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Machar faction denies defection talk

By
Agencies
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South Sudan's Minister of Mining Taban Deng

The South Sudanese main armed opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO), has denied rumours of imminent defection of some of their senior government and party officials in the national capital, Juba.

Rumours have been circulating on social media blogs that a number of senior officials of the opposition group have been planning to defect to join the SPLM ruling party.

SPLM-IO’s former chief negotiator, Taban Deng Gai, who is the newly appointed minerals minister per the nomination of Machar in the transitional government, and Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, chairperson of the national committee for external relations, but who has not been appointed to any government portfolio, are alleged to be among the leading potential defectors.

The social media allegations further cited Taban Deng’s disappointment in not being appointed as petroleum minister as the main cause for his anger and possible decision to leave Machar.

Deng resigned from the position as chief negotiator just days after another official, Dak Duop Bichiok, was appointed minister for the petroleum ministry in the transitional government of national unity. Sources said he negotiated with President Kiir’s faction to give petroleum ministry to the SPLM-IO with the hope that he was allegedly going to be the minister.

Also Ezekiel Gatkuoth is said to be unhappy due to not being appointed to a ministerial position.

Deng is said to be moving with the Vice President, James Wani, mobilizing the people in the neighbouring countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia on the terms of President Kiir’s view of the peace process.

But media official in the office of Machar when contacted for comment on the circulating rumour said the allegation was ‘baseless’ although he acknowledged having read such rumours on social media.

“This is a baseless wild rumour,” James Gatdet Dak, press secretary for the SPLM-IO leader said.

“Of course I have read some of these circulated rumours on social media. Some people on social media have even written directly to me, alerting me about the rumour. I have however been telling them not to listen to such rumours created by enemies of peace,” Dak added.

Despite the denial by the SPLM-IO, the ongoing speculations suggest that Taban Deng is being promised the post of the secretary general in the SPLM faction of President Kiir.

Deng, according to sources close to the political alliances in the South Sudanese politics, has been until 2013 a close ally to President Kiir. He switched sides and joined Machar only after he was dismissed from the position of governorship for Unity State.

The former governor then used his senior position as member of the SPLM political bureau to criticize President Kiir, the SPLM chairman, until the December 2013 crisis.

Ezekiel Gatkuoth, a former member of the SPLM liberation council, on the other hand had been against Machar for several years, according to the sources, until 2013 when he was removed from his position as head of South Sudan mission in Washington, United States. He then joined Machar after leaving the group of former detainees in 2014.

In March this year, there was a similar rumour that Taban Deng was consulting with the Jieng Council of Elders (JCE), an informal tribal advisory body for President Kiir, to appoint him as first vice president in case Machar did not return to Juba from Pagak, his former headquarters.

SPLM-IO at the time also dismissed the allegation, which in fact turned out to be a false rumour.

Although the two top rival leaders, Kiir and Machar, have formed a transitional government of national unity, observers however express fears that similar political games that led to the deadly crisis on 15 December 2013 may not be far from repeating themselves.

A number of major provisions in the peace deal have not been implemented and have been behind the schedule. These include number of states and formation of state governments, cantonment of opposition forces across the country and formation of transitional national parliament as well as economic sector reforms, among others.

Even though the transitional government’s presidency weeks ago reached consensuses on how to tackle some of the issues, there has been no operationalization of the mechanisms to implement the agreed matters.

 

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African refugee numbers soar by over 1 million

By
Francisco Adongo
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As Kenya plans to close the Dadaab refugee camp, raging conflicts in several African countries including Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Nigeria and Burundi have left 16 million people as refugees.

According to a report by the United Nation’s refugee agency (UNHCR), titled ‘Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2015’, the number of African refugees, the highest since the establishment of the UNHCR, represents about a quarter of  more than 65 million people around the world who have had to flee their homes due to war, persecution, violence and human rights violations..

This figure, released on the World Refugee Day today, increased by 1.5 million from 2014 and most of the refugees, about 10.7 million of them, were internally displaced persons (IDPs). The remaining 5.2 million were people that fled their home countries. The vast majority of these refugees, roughly 4.4 million, sought refuge in neighboring countries, with Uganda now being home to over 600.000 refugees from South Sudan, Burundi and the DRC among other countries.

‘Like the previous years, the ongoing civil war in Somalia remained a huge factor in the high number of refugees. The simmering conflicts in South Sudan and Sudan were also responsible for putting many people on the run. Burundi descended into chaos after President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he was running for a third term, an election he went on to win. In Nigeria, the Boko Haram crisis drove a higher number of refugees to neighboring countries,’ the UNHCR states in the report.

The main host countries for refugees in 2015 remained Ethiopia and Kenya, where the majority of refugees from Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan have sought refuge. A country that saw a major increase in refugees was Uganda, where many people fleeing fighting in Burundi sought refuge. Also in Cameroon, the UNHCR counted more refugees in 2015 than in the previous year. The Boko Haram crisis on Cameroon’s northwestern border with Nigeria was responsible for the high numbers.

Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia also belong to the countries hardest hit by the rising number of IDPs. In Nigeria, the number of displaced people within the country compared to 2014 nearly doubled. But within the DRC, more than 700,000 internally displaced persons returned to their hometowns in 2015.

 

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Museveni gives Kabale bride 10 cows

By
Stephen Muneza
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President Museveni left revelers in stitches with his witty speech at the giveaway ceremony of Ms Annette Twebaze to Mr Bright Kamuhanda in Muhanga Town Council in Kabale over the weekend.

A cattle-loving man, Museveni, 71, a father of three officially married daughters was given the task of blessing the young couple in the traditional way – that is, to speculate about what’s going on in marriages today and, ultimately, gives them some wealth to multiply.

Born in western Uganda to a cattle-rearing family, he has always said he plans to be a herder on his retirement.

Museveni Kabale1

And now we know the Kamuhandas are now richer after gave Ms Twebaze a gift (Okushagara) of 10 cows for making her parents happy.

“When a child gets married, it shows that the parents have done a good job raising that child. Marriage is also important because it enables procreation and assures continuity of the human race. It is also vital that when people marry, they build a home and sire children,’ Museveni said.

“I commended the bride and groom for making their parents proud and tasked young people to emulate the industry of their parents. If your parents bequeath you wealth as a youth, work hard to make sure you multiply it,’ he added.

Ms Twebaze is a daughter of Apollo and Vangelista Nyegamahe, a prominent business couple and our committed NRM supporters, while Mr Kamuhanda is son of John and Generous Bashinyora of Kinkizi in Kanungu District.

President Yoweri Museveni walking in the midst of his long-horn cattle and chatting with their herders, wielding a stick and wearing his trademark wide-brimmed hat.
President Yoweri Museveni walking in the midst of his long-horn cattle and chatting with their herders, wielding a stick and wearing his trademark wide-brimmed hat.
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Court kicks out 5th NRM MP

By
Isaiah Mwebaze
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High Court in Jinja has nullified Iganga Municipality Member of Parliament Peter Mugema aka Panadol over allegations of voter bribery.

Mr Mugema becomes the sixth legislator to be kicked out of Parliament but also the fifth National Resistance Movement (NRM) member to exist the August house.

Just in a fortnight the 10th Parliament that hasn’t lasted even a month has seen Busiro South Peter Ssematimba, Lugazi Municipality’s Isaac Ssozi Mulindwa, Budadiri East MP Vincent Woboya, Aruu North’s Lucy Achiro Atim, Luwero woman MP Lillian Nakate Ssegujja and now Mugema

                                                  

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Is Uganda seeing Mr Mbabazi’s long journey to ‘political oblivion’?

By
Julius Mwesigye
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Former Go-Forward Presidential aspirant Amama Mbabazi

Silence, they say, is golden. Well, could that be said of former Prime Minister John Patrick Amama Mbabazi, a man of serious political clout who has not issued any political statement for about four months now.

Mr Mbabazi is famed for having played a big role in the survival of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) for about four decades, beginning in 1973 to September 2015, when he was dropped as Premier.

But known as a suave and reclusive operator, Mr Mbabazi has been silent for the past four months since the February elections, prompting lingering questions regarding his whereabouts and what he has next up on his sleeves.

The elections were won by his erstwhile friend and long time political ally Mr Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), further putting a wedge between the two men who at one point were politically inseparable.

Indeed, while still bosom friends, submissions by the NRM Chairman Museveni usually pointed to the fact that Mr Mbabazi was instrumental in the campaigns to rid Uganda of the various dictatorships, beginning with Iddi Amin’s regime in April 1979 up to January 1986, when the NRM came to power.

At the time Mr Mbabazi had participated in various clandestine operations sanctioned by the NRM, both within and outside Uganda, using different pseudonyms including among others Dr Karyaburo and Ahmed Mbayo.

The smoothness with which he executed these covert missions caught the eye of the guerilla commander Museveni who, in 1986 as President, appointed Amama Mbabazi the first Director General of the External Security Organisation (ESO). Subsequently, he served in various ministries including Justice/Attorney General, Foreign Affairs/Regional Cooperation, Defence and Security. He also served as NRM Secretary General.

Insiders say that during all that time Mr Mbabazi, despite mostly operating in the background, was synonymous with the NRM espionage system, an undertaking carried out through an elusive career chain that was to be brought to a halt in May 2011, when he was appointed the Prime Minister.

Observers intimate that while serving as PM, Mr Mbabazi became ‘exposed’ to Uganda’s political class and the masses, in the process losing his reclusiveness.

Indeed, it would not be long before a member of the political class, Ms Evelyn Anite, burst Mr Mbabazi’s bubble by asking President Museveni to offer himself for the NRM presidential candidature for the 2016 elections.

NRM CANDIDATURE PETITIONER: Evelyn Anite
NRM CANDIDATURE PETITIONER: Evelyn Anite

The February 14, 2015 incident at the ruling party’s retreat at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi left Mr Museveni smiling, while a seemingly stoic Mr Mbabazi was left shell-shocked! And, as if to prove his displeasure at Anite’s ‘ambush’ Mr Mbabazi refused to append his signature to the Museveni candidature petition, saying it was premature for the NRM to start discussing the matter. He was wrong; 200 members signed the document, a development that signaled his downward political spiral. Mr Mbabazi swallowed humble pie and signed in at number 201. But the move did not deter his detractors; they followed him to several meetings organised by Mr Museveni, demanding that he apologise for the ‘delayed signing’ and, for not towing the party line in respect to its position regarding the flag bearer. During the meetings Mr Mbabazi protested while Mr Museveni tried to convince Mr Mbabazi’s pursuers that the matter would be sorted out through internal party dispute resolution mechanisms.

That was never to be as in December 2015 Mr Mbabazi was hounded from the position of Secretary General, inevitably ending his 40 year direct association with the NRM. But before the NRM decided to terminate its relationship with Mr Mbabazi, he pulled one of his masterstrokes, announcing that he would stand for presidency, to challenge Mr Museveni and any other contender. The announcement made on YouTube on June 15, 2015 took the political class by surprise!

IGP Gen Kale Kayihura
IGP Gen Kale Kayihura

The Mr Mbabazi went ‘viral’, declaring that he would hold his first political consultation rally in Mbale, a hitherto assumed political backyard of the NRM. The Inspector General of Police General Kale Kayihura swung into action, swearing the Mbale consultation rally scheduled for June 19 would take place over his dead body. The rally never took place as Mr Mbabazi was stopped in Jinja, brought back to Naggalama before eventually finding himself at the Kira Road Police Station, from where he was released at about 8pm, without any charges preferred against him. That was the ‘baptism of fire’ for a man who had earlier in 1999 ‘reminded’ then NRM renegade Dr Warren Kizza Besigye Kifefe that the party had a ‘queue’ and that by authoring a dossier that sought to analyse Mr Museveni’s continued stay at the helm of national affairs, Dr Besigye had in effect ‘jumped the queue’.

TRIED TO JUMP THE QUEUE? FDC flag bearer Dr Kizza Besigye
TRIED TO JUMP THE QUEUE? FDC flag bearer Dr Kizza Besigye

But now it was Mr Mbabazi’s time to constructively reflect on the NRM queue, and he declared he would go for the presidency under the banner of the NRM. His pursuers in NRM did not go to bed, insisting that the issue of NRM flag bearer was sealed and that Mr Museveni was the party choice.

Left with little or no option, Mr Mbabazi joined the opposition under the banner of The Democratic Alliance (TDA), where he would come face-to-face with Dr Besigye and a number of opposition figures including Dr Besigye, Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, Norbert Mao and Olara Otunnu.

Former UPC leader Olara Otunnu.
Former UPC leader Olara Otunnu.

The loose association did not stand the test of time, and Mr Mbabazi moved on to form the Go Forward, a new political vehicle that he wanted to help him ascend the presidency.

He then set off to campaign, once again beginning in Mbale where he addressed a huge rally that had mouths twitching in his favour as presidential material. His subsequent campaigns around the country were generally incident-free and even when the election results were announced on February 20, giving him 1 per cent of the entire vote, Mr Mbabazi was stoic.

It is this demeanour that borders on deafening silence that is now disturbing the political class, both in government and the opposition, who would want to know Mr Mbabazi’s next political move.

And this begs the question, are we set to see another episode involving Dr Karyaburo or a certain Ahmed Mbayo, the two imaginary men whose proverbial nine lives always caused ruckus!

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Fourth NRM MP kicked out of Parliament over voter bribery

By
Boses Muhinda
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Nakate (L) and her rival Nabukenya. (Photo/Bukedde)

Luwero woman MP Lillian Nakate Ssegujja has on Friday been found guilty by the High Court at Kampala of bribing voters.

Court ruled that Ms Nakate who garnered 56,573 votes to beat DP’s Brenda Nabukenya with 53,558 votes had done various election anomalies including bribing voters Butuntumula, Luwero.

Ms Nakate is the fourth NRM MP to lose her seat in less than two weeks.

Last week, the High Court in Kampala declared the Busiro South MP seat vacant after NRM’s Peter Ssematimba was found to be lacking the requisite academic qualifications and on Tuesday the MP for Lugazi Municipality Isaac Mulindwa Ssozi was also thrown out of Parliament also for lack minimum academic qualifications. On Thursday, High Court in Mbale also kicked out of Parliament NRM’s Vincent Woboya, who had in February been declared winner of the Budadiri East seat, citing failure to retire in accordance with the law.

Nakate a political novice and an engineer by profession was accused lost a petition filed by former MP and Democratic party candidate Brenda Nabukenya whose short lived grip of the Luweero woman MP seat she snatched.

Campaigning on the opposition platform of bringing change, the interactive and eloquent Nabukenya had become crowd puller; especially in towns where the majority needy urban poor blame their financial woes on the NRM government.

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Bobi Wine unveiled as Express FC brand ambassador

By
Stephen Muneza
-

Self-styled ‘Ghetto President’, Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine has been officially appointed as the Brand Manager at Express FC Secretariat.

Wine was on Friday afternoon unveiled by new Express chairperson, Uganda Youth and Children Affairs minister Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi alongside and Ram Abubakar Muhammad Hadji (CEO).

Wine has built his image as the champion of the defiant opposition activists and lower classes. He has had numerous commercial endorsements and has acted as a patron for the government and for charities, advocating for everything from drug-safety to environmental protection.

READ HERE: US ambassador endorses ‘President’ Bobi Wine 

He now enters the football world at a time when his nemesis Edward Ssali aka Bebe Cool has been sidelined by the Uganda men’s national team, The Cranes who he used to represent.

This week, Nakiwala announced a new look management set up and will work alongside Kassim Nakibinge ((patron), Bbale Mugera (president), Pastor Samuel Kakande (vice chairman), Jeff Ssekandi ((executive member) and Ram Abubakar on the executive to revive Express fortunes ahead of the club’s 60th anniversary next year.

Pastor Samuel Kakande of Synagogue church Mulago, who has promised to heavily fund the club which finished third in the Uganda Premier League season.

Express

Express 1

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Burundi CSOs want Mkapa off Burundi talks

By
Agencies
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COMPROMISED? Burundi facilitator Benjamin Mkapa. Burundi CSOs want him of their country's peace talks

Two Burundian networks of civil society organizations have issued a joint statement strongly criticizing former Tanzanian President and facilitator in the Burundian conflict Benjamin Mkapa for meeting the radical opposition and ‘coup plotters’ in Belgium, asking him to resign.

The two networks are the Integral Platform for the Civil Society and the Coalition of Associations of People Infected or Affected by HIV/AIDS (CAPES+).

“It is with high disappointment and worries that we condemn the procedure of facilitator Benjamin Mkapa for meeting, on June 10-11, in Brussels, coup plotters and persons involved in the Burundian crisis,” said Venant Hamza Burikukiye, chairman of the CAPES+, in the joint statement.

Burikukiye said that the meeting was ‘a sign of provocation against the Burundian government and the majority of Burundian citizens’.

According to him, it is also a violation of Burundian laws and Resolutions 2248 and 2279 of the United Nations Security Council stipulating that only ‘peaceful’ stakeholders will participate in the inter-Burundian dialogue.

“We urge the Burundian government to refuse facilitator Benjamin Mkapa and to refuse to go to Arusha talks on invitation of Mkapa.

“We also call on heads of state of the East African Community (EAC) to replace Mkapa as he has failed to carry out his assignment,” said Burikukiye.

The statement comes at a time when talks to settle the year-long crisis in Burundi is due later this month in Arusha, Tanzania.

Last Friday, the Burundian government reiterated its refusal to negotiate with what it calls ‘non-peaceful’ actors.

Stakeholders in the inter-Burundian dialogue participated in inter-Burundian consultations on May 21-24 in Arusha to try to end the year-long political crisis, but some members of the radical opposition boycotted the session.

The facilitator in the Burundian conflict, Benjamin Mkapa, had pledged to meet stakeholders that had not been able to attend the Arusha talks.

It is in that context that he met in Brussels leaders of the National Council for the Restoration of the Arusha Agreement and the Rule of Law in Burundi (CNARED).

In January, the inter-Burundian dialogue had failed to resume in Arusha following the boycott by the Burundian government, arguing that it could not sit “on the same table” with what it called “non-peaceful” stakeholders.

Burundi is facing a year-long political crisis that broke out since April 2015 following the announcement by Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza that he would be seeking a third term.

His candidature, which was opposed by the opposition and civil society groups, resulted into a wave of protests, violence and even a failed coup on May 13, 2015.

Over 451 persons are reported to have been killed since then while some 270,000 citizens sought exile in neighboring countries.
.

 

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Emotional Kasangati residents cry for Besigye

By
Our Reporter
-

Kasangati residents this morning turned up at court to witness their fellow resident who is now a prisoner at Luzira.

The former Forum for Democratic Change Presidential candidate Kizza Besigye was at court this morning but residents seeing the man whom some consider their hero, they couldn’t control emotions but cry.

Kasangati court Chief Magistrate James Ereemye Kabanda ordered prison authorities to produce Besigye at court today for mention of his case.

Besigye is being prosecuted by police for disobeying lawful orders. It is alleged that Dr. Besigye disobeyed police when the force intercepted him on Gayaza road as he left his home for FDC party weekly prayers. Uganda Police Force has now come under criticism for allegedly being partisan. But the force maintains that it is its mandate to keep law and order.

kas2

However, as the security detail around the court prevented Kasangati residents who were majorly youth from access court room, they retreated in groups and some could be seen shedding tears. However, court did delay Dr. Besigye as the entire court process was done fast and later on Dr. Besigye was  whisked away back to Luzira in a convey of both prison and police vehicles that numbered over 15.

 

 

 

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Kenyans finally allow Khalid Aucho’s Scotland trials

By
Shawn Davis Kawalya
-

Kenyan giants Gor Mahia have finally bowed to pressure and given Ugandan midfielder Khalid Aucho a leeway to leave for Scotland giants Glasgow Rangers.

Gor official Ronald Ngala revealed to Goal that the Ugandan star will finally leave for Scotland as soon as he secures visa not for a direct transfer but it seems he’s only going to be handed a trial.

He said that the Kenyan champions received an official communication from Rangers two days ago requesting that they release the player for trials, and went ahead to refute claims that they were holding onto to the Ugandan star.

“We have been waiting for an official communication from Rangers and nothing had come forth but they finally wrote to us two, three days ago. They requested us to allow the player leave for trials and we wrote back acknowledging that. So he (Aucho), is free to leave for trials as soon as he secures his visa.”

Aucho’s agent Geoffrey Kayemba had accused Gor officials of mischief intimating that they failed to give the player a release letter.

Kayemba claimed they had declined to give his client the release letter which is being demanded by the Scottish giants.

“It pains me to see Gor Mahia officials playing cat and mouse game. They have declined to provide my client with the release letter and yet they are aware of the entire deal. Aucho has helped the club to win all the trophies they earned last season including the Premier League title, and the Top Eight among others.”

“They should give him the r release letter as a way of appreciating his effort and service to the club,” observed Kayemba.

According to various media outlets in Scotland the newly promoted Rangers are interested in signing the player.

Rangers’ fans took to Twitter to urge the club to sign the midfielder this June with the hash tag #SignKhalidAucho trending in Scotland.

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