Kyadondo East Members of Parliament, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has spoken out about reports that he refused to join the Buganda Katikiro in cutting a cake at a recent function.

Whereas he admits having walked away when he had been called on, he blames this on his the tight schedule he had that day as well as the treatment he was subjected to by the organisers.

“To set the record straight, I was invited as area MP to attend Gayaza Junior School’s Day, celebrating 106 years! At the same occasion, the Katikiro of Buganda Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga was the Guest of Honour. I attended the function, received the Katikiro and together, we inspected different exhibition stalls for students’ products and activities. We also had a cordial chat!”

Though, it all began when he was denied an opportunity to speak at the event.

“I was at the function from 10 am to 3 pm (5hrs) and as protocol was being ‘observed’, many of the guests who were invited but didn’t show up had their representatives to speak on their behalf. Just at the point when the area MP was to be invited to welcome the Guest of Honour, the C.A.O’s representative was instead invited to perform that role.

“My assistant tried to find out from the MC whether it was a mistake and they were bluntly informed that they had strict instructions not to let me speak.”

He adds that the reason they stopped him from speaking was because they were not sure of what he was going to say. But to him, he says had prepared to use the occasion to suggest ways of improving our education system!

“I must say it was a humiliation to the people of Kyadondo East to have their elected representative seated at a function for almost five hours and not given any opportunity to say a word. I am not a ceremonial M.P. and would love to use every chance to speak for and to my people! Therefore, by the time the cake was cut, I was long gone and I think it was more important for me to say a word to my people rather than cut that cake. Had I been allowed to speak, perhaps what I was going to say would make a better headline than the cake.”

He apparently left for other functions at Kinaawa Secondary School, Nangabo Youth Bicycle race and the Uganda cranes vs South Sudan football match at Lugogo KCCA grounds where he had also been invited.

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Despite the tough economic times that persisted for much of the
2016/17 financial year, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) realised a revenue growth of 13.26 per cent, compared to the same period in financial year 2015/16, its Commissioner General General Doris Akol disclosed today as she released the annual revenue performance report for July 2016 to June 2017.

During the period under review, URA targeted to collect revenue worth Shs13, 177.15 billion but ended up collecting only Shs12, 719.63 billion. “In real terms, a total of Shs1, 488.78 billion was the additional revenue to the treasury compared to the past financial year,” Akol said as she read the report.

The Shs13, 177.15 billion target, Akol said was set based on the
projections that the gross domestic product (GDP) would grow at 5.0 per cent in the financial year 2016/17. But this, she said was not the case as it finally grew at 3.9 per cent, leading to the revenue shortfall of Shs236.69 billion. GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced within the country.

In the report Akol released at the URA Head Office in Kampala, she points out that corporation tax revenue had a shortfall of Shs197.5 billion as companies absorbed little credit to facilitate both the domestic and international trade, which are the main revenue generators. For instance, she says, imports during the 2016/17 financial year were expected to grow at 9.1 per cent but only grew by 7.1 per cent. That meant a fall in revenue collections.
The report further says that because of the constrained aggregate
demand in the economy, investors and traders decided to warehouse goods or re-export them to neighbouring countries like Kenya and Rwanda, which further affected customs tax collections. Customs tax makes up 82 per cent of total tax collections in Uganda.
Further the contracted aggregate demand, URA says, led to cash flow challenges that impacted negatively on withholding tax, Pay As You Earn as well as value added tax. “A number of taxpayers filed returns but made no payments during financial year 2016/17,” the report reads in part.

Akol in the report says that URA will harness key administrative
measures so as to collect Shs15, 062 billion for the financial year
2017/18 and that this includes fighting corruption, tax education,
risk management enhancement among others.

Regionally, for the financial year 2016/17, only the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) collected taxes above target at 100.50 per cent followed by URA at 96.53 per cent. Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) follow, collecting taxes at 96.53 per cent and 94.68 per cent respectively.

Looking at the year on year growth rates, the average EAC revenue performance was 11.8 per cent during the year 2016/17, with Tanzania’s TRA registering the highest revenue growth rate of 14.0 per cent while Burundi registered 8 per cent-the lowest.

On average EAC tax to GDP ratio was 15.1 per cent. KRA and RRA emerged the best performers at 19.3 percent and 15.3 per cent respectively. URA had 14.1 per cent while Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR) and TRA came last at 13.4 per cent and 13.2 per cent respectively.

Further, the average EAC tax to budget ratio was 57.6 per cent during the year 2016/17 with KRA contributing 71.4 per cent; URA raised 62.30 per cent while RRA posted 55.60 per cent. OBR and TRA contributed 50.50 per cent and 48.00 per cent to their national budgets.

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City businessman and chairman of Kwagalana group Godfrey Kirumira has come under public criticism for distancing himself from the Crane Bank saga.

Kwagalana is group that brings together Kampala wealthier business people with investment interests within the Central Business District.

According to the New Vision newspaper, Kirumira is implicated in some of the inside transactions which might have brought problems to the bank.

While appearing on BBS, a local television last week, Kirumira distanced himself saying he didn’t get money from the bank into his account. Insisting that if any such money was indeed transferred to his account, let such people implicating him bring evidence.

“I wasn’t a shareholder or partner in that bank and I didn’t sit on the board and so how do you implicate me in the Shs400 million saga. Instead there is someone who has influence in the media and he wanted to sell me his land he had got from Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) and I refused to buy the land that could be the reason I am being dragged in.) Kirumira said.

Kirumira without disclosing the name of the said person, whom he refers to as CEO, says that very person tried very hard to drag him into Kasiwukira murder.

However, a section of society believe Kirumira is trying to run away from this saga given that he is one of the close confidants of Mr. Sudhir Ruparelia.

A one Mugisha Ben wrote “If it is true that city businessman Godfrey Kirumira distanced himself from his longtime business friend Sudhir of defunct Crane bank in time of need to save his face is a fool 100 per cent and indeed a hypocrite.” Mugisha said

Adding “Who in Uganda does not know that the two were buddies? President Obote once said a good Muganda is a dead one, why denounce your friend at a time he needs you most?”

Attempts by EagleOnline to get a comment from Mr.Kirumira were futile as he didn’t answer his mobile phone.

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Delegates at Nelson Mandale Stadium popularly known as Namboole have turned chaotic roughing up Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire.

The Ministry of Local Government summoned Local governments through the Local Councils Local Council LC V Chairmen of districts and Local Council (LC3) for Sub Counties and the Speakers of the councils for a workshop on the implementation of government programmes.

According to sources at the meeting, Gen. Otafiire who represented President Yoweri Museveni at the event is reported to have been roughed up as he gave his remarks by the Namayingo LC3 Chairman who poured cold water on him.

“LCV and LC3 are rioting here at Namboole as they protest being addressed  by Gen. Otafiire” a deleagte told EagleOnline  it is said Gen. Otafiire was imploring the delegates to support President Museveni to have to age limit amended so that he could contest again after clocking 75 years of age.

The incident that has left delegates divided with those in support of lifting the age limit and those against. The Namayingo LC3 has been arrested and is in police custody.

As per the 1995 Uganda Constitution, 75 years are the maximum number of years one cannot exceed as the president. However, there are schemes to amend the constitution to extend Mr. Museveni’s stay beyond 35 years he would have ruled Uganda by 2021.

This website could not get a comment from Gen. Otafiire as his known mobile phone was switched by the time of publishing this article. However, this week President Museveni told the presser at State House that those involved in politicking over the matter were doing so as idlers.

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