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    The Constitution Needs To Be Amended To Check Museveni’s Powers – MPs Scoff At President’s Threats Of Disbanding The Electoral Commission

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    Electoral Commission Chairman justice Simon Byabakama (L)

    A section of MPs have cautioned that president Museveni’s powers need to be trimmed after his recent utterances regarding the current Electoral Commission.

    While presiding over the passing out of women council leaders in Kampala over the weekend, President Museveni lashed out at the Electoral Commission which he described as full of rotten people and threatened to get rid of them.

    Museveni was quoted saying: “Electoral Commission is full of rotten people I am going to get rid of them. Why should we suffer from corrupt election officials when NRM has got so much manpower they should be out, get out. In the Election of Jinja East, I discovered so many ghost voters who were imported from other areas, who imported them? It is these election officials.”

    However, a section of MPs have rejected Museveni’s threats saying the President is very reaction following NRM’s failure to win elections in Arua Municipality, Bugiri Municipality, Jinja East Constituency, leaving the slots to be taken by candidates supported by embattled Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi  alias Bobi Wine.

    Monicah Amoding, Kumi Woman MP noted: “I think the President is being reactionary over that matter because he was defeated in Jinja as NRM Party Chairman. Why is he taking exception to those particular areas? Many complaints have come up to the affect that several elections have been rigged in the past but no action has been taken. Why this particular Electoral Commission?”

    She argued that given the fact that the President is the appointing authority and disappointing authority, he is assuming so much power and argued that it was time the constitution went under more amendments to check the powers of the President.

    “That kind of reaction means that everybody is at his mercy and so everybody must serve the interest of the President. It is unfortunate, it isn’t good for this country. I for one, I am very comfortable with that team, I think they know what they are doing and they are going to serve equitably to any Ugandan who goes to the EC for services,” Amoding argued.

    Kanungu Woman MP, Elizabeth Karungi, said there is need for the President to investigate all reports he gets from his advisers.

    “I have seen the Electoral Commission try to do something but I believe the President needs to go further and do some investigation on their failure. To me, they have tried to do something, but those who have given information to the President, I don’t know they are failing from which point of view but I think the President needs to do some investigation before he can come up with concrete information on that,” Karungi argued.

    On the other hand, Atkins Katusabe (Bukonjo West) asked Ugandans to ignore the President’s remarks saying he has no powers to disband the current EC.

    Katusabe argued that Ugandans aren’t interested going back to the era of former Electoral Commission Chairman, Badru Kiggundu whom he accused of serving the interest of President Museveni saying all Kiggundi did was ‘make a phone call to pick instructions’ unlike the current EC team that follows the law.

    He explained: “The President made the statement in error because it isn’t his job, because Parliament vetted them and concluded that the EC team is best suited to serve Ugandans, so the President doesn’t have powers so let him not think Parliament will allow him disband this team. Therefore, Ugandans shouldn’t take the President’s remarks seriously, I think he was joking because he doesn’t have the powers to disband the Electoral Commission.”

    However, the coordinator of Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy Uganda (CCEDU) Crispin Kaheru has welcomed the president’s remarks saying over the years they have complained about the weak legal and administrative electoral framework in the country.

    It should be recalled that President Museveni appointed Judge Simon Mugenyi Byabakama as Electoral Commission Chairman in November 2016 to replace Eng. Badru Kiggundu whose tenure had elapsed having spent 14 years at the helm of the Commission.

    Parliament went ahead to approve the appointments of Byabakama in December 2016 alongside the other members; Hajjat Aisha Lubega (Vice Chairperson) and commissioners Peter Emorut, Steven Tashobya, Prof George Piwang and Mustapha Ssebaggala Kigozi and these joined Sam Rwakojo and Justin Mugabi whose tenure was already running at the time of the appointment.

    Byabakama was a Court of Apepal Judge, having risen to the ranks and his appointment was met with protest from opposition figures like Kizza Besigye, who accused him of being impartial, having been one of the prosecutor who tried him for treason charges in 2005.

    Crispin Kaheru, Coordinator, Citizens Coalition for Electoral Commission in Uganda (CCEDU), a body of activists who have been monitoring elections in Uganda welcomed the President’s remarks saying Museveni is now speaking the same language as the rest of the majority of Ugandans.

    “Over the past decade or so, Ugandans have noted that a number of electoral malpractices are aided by a weak legal and administrative electoral framework. These malpractices happen because the Electoral Commission as a body is sometimes unable to assert itself especially in the face of an overbearing executive,” Kaheru argued.

    He went ahead to highlight how the Commission can be made great again outlining that part of the efforts to re-align the Electoral Commission back on a professional and constitutional course will require restructuring the electoral framework to put in place a competitively appointed, professional and impartial Election Management Body that serves nation, first.

     

    By Stella Mugoya

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    NEWS

    Attorney General, DPP Oppose Anti-Homosexuality Bill

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    The Attorney General and the deputy director of Public prosecutions (DPP) have opposed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.

    While appearing before the parliamentary committee on legal affairs on March 18th, the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka said the Anti-Homosexuality Bill is a duplication of existing laws.

    “Our criminalisation of homosexuality clause 9 of the new is a duplication since it is catered for in CAP 120 of the penal code,” he said.

    The Attorney General said the penal code is supposed to be the main penal law of the county, adding that it is hard to detect, investigate, prosecute and sentence homosexuals since the act is done in private.

    The deputy director of Public prosecutions James Odumbi was in agreement with the Attorney General.

    However, officials from the Ministry of gender labour and social development supported the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

    Hellen Asamo (state Minister for disability affairs) and Rose Lilly Akello (state Minister for ethics and Intergrity) both agreed that it was important to have the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.

    These argued that the Bill, if passed, will protect the cherished cultural values of Uganda and protect children against the acts of sexual minority rights activists.

    Abdul Katuntu told the committee that, though homosexuals do the act in private, crimes are not only committed against individuals but society.

    President Museveni said Thursday that he needed a scientific opinion on homosexuality and that the subject would be discussed conclusively another time.

    The parliamentary committee on legal affairs is currently scrutinising the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 that was spearhead by MP Asuman Basalirwa.

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    Hoima District LC5 Chairman Dies In Car Accident

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    Police in Kiboga registered a fatal accident on March 17th that claimed the life of the Chairman LC5 Hoima District Kirungi Kadiri.

    Kirungi, brother to Tumusiime Amlan (RDC Kikuube District), was involved in an accident at Mataagi village, Bukomero Town Council along Kampala – Hoima highway.

    Kirungi and his escort Police Constable Otim Bosco died on spot during the incident.

    The accident involved motor vehicle registration number UAH 053Q (Prado Land Cruiser) and UBB 059Z (Fuso fighter).

    According to traffic police spokesperson Faridah Nampiima, the incident was caused by a driver who was trying to dodge a pothole.

    “It is alleged that motor vehicle Reg No UBB 059Z which was travelling from Kampala to Kiboga side and being driven by a yet to be identified driver on reaching Mataagi bridge, tried to dodge a pothole. The vehicle swerved off from it’s Lane on to it’s right hand side, and met motor vehicle UAH 053Q which was heading to Kampala side from Hoima,”Nampiima said.

    The bodies of the deceased (Karungi and Otim) were taken to Kiboga hospital mortuary for postmortem.

     

     

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    NATIONAL

    SMACK SAGA: Archbishop Dragged In Bro. Mpanga’s Woes – More People Complain about Bro.Mpanga After IGG Dossier…

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    Bro. Simon Mpanga and Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere

    The noose on St. Mary’s College Kisubi (SMACK) headmaster just keeps getting tighter.

    Following a recent petition to the Inspectorate of Government (IGG), which we published here, several other complaints, mainly from the Brothers of Christian Instruction of the Catholic Church to which he belongs have come out to pin Bro. Simon Mpanga on a litany of cases.

    The Brothers are not happy that Bro. Mpanga and his scheming cartel have dragged the Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere into their deals.  They say, the 66-year-old Bishop is naively being dragged into the selfish cartel’s schemes without really understanding their underlying motives.

    “We respect the hierarchy of the church but Archbishop involving himself on which brother should head our schools is wrong. That should be left to the religious superiors of brothers and sisters because they know their people better and their opinions should be respected. Likewise, you can’t ask a Brother or a sister to appoint a parish priest for the parishes. As we respect the church we can’t talk everything there are many other things the man of God has done that we can’t bring them at table,” they state.

    According to a source who called us with additional information, Mpanga’s crooked ways of doing things started long time back.

    While he was in the formation house at Kanywa training for brotherhood, he got involved in a well-orchestrated money scandal in which he duped Bro. Gerald Byaruhanga, who was then in charge of students in the training.  He convinced him (Bro. Byaruhanga) to hand over to him the entire students’ welfare budget after presenting him forged papers that the borrowed money was to make super normal profits. He however never received a penny back.

    “That was the end of the story.   The community suffered for a long time sometimes they could go to bed on empty stomachs because of Mpanga’s devilish actions,” they reveal.

    They further say that Bro. Mpanga kept convincing Bro. Gerald Byaruhanga that things were going to be okay until he couldn’t stomach the lies any longer. The matter was reported to the Provincial Superior and his council and they immediately recommended that Bro. Mpanga should be expelled.

    The source further adds that Bro. Mpanga pleaded for pardon and was given a second chance after Bro. Gerald interceded on his behalf with Bro. Superior. That wasn’t the last of his follies.

    This website has learnt that his money problem followed him while at Kasasa where the then Bro. Tony Lubwama headmaster by then put him in prison because of the money he ate from Tanzanian students. It was Bro. Mutebi who bailed him out.

    At St. Mary’s College Kisubi which he is now fronted to head, he is accused of eating money of the students who were going outside the country for debate and some have completed their S6 without getting their back. He purported he would process passports and visas for them to go attend debate in South Africa and USA whilst they were in s.3. Whereas some who pushed hard were refunded by the school. Others were not so lucky and left the school four years later without their money nor passports.

    They narrate that when the Brothers learnt the behavior of their colleague they vowed not to work in their schools and that’s when Mr. John Agaba former commissioner and former Brother got him a place in Trinity College Nabbingo.

    “Things didn’t go well at Nabbingo and Bro. Mwebe former provincial tried to get him a place at SMACK but Mr. Mwaka who was a caretaker of the school then refused him because he knew his dubious character through Bro. Edward Bukenya who had worked with Mpanga and chased him because of his actions.  When Mr. Mwaka left SMACK, Bro. Mpanga somehow sneaked back in” they detail.

    It is also revealed that while at SMACK, he deceived a parent that the school vehicle was stuck in a bond and that it required 7000 USD for taxes and the parent gave it to him while it was for his personal use. The parent has never been refunded to date.

    And when news started circulating that Bro. Mpanga was among the short listed for SMACK leadership, the college Chaplain went to provincial and shared his concerns about the impending disaster this would bring on SMACK.  He warned him that if you want SMACK to die give it to Bro. Mpanga. The Chaplain also warned the Brother Superior at SMACK a one Bro. Pius Ochwo about Bro. Mpanga.

    They also point out that the SMACK Entebbe House was renovated four years ago with tenants. He collects money that is never remitted on the school account it goes to personal use. They also say that he got shs30m from the school claiming that he was going to renew the lease for the SMACK Entebbe house which up to date has never been processed or even accounted for. Imagine this is the fellow now being put in charge of over 3 bn collected every term. He will devise means to steal the money. Little wonder that he involves himself in every procurement even for tomatoes.

    His greed is unprecedented for a man who is supposed to live a life of chastity. One wonders where does this money go? One theorizes that he is using the brotherhood to amass wealth and as soon as he is in position to live the life he craves outside brotherhood, he will then quit the institution.

    They also claim that during the Covid 19 days, he stood surety for an accomplice at Entebbe Police who was accused of stealing a motor vehicle. The accomplice jumped bond and  police was looking for Bro Mpanga who went in hiding until the issue was resolved.

    In the missive sent to the IGG, it was pointed out that during lock down, he embarked on a go fund me crusade to raise money from unsuspecting parents under the guise of collecting funds to give the teachers who were suffering from the ravages of the lock down. He collected so much money but ate all of it. His insatiable appetite for money and the length to which he will go to get his hands on money is astounding.

    It is theorized that being the con act that he is, the board members backing him have a perfect ally in whom contracts and other works will be lined up through their stooges and money will be siphoned. The brothers are shocked that old boys through their SMACKOBA group are looking on while a wolf is being put in charge of the sheep.

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