Day

By Wilber Muhwezi Kasibante

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In Bushenyic

The Minister of General Duties in the office of the Prime Minister, Mary Karooro Okurut has warned politicians against turning burials into political rallies.

She said this today 12^th july2019 during the burial ceremony of an environmentalist Mzee Fred Kifaru in Kireere Bushenyi Ishaka Municipality.

Since electioneering time is nearing, most of the intending and already politicians use every opportunity including burials to sell their names to voters.

Mzee Kifaru, according to his children Emma Kweyunga and Isiah Kwesiga, died of prostate cancer which was noticed two years ago.

Emmanuel Kweyunga said that his father started planting tree plants when they were still young in 1980’s and tree seedlings managed to take them to very good schools.

Johnson Bitarabeho the Chairman of board of directors Rukararwe Partnership workshop for rural development where Mzee Kifaru was a board member noted that he learnt how to make all beds of seedlings and entire tree management from Rukararwe.

Minister Karooro promised to provide half million trees to Rukararwe to plant in memory of the late Mzee Fred Kifaru.

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In Mukono

Youth in Mukono Municipality, under their umbrella Organization; Mukono Youth Platform have released a statement, castigating the area Member of Parliament, Betty Nambooze, over the recent remarks she made on social media, alleging torture of one, Doreen Magezi, in Jordan.

In a statement released to media at Makerere University Guest House on Wednesday, the youth said Nambooze’s remarks tantamount to hate speech against the youth who are struggling to make ends meet, through foreign employment.

“Hon. Nambooze has failed to distinguish between Trafficking and Streamlined Labor Externalisation. She has fallen flat to distinguish between slavery and Labor externalisation which is now a global business supporting third World economies”, reads the youth statement in part.

They further accused the Legislature of spreading harmful propaganda and lies. They said it is not the first time Nambooze is reckless with her mouth.

“She is a hater and typical liar. She has lied to the whole Constituency she represents and comes to Kampala to make noise. In 2017, Hon. Nambooze promised us Jobs of which she has never delivered. The same person promised the youth capital in form of money but she does not pick her phone calls anymore”, the statement further reads.

The youth said that their legislature has made them became desperate, which is why they decided to take on the decision to be externalised to the Middle East countries.

“We have never regretted on that decision because now we can ably look after our families, we have built homes, land, educating our children and busy looking for an opportunity to return back. There are very many benefits from this sector which may not be tangible in form of money like skills,” they added.

The youth are now urging Nambooze to desist from shifting the blame to the privately registered businesses, away from Governments negligence to monitor and ensure that their welfare is enforced as per agree

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In Bushenyi

A 22 year-old girl in Ruhandagazi village central division in Bushenyi Ishaka municipalityBushenyi dustrict is accused of defiling a 12-year-old boy and other two boys, infecting him with HIV.

The suspect is Adrine Komugisha, a resident of the same village while the victim is a primary three pupil at Rwatukwire primary school.

Godffrey Niwagaba aka Bagudu, the father of the boy said that Komugisha has been performing sex acts on his boy and two others, all between ages 09, 11 and 12 both pupils of Rwatukwire primary school.

It is reported that the suspected has been taking the boys from their parents in the evening time in disguise of giving her security while on her way back home from Rwatukwire trading centre.

He added that recently, his son decided to speak up about what had happened to him, and then it was kind of a snowfall where another boy son of Kamazima Pophias spoke up that it also happened to him

Bagudu said that medical examinations taken from Bushenyi health Centre IV and Kyeizooba farmer’s clinic in Bushenyi town proved that his son was defiled and infected with HIV virus.

The matter was reported to Bushenyi police station but the claim that police asked them money to do medical examinations which they did not have at a time.

Residents say they had heard claims that Komugisha is HIV-positive and she has left the village and her whereabouts are not known.

However, these reports could not be independently verified.

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In Kampala

The Minister of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MFPED) Matia Kasaija recently told one of the leading media houses in the country that  government would soon act on the recommendations of a report by parliament’s Committee on Commissions State Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE). He also said he had asked top officials of BoU to identify areas of improvement in regard to the COSASE report on the controversial closure of banks. He also said he wanted BoU officials to suggest ways to boost the bank’s operations.

However, in his assurance to Ugandans, Minister Kasaija seemed to shy away from the real problem in BoU. The real problem in BoU is the continued stay of the top two officials in that institution.

They should have left yesterday. Problems in BoU will only be solved when the Governor, Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile and his deputy Dr. Louis Kasekende leave that institution whose image has been tarnished by the persistent scandals, and as such need no renewal.

Unfortunately, Tumusiime-Mutebile and Kasekende cannot be at the forefront of restoring the good image of BoU. New faces are needed to at the top of BoU do that work.  And every Ugandan is advocating for that change.

The above is just one of several reasons why President Yoweri Museveni must act swiftly to let the two gentlemen go, much as Tumusiime-Mutebile has a few months left to retire. In fact, the two should be preparing their hand over reports. Remember that during the COSASE probe that spanned from late October 2018 to late February 2019, it was discovered that most officials who retired from BoU left without writing any reports or if they did, they were unsatisfactory.

Take the case of former executive director bank supervision, Justine Bagyenda who left without handing in some important documents to do with bank supervision and bank closure. Tumussiime-Mutebile and Kasekende must be blamed for the laxity that made BoU officials to handle official duties as if they were handling their own personal business.

President Museveni must borrow a leaf from his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan who just five days ago fired central bank governor Murat Cetinkaya and replaced him with Murat Uysal, the bank’s deputy governor. Cetinkaya had been serving as the governor since April 2016.

No official reason was given for the sacking, but markets have speculated over recent weeks that Erdogan sacked Cetinkaya because of his reluctance to cut interest rates that President thinks will boost Turkey’s economic growth.

Sources in Turkey say the differences between the government and the governor over the conduct of monetary policy had deepened in the past few months to the extent that Erdogan and Turkish finance minister demanded Cetinkaya’s resignation much as Cetinkaya reminded them of the bank’s independence and declined to resign. Erdogan would not wait longer. He sacked the governor on Saturday and the rest is history.

Maintaining macroeconomic stability is not enough, integrity and accountability important at BoU

Interestingly and on the contrary Tumusiime-Mutebile and Kasekende take pride in stabilising the country’s monetary policy where inflation levels have been kept to a single digit, from almost 29.0 percent in December 2011. BoU has over the years reduced the Central Bank Rate (CBR) from 23 per cent in January 2012 to 10 per cent in June 2019, though commercial banks have not followed that in giving credit to the private sector due to other factors.

However, for maintaining Uganda’s relative macroeconomic stability supported by a relatively high degree of exchange rate flexibility and central bank independence that operates under an inflation targeting framework, Tumusiime-Mutebile and Kasekende think that they have achieved it all and therefore, other issues of integrity and accountability don’t matter to them. That is why they failed to supervise their juniors to the extent that Tumusiime-Mutebile admitted during the COSASE probe that his juniors got involved in some processes that led to the closure and liquidation of some commercial banks behind his back, stating further that he never saw some documents related to the closure of the now defunct banks. He would later turn around to say he signed some of the documents, something that surprised MPs on COSASE.

Confidential report blames Tumusiime-Mutebile for illegal staff changes

A confidential report of the presidential tripartite committee, authored in February this year, blames Tumusiime-Mutebile for personally recruiting five senior staff without subjecting them to any interviews as required by the Bank of Uganda Act, which he is supposed to adhere to.

Worse still, most of the staff head picked by the governor did not meet the qualifications and experience required for the jobs. For instance, Dr. Twinemanzi Tumubweine (Executive Director Bank Supervision) does not have any experience in commercial banking. BoU’ board members where Tumusiime-Mutebile is chairman disowned him on most of staff changes at BoU, saying he never consulted them and that it was illegal.

Such a decision by the governor only shows that he not interested in having a stable financial sector. So Museveni letting him to go early is better for Ugandans.

Sacking is good example

The findings above are a result of the investigation of BoU staff allegations that Tumusiime-Mutebile recruited and promoted some staff on February 7, 2018 without following the bank’s procedures as well as the Constitution of Uganda. The staff who said two cliques exist within the bank, one supporting Tumusiime-Mutebile and the other supporting Kasekende, were proved right by the committee. The revelation of cliques means that the relationship between Tumusiime-Mutebile and Kasekende is wanting. Museveni should fire the dual like he did to many of his aides and ministers , after it was established that the duo were antagonizing each other while performing public duties of keeping national security. Their antagonism was seen as compromising national security.

Tumusiime-Mutebile and Kasekende don’t care about local banking industry

Additionally, Tumusiime-Mutebile and Kasekende do not care about Uganda’s banking industry yet they are supposed to help the industry grow to great heights. During the COSASE probe, it was found beyond reasonable doubt that Crane Bank Limited (CBL) and National Bank of Commerce (NBC), despite having a few weaknesses of liquidity flows, were not supposed to be closed as they had raised some or most of the required capital. For example, BoU officials themselves said CBL required Shs150 billion to remain afloat. And owners were looking for extra cash before BoU officials rushed to close it on October 20, 2016. BoU meanwhile has failed to account for Shs478 billion of taxpayers’ money it claims it injected in CBL as liquidity support before selling it to its competitor DRFCU Bank at only Shs200 billion, paid in installments.  For NBC it had all the liquidity required at the time it was closed.

Ugandans stand to lose money because of Tumusiime-Mutebile and Kasekende mess of BoU

Ugandans are likely to lose the scarce resources to the above two commercial banks and others like Global Trust Bank Uganda, should owners sue for compensation and succeed. Indeed during the COSASE probe, most of the shareholders of the seven affected banks demanded compensation in hundreds of billions of Ugandan shillings, on account of loss of business.

BoU’s investment in Dfcu bank is conflict of interest that should not have happened

Tumusiime-Mutebile and Kasekende okayed its BoU staff under Bank of Uganda Defined Benefits Scheme to invest over 1 percent in Dfcu bank despite the institution being the regulator of the same bank.In that scenario, BoU acts as the regulator and the regulated, hence creating conflict of interest. With such an arrangement, it does no surprise anyone as to why BoU rushed to sell Crane Bank Limited and Global Trust Bank Limited to Dfcu bank. Tumusiime-Mutebile and Kasekende knew they would benefit from the transaction via Uganda Defined Benefits Scheme as a shareholder. Does it surprise anyone some of the transaction negotiations for the two banks were done over phone? One would argue that the sale of two banks was unfair as it might have denied other buyers a chance to buy acquire them moreover at a higher price, thus giving government more revenue.

Those and many other scandals like the recent currency consignment scandal should give Museveni a strong ground to sack Tumusiime-Mutebile and Kasekende without fear. It is what the public is waiting for as stated by Minister Kasaija that government is to act soon of COSASE report that calls for the reorganization of BoU.

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Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Yosam gucwaki

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In Masindi

Court in Masindi has sentenced a 70 year old man to 40 years in jail for aggravated defilement.

Medard  Rusongwa , a refugee in  Kyangwali refugee camp in Kikuube district was sentenced yesterday  by judge Anna Bitature after finding him guilty of defiling a five year old girl.

Prosecution led by Masindi state Attorney, Arthurton Kukundakwe told court that on 3^rd April 2016 in Kyebitaka village in Kikuube district, Rusongwa found the child in a rest house in the garden where it had been left by its mother and defiled it.

Kukundakwe added that the child’s cry alerted its mother who was digging in a nearby place who found Rusongwa in the act and sounded alarm that attracted other residents who arrested him and handed him over to police.

In her ruling justice Bitature revealed that prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused person committed the offence.

Justice Bitature added that Rusongwa committed an offence of a grave nature and accordingly sentenced him to 40 years in jail to serve as an example and to deter all those intending to commit a similar offence.

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In Kazo

Residents of Kyengando III cell Engari sub-county Kazo district are in shock after they found a dead body of a 6 month pregnant woman floating on a dam.

The deceased has been identified by police as Jennifer 30 years.

Samson Kasasira the Rwizi region police spokesperson said that preliminary investigations show that, the deceased had gone to fetch water for the cattle at the dam, before she drowned.

Kasasira added that Jennifer used to suffer from epilepsy which they suspect to have caused her drowning into the dam.

He said that investigations into the matter are ongoing.

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In Ntungamo

Police in Ntungamo have arrested two people in connection to the murder of 70 year old man in Miizi – Kabingo cell,Buhanama ward Nyamukana town council .

The arrested were identified by the police as Kasim Bamuturebye and John Atwijukire alias Craish both sons of the deceased.

According to police, it is alleged that last night unknown assailants entered the house of the deceased Dodoviko Ndebesa and stubbed him to death.

Samson Kasasira the Rwizi region police spokesperson confirmed the incident noting that it was today morning when one of the deceased grandsons went to check on him and found when he was dead.

Kasasira said that a search mounted by the police found killing weapons that include a pair of pliers, screw power tester and a wire all with blood stains recovered at the scene suspected to have been used as dead body lying facing up with multiple injuries on the neck and face.

He noted that the two had a misunderstanding with the deceased over the sale of family land some two days back.

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Tel: +256702680106

By Wilber Muhwezi Kasibante

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In Bushenyi

The incoming Bushenyi chief administrative officer Mahaba Malik has told political leaders and civil servants that he has not come to build political and civil servants’ camps but to work for the development of the people.

“Let me tell you dear people of Bushenyi, I have not come to build camps but to work for the people,” Mahaba warned.

Mahaba said this last evening during his welcome and fare well party for his predecessor Elias Byamungu that was held at Bushenyi multipurpose hall.

The incoming CAO Malik Mahaba has been transferred from Kagadi in Bunyoro and Byamungu has been moved to Rukungiri District.

The chairperson LCIV Jaffari Bassajabalaba hailed the outgoing CAO for working with him very well noting that they scored 80% in their relationship.

Jaffari warned the incoming CAO to not let the people of Bushenyi regret why Byamungu left.

Giving his remarks, Byamungu also noted that the people of Bushenyi want high class level thus advising the incoming CAO to work at that level.

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Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106