WHERE WILL MUSEVENI REMAIN IF NRM LOSES THE BUKOTO SOUTH SEAT?

News coming in is that some opposition leaders in Bukoto South have withdrawn from their parties and changed to support the NRM official candidate more so at State House! It is no surprise, because it is not the 1st time President Museveni has used favours and money to induce people, and this is one reason why his administration is failing to address the issues of the people. For him as long as he stays around, what makes sense is to see NRM candidates in positions, unfortunately, NRM administration will remain in the book of Uganda's history for corruption. It is absurd the service delivery in Uganda. It is so sad that even if funds appear as a vote, you cannot be sure that they will actually be put to where they seem to be allocated. Museveni's involvement in Bukoto South to the extent of many people changing over is not new. However, if the NRM does not use the vote rigging tactics that it is good at, how will Museveni stand when the NRM candidate loses? William Kituuka Kiwanuka

ALINTUMA NSAMBU HAD ROLE IN THE FAILED NATIONAL IDENTITY CARDS PROJECT

Posted Wednesday, July 4 2012 at 12:56 Three former ministers were ay recommended for sanction following a House investigation into the tendering of the controversy-wracked UShs200 billion national Identity Cards project to M/s Muhlbauer of Germany. MPs want Mr Kirunda Kivejinja (Internal Affairs), former Attorney General Kiddhu Makubuya and former State Minister for ICT, Mr Alintuma Nsambu, punished for their role in the disputed deal. In a report presented the House Defence Committee chairperson, Mr Simon Mulongo (Bubulo East), Mr Kivejinja, Mr Makubuya and the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mr Stephen Kagoda, reportedly flouted procurement laws. The report calls for an investigation into Mr Nsambu’s trip to Germany. Mr Kivejinja is implicated as having deliberately avoided and ignored the laid down procurement procedures under the law. The committee also recommended that Makubuya should take full responsibility for the irregular clearance of the National Security Information Systems procurement agreement in total disregard of Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority. Share This Story 3Share “He (Kivejinja) therefore failed to provide correct political guidance to the ministry which failed to follow the established procedures for classified procurements under PPDA. Despite the technical and professional guidance provided by PPDA, the minister ignored this advice and went ahead to single source the Germany company, to which he dared to take full responsibility as warned by PPDA,” the report to be debated today, notes. The Defence committee inquiry into the procurement of the Shs200 billion ID project set out to, among others, ascertain the mode of procurement of the equipment, examine the parties involved in the procurement process and review the contractual dimension of the procurement The report further notes that: “There was outright breach of the procurement of the procurement laws, dishonesty on the part of some senior officials, both political and technical whose roles are highly questionable.” It adds: “Those found responsible for occasioning loss regarding the procurement and implementation should take full responsibility and the committee prays that Parliament resolves to have clear and deserving penalties against them by the relevant authorities for mismanaging a project of a magnitude of about Shs200 billion,”. The committee said whereas the ID project was conceived with good intentions, it had critical shortfalls in its procurement. “Although the ministry presented letters from the President dated April, 2, 2009 and February 13, as their justification for selecting Muhlbauer as the sole company of choice without any competitive bidding, the committee did not [see] evidence of a presidential directive for single sourcing in any of the two letters specifically directing them to proceed as such.” They insisted that the President’s role was advisory. “In any case the guidance in the letters did not amount to restricting to single sourcing let alone circumventing the PPDA regulatory framework, which effectively provides for classified procurement but which was eluded.” editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

BUGANDA Vs NRM IN BUKOTO SOUTH Thursday, 14 June 2012 22:57 Written by Sadab Kitatta Kaaya As campaigns for the Bukoto South by-election get underway, some members of Parliament are putting loyalty to Buganda kingdom before allegiance to the ruling NRM party. The Observer can reveal that some NRM MPs from Buganda are secretly financing DP Secretary General Mathias Nsubuga, one of the seven candidates in the race. The seat fell vacant after the Court of Appeal annulled the election of Muyanja Mbabaali over lack of requisite academic qualifications. On June 8, the former ICT state minister, J.C. Alintuma Nsambu, won the primaries to become the flag bearer for the NRM in the by-election. Since then, however, several NRM members are distancing themselves from the former Bukoto East legislator for fear of getting into bad books with Buganda kingdom. Nsambu is alleged to have made remarks viewed by Buganda loyalists as belittling Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, and to have been behind the closure of the kingdom’s radio, CBS FM, in September 2009. He has since been considered an enemy of Buganda, even though he is a Muganda, and this seems to be costing him dearly even in his own party. Nsambu was nominated on Wednesday in the company of three supporters: Lt Joe Walusimbi, the Lwengo district council speaker; Eddie Ssansa Luwaga, a former Masaka district councillor for Lwengo sub-county; and an unidentified woman. In contrast, his main challenger, DP’s Nsubuga, arrived in pompous style, accompanied by about 20 senior opposition leaders, including members of the DP national executive committee and MPs. As Nsubuga awaited his nomination, some NRM legislators contacted him by phone, inquiring about the safest means through which to send him money for his campaign. The MPs, who requested not to be named, confirmed to The Observer that they were backing the DP candidate. “This election is not between DP and NRM, but between pro and anti-Buganda forces,” said one NRM legislator. These MPs are not only financing Nsubuga, they are also deploying their agents in the constituency to malign Nsambu. “I may not appear there [in Bukoto South] physically, but my presence will be felt. I have asked all my [former] campaigners to move there and ensure that Nsambu doesn’t go through,” another MP said. The Lwengo district chairman, George Mutabaazi, an NRM leader, also convened a press conference and announced his support for Nsubuga. “Unless we receive communication from the Katikkiro of Buganda informing us that Nsambu apologized to the Kabaka and was forgiven, we shall not campaign for him,” Mutabaazi said. Besides the district speaker, Lt Walusimbi and his fiancée Teopista Mbabazi, who is the woman councillor for Kyazanga sub-county, the entire district leadership is against Nsambu’s candidature. However, Umaru Ssemwezi, the NRM registrar for Lwengo district, told The Observer that the party would prevail over the straying MPs. He said they would be forced to campaign for Nsambu because the agreed party position requires all NRM leaders to back the official party candidate. The cracks in the ruling party aside, the DP leadership, on the other hand, is seeking to mend fences with dissenting party members and other opposition parties. With figures like DP legislators Betty Nambooze (Mukono municipality) and Mathias Mpuuga (Masaka municipality), known to be critics of Nobert Mao’s leadership, and JEEMA’s Muhammad Kateregga (Bukomansimbi district chairman) present at Nsubuga’s nomination and maiden rally at Kinoni trading centre, Mao prayed that this would be a step towards reconciliation within DP and between the party and the rest of the opposition. Despite the last-minute nomination of FDC’s Julius Ssentamu, DP leaders remain hopeful that the opposition will unite behind Nsubuga. “I might have personal issues with Matia [Nsubuga], but we have agreed to put aside our differences and fight a common enemy, because it is not just an election between Nsambu and Nsubuga, as you may look at it,” Nambooze told The Observer. Nambooze said more unexpected personalities would soon join Nsubuga’s campaign. She revealed that the initial plan is that each of the 14 parishes in the constituency will be manned by at least one MP throughout the 23 days of campaigning. In addition, DP has unveilled a force of about 600 vigilantes to handle security-related matters. These are under the command of Bukoto East MP, Florence Namayanja Mukasa, who formally introduced the group to Lwengo district police commander, Jonathan Baroza. “Our opponent [Nsambu] is a stubborn character and we had to organize a contingency plan for him. Otherwise, my vigilantes are peaceful people,” Namayanja told Baroza. For the bigger part of the week, Namayanja has been resident in the constituency, where she has set up grassroots vigilante committees in nearly every village in the constituency. Bukoto South constituency has 66 polling stations with about 38,000 registered voters. sadabkk@gmail.com