The act by the police in Jinja to block Democratic Party (DP) reunion at Jinja Rugby Grounds and arrest of top organisers including party party president, Norbert Mao has been described by the party as an action of unprofessional but rather a partisan police.

This afternoon the police unconditionally and without charge released Mao, Fred Mwesigwa (the DP presidential spokesman), former presidential candidate, Samuel Lubega and the Reunion Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Kidandala. The officials were arrested as early as 8:00am as they stepped at Jinja Rugby Grounds where the reunion was supposed to take place.

After their release, Mwesigwa – the DP presidential spokesman told Radio Simba that the police was acting on the orders of NRM who are scared of any challengers.

“They are scared of our reunion because DP is determined this time. We are taking over power from their (police) master, President Yoweri Museveni,” said Mwesigwa to this website.

Contacted for a comment, Kiira Regional Police Spokeswoman, SP Diana Nandawula rubbished Mwesigwa’s assertions.

Nandawula said the police would have not blocked the reunion had the organisers followed the Public Order Management Act which requires them to inform the police in term.

“As police, our duty is to serve everyone equally. And for that matter, they (DP) were supposed to follow the law. For example, they have previously had reunions in other regions and we have not been blocking them because they have always followed the law,” she said.

Mao arrived in Jinja town at 8 am, he found a heavy police deployment at the venue.

He was grabbed and rushed to Jinja Central Police Station.

Before his arrest, Mao predicted in a tweet that the day would be bad for DP.

“The police has blocked the #DPREUNION in Jinja today. Heavy deployment awaited at 8am at the Jinja Rugby Grounds,” he posted on his handler.

Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine was among opposition figures who were expected to grace the function but had not showed up by the time of arrest.

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Justice Catherine Bamugemereire of the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters has kicked the Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana from the Land Commission inquiry for alleged lack due to lack of respect towards the commission.

Rukutana was today appearing before the Commission of Inquiry into land matters where he has had a bitter exchange with commission chairperson Justice Catherine Bamugemereire.

While appearing, Bamugemereire cautioned Rukutana against the manner in which he was addressing the Commission and answering the questions, saying he was showing disrespect, combativeness and hostility which has never been seen before. However, in doing so, Bamugemereire lost cool and went for the Deputy AG, a thing, Rukutana never took lightly

Mr. Rukutana told Justice Catherine Bamugemereire that, “If I’m not respected, I will not respect anybody. If you disrespect me I disrespect you” when he was asked if he was willing to be respectful to the commission.

Bamugemereire then called off the session promising to refer the matter to President Museveni so that he can find another body the Attorney General respects for further investigation.

The Deputy Attorney General was before the commission to explain the pending government compensation to businessman Muhammed Buwule Kasasa in respect to over 600 acres of prime land on Mutungo Hill, Kampala.

This is not the first time Justice is clashing with cabinet minister over the inquiry, last year, she referred to Lands Minister Betty Amongi as young lady that led the two the clash further. In same year, she also blasted her fellow judges as being behind the rampant land evictions.

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Police have this Wednesday, Feb 20, 2019 released on bond the Makindye West Member of Parliament, Allan Ssewanyana after spending two days in custody at Nagalama Police Station.

Ssewanyana was arrested on Monday following his alleged attempted unlawful closure of Kiruddu Hospital. The MP allegedly tried to close the facility over the defective sewage disposal system.

After his arrest, the police preferred charges of unlawful society against him.

Earlier on Wednesday the leader of opposition tried to secured a police bond for him but she failed.

Hours later, the Kawempe Division Councillor, Muhammad Segirinya and Buhweju County MP Francis Mwijukye stepped in, had negotiations with police at Naggalama where he had been detained and successful secured the bond for him.

But after his release, Ssewanyana who looked not threatened said that he would not give up the fight until the sewage problem at Kiruddu is addressed.

“I have been charged with unlawfully society, which is categorically a trumped up and malicious charge, aimed at silencing me from demanding for accountability of the released billions of tax payers’ money to fix the problem. I will not give up until the government fixes Kiruddu’s sewerage system,” he vowed.

Members of parliament had put The Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Kania Obiga under pressure to explain to the country the whereabouts of their colleague.

On Monday State Minister for Health General Duties Sarah Opendi announced that construction of the Lagoon will start next month. The construction will cost 3.5 Billion shillings.

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The high court has ordered Stanbic Bank to freeze the accounts of China International Water and Electric Corporation over the company’s failure to compensate nine owners of the quarries which were fenced off by the company.

The company holds both Ugandan shillings and United Sates dollars accounts in Stanbic Bank.

Those that sued the company for compensation of about Shs202 billion include; Disson Nsubuga, Berenado Ssajabi, John Apoogo, John Wafula, Okuni Owori , Adilian Okuni, Ali Kagoda, Celina Atapu and Rose Achieng.

The group sued the Attorney General together with the company through their lawyers Rayner Magyezi of Kampala Associated Advocates. The accounts will remain closed pending the hearing and determination of the case. The company is required to defend itself on February 26, 2019.

In May 2018, the group sued the company in Mukono High Court for a compensation of petitioner Shs202 billion, which they said was the adequate and fair compensation, for the 27.852 acres in Nakalooke village Kayunga district.

The Applicants said then that in 2014, when the ministry of energy started the multi-million Isimba hydro power dam, government compulsorily without authorization according to Ugandan land laws, government engaged Kagga and partners to access the parcels of land for compensation of applicants and other project affected persons.

The petition noted, the land was condoned off and a quarry was established and the contractor started blasting rocks yet it was not put under the accessed property. The owner of the hitherto land protested the development but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

Petitioners revealed that the purchase agreements and proof of ownership agreements were all retained by valuing company.

The Isimba case is not the first scenario where local fight with government over compensation.

The people round Karuma hydro power project had gone uncompensated for a similar rock till when high court HCCS No. 252 OF 2015 Etot Paul peter and other Vs attorney general and Sino hydro cooperation Ltd to compensate the applicants.

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Minister for Presidency, Esther Mbayo, has implored Resident District Commissioners (RDC) to stop indulging in partisan politics but instead work towards the improvement of service delivery in their respective areas.

Speaking at the official opening of RDCs retreat at Kyankwanzi National Leadership Institute, Mbayo, said RDCs report to the office of the President and thereafter, action will be taken on non-active commissioners.

“There is anti-graft committee formed to fight against corruption, It will make sure the RDCs are doing proper coordination of government programs and services, “that is the reason you were appointed into office,” she added.

“You should make sure that government Programs and Projects are helpful to people at district level for instance and make sure the input goes to the right people, not yourselves. One RDC sometime back gave himself a cow instead of the residents,” She said.

She called on them to communicate government programmes using rightful language asserting that the public needs to be reminded day in day out about government projects so that they understand and get involved for transformation of their regions.

Mbayo revealed that the relationship between RDCs and local governments is worrying, “You should work on it. I only defended you because you hadn’t been inducted. Now we are on it, I won’t do it again,” she added.

She called on them to join the fight to end the battle against HIV/Aids adding that government has enough drugs so tell people to test and those infected should be sensitized to get treatment.

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The Commercial Court has pushed to March the hearing of the case in which city tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia wants the new lawyers hired by Bank of Uganda (BoU) also declared conflicted, and therefore unfit to represent the central bank in the commercial dispute with businessman.

The case was pushed to March following the falling sick of the David Wangutusi, the Head of the Commercial Court.

Ruparelia, in a suit filed in December last year at the Commercial Court, argued that Sebalu and Lule Advocates should not be representing BoU and Dfcu Bank since it has already represented Crane Management Services that owned Crane Bank which was controversially sold to Dfcu Bank in January 2017.

Crane Management Services sued DFCU Bank demanding rental arrears amounting to Shs2.9 billion and US $385,728.54 in respect of tenancies of suit properties that were formally owned by Crane Bank Limited (CBL).

“In view of the advocate-client relationship between the applicant (Crane Management Services sued Dfcu Bank) and the 1st respondent (Sebalu & Lule advocates), the latter’s continued participation as defence counsel for the 2nd respondent (Dfcu bank) herein, which is the defendant in High Court Civil Suit (HCCS) No. 109/2018 against the applicant/plaintiff, is prejudicial to the applicant’s head suit,” the petition reads in part.

Ruparelia also wants the court to issue a permanent injunction, restraining Sebalu & Lule Advocates from appearing as defence counsel for dfcu bank in the other court case that the two principals are battling out.

In December 2017, the Commercial disqualified Masemmbe and Mpanga from the sh397 billion Sudhir Ruparelia’s case against Bank of Uganda (BoU), citing conflict of interest.

In his ruling delivered on December 21, 2017, the head of the commercial court division, Justice David Kutosi Wangutusi stated that David Mpanga of A.F. Mpanga Advocates and Timothy Masembe of MMAKS Advocates acted in violation of the Advocates regulations.

Section 4 of the regulation says that an advocate shall not accept instructions from any person in respect of a contentious or non-contentious matter if the matter involves a former client and the advocate as a result of acting for the former client is aware of any facts which may be prejudicial to the client in that matter.

Court documents further indicate that when Dfcu Bank took over the assets and liabilities of Crane Bank, it also took over occupation and use of the said rented properties from which the real estate company wants to recover accumulated rent arrears from Dfcu bank.

Some of the properties cited include; Crane Bank branches at plot 9 on Market Street, plot 1-13, Jinja Road, plot 47, Republic Road-Mbale, Speke Hotel (1996), Pot 19 Cooper Road (Crane Plaza), plot 20, Kampala Road –Crane Bank ATM.

Sudhir told journalists at court that it is pure conflict of interest and greed.(The reason we are here is for the ruling but it has been pushed to March 1 and we wait as we get more details, it is a simple case of conflict of interest”.

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