Day

By Our Reporter

www.mknewslink.com

In Malabo/Kampala

Dr. Louis Kasekende, the Deputy Governor at Bank of Uganda (BoU) has on Saturday 15, June apologized for the shame that the Central bank has inflicted on the country.

The recent blunders by entrusted bank officials have ridiculed the bank’s integrity and attracted ruthless criticism from financial-industry commentators thus putting Uganda’s economy at stake.

The Deputy Governor who is in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, for the African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual General Meeting took to social media, where he apologised for the mess.

“We are very sorry for ashaming Bank of Uganda like this,” Dr. Kasekende posted online.

Dr. Kasekende who has been in the limelight over alleged illicit accumulation of wealth made the remarks following the arrests made at Central Bank as the State House Anti-Corruption Unit.

The exercise was headed by Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema who is investigating Bank of Uganda officials in connection with procurement of classified items.

The Head of the Anti-Corruption Unit at State House Col. Edith Nakalema on Friday June 14 confirmed that a major investigation into the affairs of Bank of Uganda is underway,

She also revealed that it is actually the top-boss Bank Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile who blew the whistle on the culprits.

In a statement, issued Friday June 14, Col. Nakalema also indicated that the investigation initiated by her team was looking into the conduct of a number of senior Central bank officials and those in the customs and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in relation to discrepancies in printing and transportation of some billions of Uganda shilling bills.

The Police Criminal Investigations Director Grace Akullo is leading the investigation which Col. Nakalema says is pertaining the banks’ “procurement and supply chain activities”.

The Central Bank Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile also confirmed that the bank is under criminal investigation following a voluntary invitation to the Anti-Corruption Unit at State House.

Prof. Mutebile confirmed he personally requested the Anti-Corruption Unit at State House to investigate an unusual transaction.

This followed a major anomaly which he said was discovered during the verification process of a consignment that the BoU received on 27 April, the Governor said.

In a statement dated June 14, 2019, Prof. Mutebile revealed that he blew the whistle to the Anti-Corruption Unit of the State House, headed by Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema to investigate the discrepancies in printing and transportation of some billions of Uganda shilling bills.

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Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Our Reporter

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In Kampala

The Minister of Finance Matia Kasaija and his permanent Secretary Keith Muhakanizi were yesterday evening interviewed by the Head of Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), Lt Col. Edith Nakalema, over the Shs90 billion that was printed in Germany about two months ago by Bank of Uganda officials in for personal use, sources say.

Sources say the two officials were quizzed because they supervise BoU and as such Nakalema’s team wanted to know whether they were aware of the money that has caused another major scandal at Uganda’s central bank.

Another source has told this website that some of the Shs90 billion illegally printed and loaded on the consignment of the other notes that were supposed to be delivered to BoU, is being kept by two officials of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), The two officials are said to be male and female.

The source further said Afande Nakalema and her team will on Tuesday or Wednesday quiz BoU deputy governor Dr Louis Kasekende in relation to the controversial money, some of it is believed to be circulating in the economy.

Nakalema and BoU governor prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile yesterday confirmed that the implicated BoU officials were being interrogated, with Mutebile saying the matter will be handled to its logical conclusion.

On Friday www.mknewslink.com news website broke the news of Nakalema and her team storming BoU on a mission to interface with the culprits and other officers there in regard to the billions of shillings notes that were illegally printed by the officials.

www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By our reporter

www.mknewslink.com

In Kasese

Disagreements has erupted a head of the Nyinamukama Biira Christine Mukairania’s burial, the mother of Omusinga wa Rwenzururu Charles Wisely Mumbere between the Kingdom leadership and Christopher Kibanzanga a son who doubles as a state minister for Agriculture arguing on where to bury the late mother.

According to Kibanzanga, he urges that his mother should be buried in Kirindi village, Bundibugyo district at their ancestral home.

Kibanzanga adds that the kingdom has no cemetery where royal family members should be buried.

He says that in his capacity he has been burring royal family members at his private land in Kirembo village Kisinga sub county Kasese district.

Furthermore, Kibanzanga has been doing this such that the kingdom can prepare to look for its own to put a cemetery but they have failed and since they have lost an important person in the royal family must be buried at their ancestral home in Bundibugyo.

Kibanzanga admits that it would be with no problem to bury his mother in Kasese at his land but the Kingdom officials say after the burial the land will no longer belong to him but instead belong to the king who is the custodian of the Kingdom property.

According to the Rwenzururu spokes person Hon.Yonah Tumusiime Maate, the burial will take place in Kasese contrary to Kibanzanga who says burial will be in Bundibugyo.

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Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Our Reporter

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In KAMPALA–

The Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has described the government of Uganda as a kleptocracy.

The legislator said these following the arrest of Bank of Uganda directors and criminal investigations by the Anti-corruption Unit in a new theft scandal.

The legislator said that the suspects are the reason for the unending poverty amongst the citizens as he believes the act has happened for so long.

“As the vast majority of Ugandan citizens continue to struggle to even afford a decent meal and as poverty levels continue to rise, Bank of Uganda officials printed 90 billion shillings in excess and took it out of Entebbe airport for their personal use. No one knows for how long this has been going on,” said the influenced MP.

In his description, Bobi Wine said “Kleptocracy is a government with corrupt leaders (kleptocrats) who use their power to exploit the people and natural resources of their own territory in order to extend their personal wealth and political powers. It is rule by a class of thieves. This system involves embezzlement of funds at the expense of the wider population. A kleptocracy is a government ruled by corrupt politicians who use their political power to receive kickbacks, bribes, and special favors at the expense of the population. Kleptocrats may use political leverage to pass laws that enrich them and they usually circumvent the rule of law.”

The musician-turned-politician said president Museveni is not only a dictator but also a kleptocrat, saying that after 33 years in power, Mr. President and his team are stealing money to rest with.

“After 33 years in power, it is now an understatement to call president Museveni’s government a mere dictatorship. It graduated from that stage a long time ago and is now a fully grown kleptocracy. Like it was in Zaire under Mobutu, government officials are stealing with reckless abandon- ‘taamu egenda’ style! Of course they have learnt from the best- the very head of state that treats the national treasury as his personal property! This is the real state of our nation. Oh Uganda, may God uphold thee!”

On Friday 14, the head of the Anti-Corruption Unit at State House Col. Edith Nakalema confirmed a major investigation into the affairs of Bank of Uganda is underway and revealed that Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile blew the whistle.

In a statement, Col. Nakalema also indicated that the investigation initiated by her team was looking into the conduct of a number of senior Central bank officials and those in the customs and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in relation to discrepancies in printing and transportation of some billions of Uganda shilling bills.

“The State House Anti-Corruption Unit acting on article 99 (4) of the Constitution of Uganda in liaison with the Criminal Investigations Directorate of Police acting under article 129 (3) a(a) and in conjunction with Bank of Uganda Is carrying out special investigations on a matter pertaining the banks’ procurement and supply chain activities,” Col. Nakalema wrote.

Ofwono Opondo, the government spokesperson said that BoU officials were being questioned on suspicion of “criminal mismanagement” and money laundering.

He said the timing of the operation was deliberately co-ordinate with the arrests on an invitation by the governor “to avoid any possible collusion” between suspects and because a large number of those involved in the scum were present at the bank.

Mr. Opondo said the president after learning about the gravity of the matter authorized Col. Nakalema to raid the bank and bring the culprits to book.

“The president was fully briefed about everything because this is a serious matter,” Mr. Opondo said.

www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Our Reporter

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In Ntungamo

At least 150 vendors in Ntungamo Bangkok food market lost their businesses on Friday morning after fire gutted the wooden lock up structures used as shops, stores and eating places for hundreds of low income earners in Ntungamo municipality.

The fire that started on the southern side of the market at about 3:30am destroyed the entire structures of at least 137 kiosks near the Ntungamo Matooke market.

The market has been in conflict between the municipal authorities who have given several deadlines to the vendors to vacate with however vendors failing to honor the deadlines.

Part of the market was burnt in October 2018.

Vendors sighted foul play from the municipal authorities over the fire some accusing the municipality for starting the fire that destroyed merchandise worth over UShs 100M.

Ms Kedress Kemirembe, the chairperson of the vendors said the vendors had been given June 21^st deadline to vacate the market though there have been negotiations on going between them and the council and also various threats over their safety and their businesses.  

The market mainly had food places, charcoal stores, bars, video halls, general merchandise shops, chicken houses among others. The vendors further called for government support to restart businesses as most of them had taken loans including those from government. 

The Municipal town clerk Mr Festo Tandeka said he could not comment on the accusations of foul play and neither on the situation the businessmen are in or what the municipality will do about the situation.

The Ntungamo district police commander Mr. Damian Katwesiime said police are investigating the cause of fire.

He added that police took long to get information on the fire outbreak but they may have saved more properties.

He said that according to the report from the fire officer, the fire may have been started by an outsider since electricity was not connected and the lockup where the fire started had no business.

www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106