resources. In regard to funding, it was always convenient for your office to remind us that UMA is a private organization, and that government did not have a budget for it.

“Thirdly, your decision to put a halt to our efforts without considering the views and efforts of the members and candidates that are eager and totally invested in exercising their right to vote or be voted is biased, meddlesome, demoralizing and without reference to any legal provision through which you acted which renders it literally reckless.

“Fourthly, following a letter written by Mr. Francis Peter Ojede, the Executive Director Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC), in response to petitions from our cluster leader, UMA Policy Board requested a meeting with your office (Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development) and National Culture Forum. The purpose of the meeting was to pave way for resolving the impasse.”

Ekongot therefore concluded by assuring MGLSD that he has been advised by the Policy Board to continue with the plans to hold the elections on the 28th June 2022 in the interest of the general membership and in exercise of the Policy Board Mandate.

“In the event, that you insist on illegally taking up the mandate of the Policy Board and issuing the matching orders, the Policy Board will inform the general membership that their powers have somehow transferred to you putting you in charge of organizing the elections in the manner that you want and run the association in the way that choose and determine,” Ekongot told the Minister.

By Kalamira Hope