Acerbic Senior Presidential Advisor on Media and Communications Tamale Mirundi has taken on outspoken opposition icon Dr Kizza Besigye, and accused him trying to divert the media from giving adequate coverage to a story involving Mathew Kanyamunyu, who allegedly killed social worker Kenneth Akena Watmon on Saturady evening.

Appearing today on ABS TV, Tamale Mirundi said Dr Besigye yesterday engaged in acts of ‘defiance’ to divert attention from Mr Kanyamunyu, who is a nephew to Dr Besigye’s wife Winnie Byanyima.

Yesterday, Dr Besigye engaged in altercations with the police as he was restrained from accessing Uganda House where he was headed to allegedly consult with his lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuzi.

This followed early appearances at the Nakawa magistrate’s court, where he had gone for the hearing of a treason case against him, and then a later date at the High Court, where he sought to settle his bail obligations.

“Besigye cannot dare to comment about Akena’s death simply because the prime suspect Mr Kanyamungu is his in-law,” Tamale Mirundi said adding: “as a move to divert the media Kizza Besigye had to cause chaos in the city.”

He added: “The responsibility was left to the media to spread their propaganda, while the police and a few Members of Parliament from the greater Acholi region were battling it out.”

Meanwhile, Tamale Mirundi did not also spare the rod; he took on government, accusing the state of lackadaisical approach to Kanyamunyu’s case, allegedly because of ‘fearing the Byanyima family’.

“That is why they (state) are silent on the Kanyamunyu issue,” Tamale Mirundi said, in respect to the accusations he made against the state and the Byanyima family, whose member Winnie was one of the first Ugandans to boldly come up and call for justice to prevail in respect to Akena’s killing.

Writing on her Twitter account, Ms Byanyima admitted that Mr Kanyamunyu, the prime suspect in Akena’s murder, is her nephew, and called for the law to take its course.

Since Winnie made the call several Ugandans have come up to condemn Akena’s killing, which police, through the Inspector General Kale Kayihura, has promised to investigate thoroughly.

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The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) accounts, both shilling and dollar accounts, have been frozen following a protracted tussle between the Director Human Resource and Administration (DHRA), Fred Bamwesigye and the General Manager Entebbe Airport, John Okalany.

Sources at CAA told EagleOnline that the CAA staff are now worried they may not receive salaries on time because of the differences between Bamwesigye and Okalany, which developed after the former ‘hurriedly’ advertised and replaced Okalany, when the latter had gone for treatment to India.

According to the source, the advert for the post of General Manager, referenced CAA/ADV/EXT/06/2015, was carried by The New Vision and Daily Monitor newspapers in June 2015, a development that set the two men on a collision course that has reportedly affected most operations at CAA.

Further, according to the source, when Okalany returned after treatment he resumed office but without pay, which prompted him to seek legal redress which resulted into court ordering that he be paid all his outstanding dues, all amounting to about UgShs2 billion.

“Because of one man (Fred Bamwesigye) Director HRA decision, has led to all CAA’S accounts both local and dollar to be frozen,” the source said, adding: “So GM sued the company and his lawyers have secured a court order blocking all CAA’S accounts until they pay damages.”

Contacted, an official official from the CAA communications department referred EagleOnline to a one Vianney Luggya, who did not pick his phone, 0752426559.

Meanwhile, EagleOnline has learnt that because of the intrigue and backstabbing, the CAA, which supervises Entebbe International Airport and other internal airfields, has sometimes failed to maintain airport standards at Entebbe, something that one time prompted President Yoweri Museveni to complain about the bushes that had grown around the airport.

Recently, the CAA was also in the news for the wrong reasons following  complaints that it was illegally recruiting children of top politicians.

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Former Kiira Mayor, Mamerito Mugerwa was last night attacked by unknown gunmen, who fled without wounding him.
Sources say Mr Mugerwa found them at his home and they opened fire as he parked his car, shooting at him several times. According to police, he was also armed and overpowered them during the scuffle.

The assailants fled and police is still hunting for them, but Mr. Mugerwa was rushed to Nakasero Hospital, where he is recovering from shock.

This is the second time Mr Mugerwa’s life is coming under threat, the first having been in 2013 when five local leaders in the contested area of Kasokoso, a slum area in then Kiira Town Council, reportedly attempted to lynch him. In the process they also torched his car.

At the time residents of the area suspected that Mr Mugerwa was conniving with the National Housing and Construction Company, the alleged owners of the contested land, to evict them.

Meanwhile, the incident didn’t spare the life of Mr Mugerwa’s dog; it was killed during the shootout.

More details emerging.

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Kenneth Akena, a social worker who was shot dead on Saturday for allegedly knocking and leaving scratches on a car belonging to a one Mathew Kanyamunyu, was finally laid to rest yesterday at his ancestral home in Kitgum.

But as he was being buried, musician Bobi Wine couldn’t help thinking about the late singer Denis Innocent Oringa aka Master Blaster, who was killed in an almost similar manner in December last year.
It’s now a year since the incident happened but no one has been brought to account. In fact, according Bobi Wine, initially it had been a one Wagaba Gonzaga who was arrested in relation to the incident but he was released even before Master Blaster, popularly known for his song, ‘Emboko’ had been buried.

“He was shot dead on Tuesday 29th December last year in Bwaise by a police officer called Wagaba Gonzaga cpc attached to Kawempe Police Station. There were riots in Bwaise but we managed to calm the people down and restore peace. The police officer was arrested but to my dismay even before the victim was buried the killer was set free. Yes, he was released on 29th of December 2015 while we buried Master Blaster on 2nd January 2016,” Bobi Wine says.

“Criminal case no.11731 was opened at Nabweru court but since then, court has been adjourning till today with the next hearing on 28th November 2016….Justice delayed is justice denied!”

Bobi Wine dedicated his post to the late Keneth Akena “who was buried today (yesterday) after being shot dead for allegedly scratching a rich man’s expensive car while parking….and to all those very many innocent ‘common’ people that get killed while the killers go Scot-free, MAY YOU NEVER REST UNTILL JUSTICE IS SERVED!!”

It should be remembered that justice is also yet to be accorded to Badru Kateregga who was killed in 2012 at Panamera bar in an almost similar manner.

According to court documents, Kateregga, then working at Panamera bar as a waiter was allegedly tortured to death by his boss Desh Kananura together with his brothers. He was tortured for allegedly being found in possession of Shs30,000 contrary to the bar rules.
Kananura flew to the UK shortly after the incident and returned the following year. He was briefly detained before being released on bail. The case had never been heard until this month.

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