Forum for Democratic Change party president, Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu has spoken out rubbishing those branding him as mole of President Museveni within the FDC.

Speaking passionately about the future of the party today, Gen. Muntu says his committal to the party is unquestionable. Gen. Muntu who expresses interest of competing for the party presidency later on this year also dispelled those who brand him as mole within the FDC saying those committed to the struggle will always be known by their fruits.

”Some propagandist from NRM and within FDC usually bring up the debate of me being a mole of NRM whenever we approach elections in our party. The bible says they will be known by their fruits’’ I have spent most of my time working for unity, transparency, democracy and honesty which all defeat the intentions of NRM. This is what I have spent most time working upon” Gen. Muntu said.

Adding “political parties are the pillars of good governance, but if Gen. Museveni rapes the country like he promised to destroy all other parties by 2021, through creating instability in the party thus making them stay hopeless. I do not care about individuals who hobnobbed with Museveni, I only mind about the conflict they could cause to our stability”

Gen. Muntu at the leadership of Forum for Democratic Changes’ working committee has today converged at Tal Cottage hotel for a two day meeting that is aimed at reviewing the different strategies and assess their performance.

The party’s President Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu addressed the media just before joining his colleagues for the meeting and he made different pronouncements.

“FDC is a stable party though we always have different opinions, these contradictions happen in politics, we as FDC have the capability and internal mechanisms to solve them, our internal atmosphere is fully established through the cohesion”. Gen. Muntu said.

While commenting about FDC choice of sending two contenders for EALA, Gen. Muntu says “We sent both candidates because we never had prior communications about the regulations from the Speaker of Parliament, the two slots were initially for FDC and we have resolved that in case we are only accorded one position then we will send one representative but we have not been briefed about it and I do not see why people are still confused about that”

He said the FDC is building a strong foundation and they have confidence that the party which can stay progressive even after our generation.

“We had planned to win 2016 election which we won but out victory was stolen. Look at the way most NRM MPs are losing their seats due to failures of the Electoral Commission, there is corruption in most institutions which explains why they have all lost integrity”.

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India’s Vice President Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari will be in Uganda for a three-day official visit at the invitation of President Yoweri Museveni.

Mr. Ansari will arrive on February 21, 2017 and will be received by the Vice President Edward Sekandi according to a joint statement by State House and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uganda.

“During the visit, the Vice-President will meet his Ugandan counterpart, Sekand. He will also interact with the Indian community in Kampala,” said Vikas Swarup, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson of India.

Nina Malhotra, joint secretary in Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said that this will be the first high-level bilateral visit from India to Uganda since 1997.

“The forthcoming visit of the Vice-President is part of the conscious broadening of India’s diplomatic footprint in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in the Great Lakes region,” she said in a statement.

President Museveni has visited India twice on State visits and also visited New Delhi on a private visit in September, 2011 and the Vice President of Uganda also visited India to attend the 9th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave in New Delhi in 2013.

India’s engagement with Uganda is at three levels including at the African Union (AU), the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and at the bilateral level.

Following the first India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-I) in 2008, Uganda was nominated by the AU to host the India-Africa Institute of Foreign Trade (IAIFT), one of the five institutes offered by India at the Pan-African level. The institute will impart world-class training in International Business and Management, develop entrepreneurial skills and promote research in foreign trade.

At the second India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-II) in 2011, a Food-Processing Business Incubation Centre was offered to be set-up in Uganda.

In addition, a tele-medical centre has been set up in Mulago Hospital where several diagnostic equipment, such as ECG, X-Ray, Ultrasound, etc., have also been set up as part of the project. The centre is connected to 11 reputed Indian hospitals to ensure world-class medical consultation and treatment for patients and medical education for students. A tele-education centre has been set up at Makerere University. These initiatives will help Ugandans access medical care and education from India at a fraction of cost. These centres were inaugurated in August, 2010 by Foreign Ministers of both the countries.

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‘Prophet’ Samuel Kakande of the Synagogue Church of Uganda has yet again ratcheted controversy with his ‘miracle’ rice, which he is allegedly selling for Shs50, 000 compared to the market price of ‘ordinary’ rice which is Shs3, 000.

Apparently, the Pastor’s rice is blessed and will do miracles especially for the many Ugandans yearning to get jobs, visas, twins, a dream car or house. This has raised a lot of controversy within the public, with social media carrying thousands of negative comments against the ‘Prophet’ and other Pentecostals of his ilk.

Formerly, Kakande’s ‘miracles’ were distributed through hankies and ‘holy water’, where thousands of people lined up every weekend for the water that costs Shs10,000 for half a litre.

Indeed, Kakande is a man hardly out of controversy. Recently, he was summoned by Parliament over allegations of illegal sand mining in Kalungu district. However, using his influence, he skipped the summons and has never appeared in parliament till today.

Weeks earlier, his deputy, Pastor Johnson Muwanguzi had been arrested for being in illegal possession of two assault rifles and nearly 100 bullets, as confirmed at the time by Police spokesperson Andrew Kaweesi. Muwanguzi claimed the guns belonged to his boss (Pastor Kakande) who however, denied having any knowledge of the deadly weapons.

In the late 2000’s one of his pastors, Ghanaian born Reverend Kojo Obiri Yeboah was arrested at Entebbe airport and interrogated about an electric shock machine which he had just received from Europe.

This followed suspicions that the Ghanaian pastor intended to use the 12-volt machine to feign supernatural powers, by shocking his congregation to the ground during prayers.

Kojo was a businessman-turned preacher and son to the late prophet John Obiri Yeboah, who lived and preached in Uganda over 20 years ago.

His father owned the Redeemed Church of the Lord Ministries, a powerful association with a string of churches and property in Ghana, England, Italy and other parts of the world. Yeboah died in Uganda in 1987 and a power struggle ensued among leading ministers over who had inherited his powers. Upon Yeboah’s death, Kakande built his grave in Ghana, where Yeboah was buried in the regalia of a traditional African witchdoctor.

It is said that Kakande, his wife Loyce and protégé Godfrey Lule arranged and subsequently supported the return to Uganda of Yeboah’s sons, with Kojo first visiting Uganda in 2006.

The three had worked with the younger Yeboah’s father in the 1970s and 1980s.

Meanwhile, in 2006, Kakande was disowned by the National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches of Uganda (NFBPCU), following allegations by Pastor Male that the former was practicing witchcraft.

At the time Male, who said he joined the Kakandes on May 29, 1988 believing the couple was rightly called by God, said he was shocked when he ‘came face to face with the truth’.

“As the couple’s co-pastor, I witnessed a lot of evil committed in the name of “Jesus of Prophet John Obiri Yeboah”. The pastors used the dead Yeboah’s spirit to perform miracles and to torment and destroy purported enemies,” he said then in an interview with the New Vision.

“They wrote and issued paper talismans; used stinking stuff mixed with water to sprinkle on followers to destroy enemies; and abetted their followers in animal sacrifices and the use of traditionally biased witchcraft materials, all indicative of witchcraft powers. They had divination powers and were fond of cursing while invoking prophet Yeboah’s name,” he was quoted as saying.

In the months that followed, after testifying against Kakande, Male was arrested and a defamation case OB NO E/185/93 was opened against him at the CID headquarters, homicide department.

“The Kakandes accused me of defaming them and the Holy Church of Christ. I was arrested on August 16, 1993, spent one night in a Wandegeya Police Station cell and was released on Police Bond on August 17, 1993. On August 19, 1993, I made a 21-page statement at the CID headquarters, citing witchcraft, destruction, marriage break-ups and other evils committed by the couple, concluding that the couple was counterfeit, using the Bible as cover-up for their satanic powers and practices. In conclusion, I said witnesses could verify it. The investigating officer was surprised to see so many people willing to give evidence in my favour.

“When I went back on the appointed day, Akida (police detective) smiled when he saw me, and said, ‘Pastor Male, I have good news for you. Sit down. ‘I met pastor Kakande and his wife, and had an in-depth discussion with them. He (Kakande) admitted that it is only you and them who know the truth about what really happened, and for that matter, he has decided not to pursue the matter anymore. He has withdrawn all the charges, and you are now a free man.’”

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