Controversial Bukoto Central Legislator Richard Ssebamala has asked fellow political opposition politicians to use the trader’s tax grievances against Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to push President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni out of power.

He claims that in many countries that had political revolutions, traders were very fundamental because they are the ones who pays taxes that run the country.

He adds that he is very sure that if the political opportunity is carefully used, it can spark the overthrow of the Museveni government.

He explains that for a long time, Museveni have been controlling traders which has led to many dissociating themselves from the opposition. But now, they are the ones looking for them.

He notes that because Museveni is in a financial crisis, he cannot resolve the issue of taxes since he needs money to facilitate his stay in power.

That is why and traders also should be encouraged to continue placing on the button very sure that positive political results will be yielded.

He made the allegation as Museveni plans to meet traders again at Kololo independence grounds on 7^th May 2024 to make his final announcement of the issue of the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing System (EFRIS) which traders are protesting.

Uganda Revenue Authority’s John Musinguzi Rujoki the Commissioner General insists that EFRIS is the only way that will help both government and traders reach a fair ground when it comes to tax collection.

Fred Bamwine the Commissioner in the president’s office declared that the current practice that URA is using to collect taxes is here to stay.

Meanwhile, as the traders are strategising and holding frequent meetings on the way forward after Museveni’s Kololo meeting, Brig. Gen. Christopher Ddamulira Sserunjogi the Director Crime Intelligence in police has saved him from another nasty strike.

Noordin Mukuye the chairperson of the Aggrieved Oppressed Voiceless Tax Drivers Kampala Uganda confirmed to theGrapevine that they have cancelled their planned strike which was take place on 29^th April 2024.

He explains that the cancellation of their meeting comes days after meeting Brig. Gen. Ddamulira convinced them that their grievances are going to be forwarded to the concerned government offices and they will be addressed within the shortest time.

Mukuye who is also the Masuulita tax park stage chairperson said that in their meeting with Brig. Gen. Ddamulira, they pleaded with him to help them talk to Works and Transport Senior Minister Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director Dr. Dorothy Kisaka, Maj. Gen. Godfrey Katsigazi the Acting Inspector General of Police and URA’s Rujoki to address their complaints.

Among the issues they want government officials to address include; express ticket, high fuel prices, paying for Public Service Vehicle, Park User fee which they pay annually and other taxes which they pay both in URA and in KCCA.

Mukuye and his team also want the concerned government offices to organise the election of their new leaders which will help them solve their grievances after accusing the current leadership of their umbrella body the Federation of Uganda Taxi Operators (UTOF ) of using the offices to enrich themselves.

Mukuye accuses UTOF chairperson Rashid Ssekindi of leading a team criminals who mistreat and torture taxi drivers and conductors to force them to pay illegal money to them and when the they refuse, they confiscate their cars.

He added that each day, each car pays between Shs.4000- Shs.5000 in a public park in Kampala yet president Museveni banned such payment.

“We are working under a challenging situation and we need help from government. We are tortured in public like kids and our children and wives no longer respect us because they see us being tortured by Ssekindi’s men in public. Meanwhile, KCCA is looking on and we want the president to handle our issue as he did to traders,” Mukuye said.

theGrapevine has also established that bus drivers and operators at Namayuba bus park are also planning to strike over the high taxes URA and KCCA collect from them.

City businessman John Bosco Muwonge who is the owner of the park has also added another Shs50,000 on the amount of money they pay claiming that URA has also raised the tax he pays.

However, when contacted, Moses Birungi Mawejje the spokesperson of UTOF denied all the allegations placed on their federation and their chairperson Ssekindi.

He advised his colleagues that they are not going to resolve their issues through striking.

Deo Kiyemba of Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) has disclosed that the problem is not that Ugandans don’t want to pay taxes but the problem is with government which uses taxpayers money in luxurious spending and corruption practices.

He was supported by Makerere University senior Economist Dr. Fred Muhumuza who advised government to reduce luxurious expenditure because Ugandans are also struggling financially.

By Hadijjah Namagembe

Seasoned Kampala lawyer who also doubles as Mityana South legislator Richard Kizito Lumu has threatened to lead a team of lawyers to petitioned Uganda Law Council contesting the actions of Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Norbert Mao of violating legally issued court orders.

Lumu claimed that Mao intentionally violated a Court Order issued by High Court Registrar Fasial Mulalira stopping Democratic Party (DP) National Executive Committee meeting which was held in Mbale city.

Lumu explained that the Court Order resulted from a recent High Court judgment declaring Mao’s election as the DP presidential general illegal.

However Mao insists that the said Court Order is fake and that it was forged by his competitors in the party who are challenging his political marriage with president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s government.

Mao boasted that he is a highly trained lawyer who has been in legal practice since 1994 and he has enough experience to differentiate a fake Court Order and a real one.

However, Counsel Lumu gave Mao only 24 hours from Sunday evening to report to police the complaint of forging a Court Order or they petition the Law Council.

“Mao used his office as a minister in Museveni’s government to report the complaint to police and cause the arrest of the lawyer who extracted the Court Order. We are taking him to the Law Council for disciplinary action,” Lumu said.

He claims that all the resolutions passed in the DP NEC meeting in Mbale are illegal and they are going to challenge them before the Courts of law.

By Hadijjah Namagembe

Omutaka Ssalongo Augustine Kizito Mutumba the head of Kkobe clan who also doubles as the Speaker of Buganda Kingdom clan heads council is in huge trouble over the accusation of shielding Kingdom officials cited in the gruesome assassination of Ndiga (sheep) clan head Eng. Daniel Bbosa Lwomwa.

Highly placed sources in the clan heads Council have told theGrapevine that a section of clan heads have already placed Mutumba on notice and threatened to file a complaint with Brig. Gen. Christopher Ddamulira Sserunjogi’s Commandant of Police’s Directorate of Crime Intelligence and Maj. Dr. Tom Magambo’s Commandant of Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) who are leading the investigations concerning Bossa’s assassination accusing him of obstructing justice.

One of the clan heads said that they passed a resolution in their meeting directing their council executive chaired by Mutumba to write to Ronald Muwenda Mutebi the Kabaka of Buganda asking for an emergency meeting with them to privately discuss the matters concerning Bossa’s assassination so that he can guide them on the way forward but he intentionally refused to execute the directive.

This clan head explained that they wanted to meet Kabaka Mutebi to reveal to him their fears which if not handled carefully could lead to their death since a number of people who they are complaining against are untouchables in Buganda Kingdom administration.

“We gave him together with his executive committee two weeks to write to Kabaka and he was supposed to brief us on the developments during last month’s meeting but when we tried to remind him, he just told us to be patient. He explained that our issue is being handled properly and asked us to first welcome Omuttaka Eria Lwasi Buzaabo the new Ndiga clan head to the council which we did. Since then, he has not responded to us whether via our WhatsApp group or in any other form,” a clan head said.

He added that they wanted to report to Kabaka Mutebi how Mengo administration under the leadership of Premier Charles Peter Mayiga are using Kingdom cultural court (Kkooti ya kisekwa) to harass and torment them.

He added that there is a lot of corruption in Kisekwa kkooti. He narrated how members sitting on it use their clerks like a one Milly Naluwenda to intimidate them and solicit for bribe from them as a condition to help them win cases slapped on them on grounds that they are not legally the heads their clans.

Naluwenda is among the five suspects were who joined Noah Derrick Lugya who is suspected to have pulled the trigger during the killing of Lwomwa.  They were charged and remanded to Luzira prison.

The suspected master planner of the entire assassination Tabula Bossa Lugya is on run and is expected to be hiding in the think forests on lake Victoria shores in Kalangala island. Police has already placed a Shs20m bounty on his head as a reward to any person who will help them to arrest him so that he is charged in courts of law.

As the fight to arrest Tabula continues, clan heads led by those who are battling with cases before Kisekwa kkooti include: Ffumbe clan head, Nsenene clan, Ngabi clan, Nkima clan, Enyonyi Nakisinge, Mamba and others. The clan heads also want to get an explanation from Kabaka himself why the appeals made before him as the Supreme court when it comes to cultural issues in Buganda are delaying.

He added that chances were there to meet Kabaka before he traveled abroad in March because he spent a lot of time in his Mengo palace meeting a number of people.

However, when contacted, Mutumba denied having any knowledge concerning the said resolution to write a letter to Kabaka.

He explained that the matter they wanted to drag him into is criminal in nature and is still under investigation.

“All of us were hurt by our colleague’s assassination but we should not use his death to solve our problems and grievances. Let them show you the minutes which we based on to pass such a resolution,” Mutumba said.

He asked his colleagues to be patient, noting that the Kabaka will meet them at the right time.

He added that they cannot force the king to meet them because he knows whatever is going on in their council given that minutes and resolutions for every meeting are always given to him.

It should be noted that Mayiga reported to Kabaka’s subject that their King is out of the country. He traveled to Europe to see his medical doctors.

Sources divulged that the Kabaka is expected into the country in May and it is the reason why he is not going to attend his birthday party on 15^th of May 2024. Kabaka also missed his 69^th birthday run last week and was represented by his sister Agnes Nabaloga Lubuga.

Since 2019, Kabaka Mutebi has been receiving treatment abroad and highly placed sources claim that he is suffering from cancer even though Mayiga informed his subject that he is suffering from Allergy.

By Hadijjah Namagembe