Watchdog Uganda
Kidandala’s Lawyer Kenneth Paul Kakande told presiding Judge Henrietta Wolayo that Ssegirinya was indeed served through substituted service.
“The petition is still pinned at the High Court Civil Division Twed Towers in Kampala,†Kakande told the Judge.
Kakande further told Justice Wolayo that efforts to personally serve Ssegirinya at Kitalya prison were not successful because the defendant refused to receive the petition.
“The Deputy OC in charge of Kitalya prison also declined to acknowledge service on Ssegirinya’s behalf,†Kakande further told court.
The Electoral Commission lawyer, Edwin Tabaro also asked the Court to have the matter investigated.
“The electoral commission hopes that the court will pronounce itself on whether or not Ssegirinya was served as the Law requires.â€
On the otherhand, Kidandala accused Ssegirinya of conniving with some top government officials to frustrate his election petition against him.
“Everyday I interface with top government officials who ask me to let go of the case,†Kidandala told the media on Thursday after the Court hearing.
In March this year, Ssegirinya was sued along with EC by his political nemesis Kindandala for allegedly forging academic documents which facilitated his nomination and subsequent election as a legislator.
In his election petition, Kindandala seeks to nullify Ssegirinya’s election for lack of Ordinary and Advanced Level papers- the requisite minimum academic qualification for one to contest as an MP.
According to Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB), Ssegirinya submitted documents that belong to Sarah Nampiima at O-level while at A-level, he submitted documents that belong to Maureen Nabadda.
In a letter dated March 17, 2021, Peter Anywar, writing on behalf of the executive secretary UNEB Dan Odongo, noted: “We have checked in our records and our findings are as follows; Candidate U005/054(2017) is Nampiima Sarah who sat at Mengo secondary school, not Ssegirinya Richard sitting at Pimbas secondary school,†he noted.â€
However, in their response, the EC said Kidandala was not entitled to any of the reliefs sought because Ssegirinya’s nomination and election was conducted in compliance with the provisions and principles laid down in the Electoral Laws of Uganda.
According to the affidavit of Barbra Mulimira, the Returning Officer of Kampala Electoral District; at the time of nomination, Ssegirinya presented a duly filled nomination form accompanied by academic qualifications of UCE(Senior 4) and UACE ( Senior 6) both in the names of “Ssegirinya Richard†from Pimbas Secondary School and a Deed Poll for changing of names from “Ssegirinya Richard†to “Ssegirinya Muhammadâ€.
“The nomination, Election and gazetting of Ssegirinya by the Electoral Commission as MP Kawempe North Constituency in Kampala was done in accordance with the law having found him possessing the minimum qualification of Advanced Level and duly registered as a voter and fulfilment of other nomination requirements,â€the returning officer noted.
Mulimira contended that Segirinya was lawfully and validly nominated, elected, declared and gazetted as winner of the said Election having been found dully academically qualified and obtaining the highest number of votes cast.
]]> Kabalagala: Security guard gets angry, shoots dead his Congolese boss, girlfriend https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210819/119556/kabalagala-security-guard-gets-angry-shoots-dead-his-congolese-boss-girlfriend.html Thu, 19 Aug 2021 09:06:33 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119556 Police at Kabalagala are investigating a double murder by shooting of Katembo Siviwe, 33 , a Congolese national and his yet to be identified girlfriend.who is currently not yet identified and the attempted murder of his care taker who is currently admitted at IHK Hospital.
The shooting took place today 19th August at around 1am in the morning at Katembo’s residence in Bukasa, Makindye Division, Kampala.
Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigire says Raphael Okwanga, a security guard of D-GAP, guarding the victims’ home, allegedly got annoyed over yet to be known reason before killing his boss and girlfriend.
“He then shot dead Katembo and his girlfriend and later injured the care taker.The police were informed about the incident and they responded,†Owoyesigyire said in a statement on Thursday.
He added that the suspect, Okwanga, was arrested and is currently detained at Kabalagala Police Station on allegations of murder.
†All the bodies of the deceased persons have been conveyed to the city mortuary at Mulago for a post mortem. Killer weapon and catridgdes have been recovered.
†The crime scene has been secured for further analysis.Some of the exhibits have been submitted for analysis at our Forensic Services laboratory.The case file will be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecution for advice,†Owoyesigyire noted.
]]> REVEALED: Why FDC’s Salaamu Musumba lost interest in her election petition against Kadaga https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210819/119551/revealed-why-fdcs-salaamu-musumba-lost-interest-in-her-election-petition-against-kadaga.html Thu, 19 Aug 2021 08:48:39 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119551 In the 2021 general elections, the First Deputy Prime Minister and former Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga won the Kamuli District Woman Parliamentary seat with 92,388 votes, beating her closest rival from Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Proscovia Salaamu Musumba who garnered 26,851 votes.However, the FDC vice President Eastern region was dissatisfied with the outcome thus filing a petition against Kadaga. Musumba alleged that her votes had been rigged the January 14 polls. Musumba also sued the Electoral Commission (EC) for allegedly failing to conduct a free and fair election.
In the petition, her prayers were that court nullifies Kadaga’s victory and order for fresh elections for the Parliamentary seat.
On Wednesday 18th August, 2021, Jinja High Court presided by Justice Isa Sserunkuma kicked off the election petition hearing. However, Court was surprised when Musumba revealed that she was no longer interested in the case.
Nevertheless, sources revealed to this website that since Kadaga is no longer as powerful as she was and was humiliated by her boss, the elders in the Busoga region felt sympathy and could have told Musumba to cool down her temper and settle the matter with the former Speaker of Parliament amicably if possible.
The elders also told the FDC strong woman to desist from using Court to fight Kadaga and count the election as a loss since she has always done so.
Other sources within the FDC party informed this website that Musumba expected nothing new at the end since the trust in the current judicial system is totally not in place.
“We don’t see anything new from today’s courts. Also if you look at the way the Supreme Court handled Kyagulanyi’s petition against President Museveni’s victory was too unethical and I think to a sensible politician like Musumba you just have to withdraw the case and don’t waste your time and money.â€
The judiciary kicked off the hearing of parliamentary election petitions on Monday, August 16, 2021. This was after the principal judge Dr. Flavian Zeija assigned 32 judges to expedite the handling of 155 parliamentary and local council election petitions in the different high court circuits across the country.
]]> UACE 2020 results to be released tomorrow https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210819/119546/uace-2020-results-to-be-released-tomorrow.html Thu, 19 Aug 2021 08:23:38 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119546 The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) will release the 2020 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) exam results on Friday August 20, 2021.The release of the results will be officiated by the Minister of Education Janet Museveni at an event that will take place at 12pm at State House Nakasero.
“UNEB will brief the minister on Wednesday and the exams will be released on Friday under strict observance to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs),†Patrick Muinda, the Ministry of Education and Sports Spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Candidates and other stakeholders will recieve the results using the Short Message Services (SMS) on mobile phones after the official release.
According to UNEB, a total of 98,393 learners sat for UACE examinations in April, 2021. Of these 57,264 were female whereas the rest were males.
]]> Parliament impostor arrested for attempting to extort Shs20m from ‘wealthy’ government official to shield him from COSASE investigations https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210819/119544/parliament-impostor-arrested-for-attempting-to-extort-shs20m-from-wealthy-government-official-to-shield-him-from-cosase-investigations.html Thu, 19 Aug 2021 07:46:11 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119544 Police at Parliament on Wednesday arrested Francis Malinga for attempting to extort money from a government official.Malinga was found with a fake whistle-blower’s letter addressed to the Chairperson of the the Committee on Public Accounts (Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises- COSASE) alleging that he was a staff of Parliament who would help the official to have his name cleared.
“Malinga aged 47, alleged that the government official had amassed unexplained wealth that if he pays him Shs20m, he would be cleared by the committee,†Henry Waiswa Yoweri, from the Office of the Clerk of Parliament said in a statement yesterday.
Waiswa added that following the development, the official reported the matter to the administration of Parliament which in turn informed the Police at Parliament. Police arrested Malinga as he waited to ‘pick’ the money at a restaurant on Jinja Road in Kampala.
“The clerk of Parliament urges the public to be vigilant against any persons who purport to be employees of Parliament. The staff of Parliament have no mandate to clear or personally handle a matter before a committee.â€
]]> MPs want resolution to adopt all Auditor General’s reports on public expenditure overturned https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210819/119541/mps-want-resolution-to-adopt-all-auditor-generals-reports-on-public-expenditure-overturned.html Thu, 19 Aug 2021 06:18:53 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119541 A motion is in the offing to overturn a resolution of Parliament to adopt all the Auditor General’s reports that the 10th Parliament had resolved to adopt without consideration.Chairpersons of the three accountability committees told the media on Tuesday, 17 August, 2021 at Parliament that that whereas they understood the goodwill of the motion, they believe that it affects the operation of the three committees subsequent to the resolution.
The committees are; Committee on Public Accounts (Central Government), Committee on Public Accounts (Local Government) and Committee on Public Accounts (Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises) better known as COSASE.
In May 2021, the 10th Parliament passed a resolution for the House’s committees on public accounts adopt all reports of the Auditor General on public expenditure that had not been considered by the time with the intention of clearing all backlog of reports.
“We want to file a motion for Parliament to reconsider the earlier resolution to reopen the reports of the auditor for the years affected; in the case of PAC Central, the years 2019-2020,†the Chairperson of the Committee on Public Accounts (Central Government), Hon Medard Sseggona said.
“Accountability is core to the governance of every country and Parliament scrutiny of these reports is central to the fight against corruption in the country,†he added.
Sseggona took note of the fact that the committees would have nothing to do until the end of the year if they do not consider this work.
He added, “We would be setting a precedence of laziness when we resort to such an action because of backlogâ€.
The Chairperson of the Committee on Public Accounts (Local Government), Hon Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, said the decision being taken by the committees is based on the fact that Ugandans need to know how their resources are being utilised.
COSASE chairperson, Hon Joel Ssenyonyi, added that by adopting the reports without scrutiny would create bigger challenges.
“In the last three years, a lot of money was appropriated by Parliament to various government entities and therefore, the expenditure of these monies requires scrutiny,†he said.
]]> Carefully follow UPDF Infantry doctrine as to continue securing Uganda- Brig Ogiki urges soldiers https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210819/119536/carefully-follow-updf-infantry-doctrine-as-to-continue-securing-uganda-brig-ogiki-urges-soldiers.html Thu, 19 Aug 2021 05:56:59 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119536 UPDF troops from the 15 Infantry Battalion and a section of LDUs from the I Infantry Division on Wednesday were urged to carefully follow the UPDF Infantry doctrine so as to continue securing the country.This was revealed by the Chief of Staff Land Forces ( COS-LF) Brig Gen Bob Ogiki on behalf of the Commander Land Force Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba at Kakiri Ist Infantry Division Headquarters in Wakiso district.
Brig Ogiki implored the newly trained soldiers on political ideology and orientation cadre leadership course to use the acquired skills in enhancing their military capabilities. †UPDF is a disciplined, conscious and pro-people army,†he said, urging them to protect the peace in the country. He reminded them to secure cheap loans with low interest from Wazalendo sacco to improve their welfare. The COS-LF cautioned them to guard against HIV/AIDS and COVID -19 by following the Ministry of Health guidelines.
During the same lecture of opportunity, Brig Ogiki mentioned the need to integrate Local Defence Personnel into regular service through further training. Soldiers were also informed of the continuous efforts by the UPDF leadership to improve their welfare, accommodation, training, and policy, among others.
The function was attended by Senior and Junior Officers and Men of the UPDF.
]]> MPs decry unfair treatment of weightlifter Ssekitoleko https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210818/119533/mps-decry-unfair-treatment-of-weightlifter-ssekitoleko.html Wed, 18 Aug 2021 18:46:37 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119533 Members of Parliament have condemned the government in what they called ‘unfair treatment’ of weightlifter, Julius Ssekitoleko who is said to have disappeared while in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics games.The legislators said that Ssekitoleko committed no offence and was therefore, treated unjustly.
The reaction from the MPs followed a statement on the arrest of Ssekitoleko presented by the Minister for Internal Affairs, Gen David Muhoozi, at a parliamentary sitting on Wednesday, 18 August, 2021.
Gen. David Muhoozi said that on 17 July 2021, seven days before the 2020 Olympics began in Tokyo, Julius Ssekitoleko, a weightlifter from Uganda went missing from his hotel in Osaka, Japan.
Gen. Muhoozi said Ssekitoleko left the Olympic training camp after learning he did not meet standards to compete in the games. “His disappearance was reported to the Japanese authorities and immediately, a search for him was mounted by the Japan Police,†Muhoozi said.
The statement stated that he was found four days later and deported back to Uganda.
On the 23 July 2021, the athlete arrived back in Uganda and was immediately arrested and taken to CID Headquarters for questioning.
Gen Muhoozi added that on 27 June 2021, the Police file was sentto the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who advised that Ssekitoleko had not committed any offence under the laws of Uganda.
‘ The DPP accordingly ordered that the suspect be released unconditionally,†Muhoozi added.
Ssekitoleko joined the national Olympic team in 2018 and has competed in a number of local and international sporting events, winning medals.
The MPs however, held that Ssekitoleko should have been treated in a better way rather being received with handcuffs at the airport.
Bardege-Layibi Division MP, Hon. Martin Ojara Mapenduzi said the government needs to devise strategies to manage expectations and frustrations of the sports personalities.
“It is clear that Ssekitoleko was distraught after not qualifying for the competitions thus choosing to leave the camp,†he said adding that, ‘this needs to be managed so that it does not happen again’.
Mapenduzi added that instead of arresting Ssekitoleko, he should have been counselled on how to deal with his failure to qualify.
“There is need to come up with a system to help support our sports representatives in all aspects of their lives and create a fund for them so that they do not engage in desperate actions, “he said.
Hon. Dan Atwijukire (NRM, Kazo County) said the athlete was financially stressed prompting him to disappear and it was wrong to arrest.
“When these athletes represent our country and win medals, they lift our flag high and we receive them with open hands. We neglect those who may not have brought home a medal even when they put in effort,†he added.
Atwijukire held that the government should boost its financial support towards sports personalities to avert cases of disappearing sportsmen and women in the next events.
Hon. Asuman Basalirwa (JEEMA, Bugiri Municipality) asked the government to break the erroneous practice of security organs especially the police arresting people they suspect for wrong-doing without any evidence.
“It is a habit lately for the police to be knee-jerked into arresting people before gathering evidence for crimes they suspect them of; this is an embarrassment to the state,†he stated.
Basalirwa held that the issue of respect of the fundamental rights of Ugandans needs to be taken with utmost seriousness and he labeled the arrest of Ssekitoleko as misconduct of the police.
The Deputy Speaker, Anita Among said it was unfortunate for the national organisers of the teams to fail to ensure that all Ugandan participants qualify before they take them out for sporting events.
She asked the Minister of State for Sports to report on the selection and qualification criteria for sportsmen and women who are going out to compete at international events on behalf of the country.
]]> ANDREW MWENDA: The defeat of liberal imperialism https://www.watchdoguganda.com/op-ed/20210818/119467/andrew-mwenda-the-defeat-of-liberal-imperialism.html Wed, 18 Aug 2021 17:07:42 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119467 The rapid collapse of the Afghanistan government before a rag tag army of poorly trained, poorly armed, poorly resourced and poorly commanded Taliban, who did not even have a big power bankrolling them, marks the defeat of one of the most disastrous experiments in international relations â€" liberal imperialism!By liberal imperialism I mean the attempt by the West to remodel other nations in its own image ie to make them liberal democracies. The west tries this through diplomatic pressure (hectoring and threatening), economic blackmail (cutting aid) and in some radical cases (such as Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan etc) through the barrel of the gun.
Liberal imperialism is a mutilation of the original (or classical) liberal idea, which I think is an inspiring idea. Classical liberalism believes that human beings have different views and values; therefore we cannot agree even on basic principles. The best way to live together is to respect and tolerate diversity.
Domestically classical liberalism allowed a diversity of ideologies, beliefs, religions etc. that is to say it was l particularistic. At the international level, classical liberalism believes every society should have a form of government it’s people choose. It does not have the missionary creed to spread itself as a universal value to every part of the world precisely because it was based on the principle of tolerance of diversity.
Liberal imperialism, on the other hand, is universalist. It believes that liberalism must be spread around the globe to every society like a religion; that every nation regardless of circumstances, should become liberal or face sanctions or even war. It is, therefore, intolerant of diversity. It seeks to promote uniformity.
It is the desire to spread it internationally that makes liberal imperialism a dictatorial and intolerant creed. It is also the reason it has faced disaster after disaster in the last 30 years wherever it has been tried â€" most especially and explicitly in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan. Why? Because its international match seeking to impose itself on other society confronts an even more powerful ideology, nationalism.
So let us return to the collapse of the US supported government in Kabul â€" in what has been a record few days. America’s liberal imperial project has been defeated by the forces of nationalism. The major source of this failure is not that the US intervened and removed the Taliban and occupied the country. The occupation was derivative. The primary problem is that America sought to reshape Afghanistan in its own image ie make it a liberal democracy.
Although America’s aim in Afghanistan was to fight terrorism, the occupation was driven by the belief that to make that country inhospitable for terrorism requires a broad nation building project by turning it into a liberal democracy. It is this attempt to reshape Afghan society into a mirror image of America that led to disaster.
Many Americans believe that legitimate government is one where the leaders are elected through free and fair competitive elections in which multiple political parties and candidates compete freely; where there is separation of powers between different arms of government (the executive, judiciary and legislature), where there are checks and balances, a free press and where the government delivers public goods and services to all citizens through impersonal institutions.
But this is a very western conception of governmental legitimacy. To believe that an ordinary Pashtun peasant in a village in Afghanistan holds such a belief is delusional and silly. This belief has evolved in the west over centuries of structural change and political struggle. A few elites in Kabul, educated in western philosophy, may hold these beliefs and espouse such ideas but only artificially. For most Afghans, the source of legitimacy are based on their inherited traditions and values, not western conceptions.
The American supported government in Kabul was seen by many afghans for what it really was â€" a puppet administration. Here liberalism collided with nationalism and nationalism won. There was also a religious dimension to this: Americans were seen as infidels in this deeply religious Muslim society. Attempts to promote gender rights and other associated changes in Afghan society were seen as external impositions, however morally appealing they may appear in the eyes and minds of western educated elites.
This is the context in which America has been defeated and humiliated. By 2010, America had 100,000 troops, its NATO allies about 36,000. They financed a government that was elected democratically, provided public goods and services and promoted a regime of political and social rights on the lines of Denmark. They also trained, armed and equipped 300,000 Afghanistan national army troops. This phalanx of steel with the most advanced attack planes, drones, helicopters, artillery and mortars faced off a Taliban insurgency of not more 75,000 poorly trained and equipped and not paid at all â€" and lost. Why?
The belief that elections bring legitimacy under all circumstances is misguided. For as long as the government in Kabul was foreign sponsored, promoting foreign ideas and creeds, it was bound never to find support among ordinary Afghans. And this is what defines the Taliban.
Who is the Taliban? He is a vendor in the street, a farmer in a garden, a trader in a market, a businessman in a shop, a civil servant in a government ministry, a priest in a mosque, a teacher in a school, a nurse in a hospital, a tribal chief in a village, a waiter in a restaurant, a policeman on guard, and yes, a soldier in the Afghanistan national army. To fight the Taliban was to fight Afghan society; and in that fight America had no chance.
Finally the western mindset cannot overcome its false assumptions. For example many are claiming that the Afghanistan government lacked legitimacy because it was corrupt. But there are many extremely corrupt governments around that world that have enjoyed long and stable careers â€" precisely because they were corrupt. In fact the most enduring “regimes†I know have been equally the most corrupt.
America’s imperial project in Afghanistan failed because it was essentially an attempt to turn Afghanistan into America. Afghans, a proud people, could not accept that.
]]> NRM SG Todwong meets party District Election Officers, calls for consistence, better service delivery https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210818/119529/nrm-sg-todwong-meets-party-district-election-officers-calls-for-consistence-better-service-delivery.html Wed, 18 Aug 2021 15:56:04 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119529 The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General Richard Todwong on Wednesday met with the party District Election Officers (DEOs) at the party Electoral Commission head offices in Nakasero, Kampala.Todwong reassured the DEOs of the party’s continuous support and commitment towards streamlining party activities from the top to the ground.
He also called for solidarity between the election officers and the Secretariat leadership to ensure consistence and better service delivery.
The Chairperson of the district registrars, Patrick Kamulindwa who also doubles as the Registrar for Kabarole applauded Todwong for accepting to meet and address them at such a short notice which he said was a sign of special recognition towards the group.
He also requested the NRM top leadership to consider them while implementing some government programs that focus on uplifting the welfare of Ugandans.
The meeting was also attended by NRM Electoral Commission Chairman Dr.Tanga Odoi, the Deputy National Treasurer Hon, Jacqueline Kyatuhaire and Counsel Oscar Kihika, the party director for Legal Affairs.
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