All isn’t well at the National Resistance Movement headquarters as a section led by Dr.Tanga Odoi have written to President Museveni to intervene in the bickering between party’s Secretary General, Justine Kasule Lumumba and staff.

According to the March 1, 2016, petition to Mr Museveni who doubles as NRM Chairman, there is a lot of suffering by both technical and support staff due to the manner in which Lumumba conducts her duties.

“Congratulation indeed and long live NRM. We the undersigned all being either technical or support staff at the secretariat wish to petition you over the conduct of our boss, the Secretary General and humbly request to meet you to share with you the problems , challenges and suffering we are going through at the secretariat. Details of our issues are outlined on the next page” Dr. Odoi wrote.

Dr. Odoi says there is poor communication and flow of information between the office of the SG and staff generally. Odoi accuses Lumumba of not calling for meetings with staff even when there are problems and Lumumba isn’t there to listen to the staff. The petition is accompanied by names of staff who signed the petition

“There is discrimination of staff at NRM electoral commission which headed by Tanga Odoi, majority of who have not been paid any salary/ allowances.” He wrote

Adding “There is selective payment of salaries, constant bickering, inadequate, unequal and imbalanced salary remunerations”

Odoi says there is sidelining of staff especially those perceived as enemies and lack of accountability for the funds given to the secretariat.

“Your Excellency, there are many other grievances and problems facing your humble workers at the secretariat, we are suffering quietly yet the SG has constructively denied us audience by constantly operating from her private office which is strictly inaccessible  for staff from secretariat”

“We shall be very grateful for an opportunity to meet you, your Excellency. We thank you, long live MRM, and long live President Museveni.

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Former Makerere University Guild President, Ann Adeke Ebaju has won the national female youth slot.

According to reports coming from Homia, Adeke is reported to have beaten her close competitor, Ann Ruyonda of National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

Though, she contested as an independent, Adeke, is a Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) die-hard who won the Makerere University guild race using the party’s ticket. Adeke replaces Monica Amoding who also hails from same Teso sub-region and recently won the Kumi district Woman Member of Parliament.

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The Supreme Court has adjourned to Thursday March 14, a petition filed by Go Forward candidate John Patrick Amama Mbabazi, seeking to challenge the election of President Yoweri Museveni.
On February 20 the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced Mr Museveni winner of the Feb 18 presidential election with 60.8 per cent, but his fellow candidates Mbabazi and Forum for democratic Change (FDC) flag bearer Dr Warren Kizza Besigye disputed the results, prompting Mbabazi, a former Prime Minister and ruling party (NRM) Secretary General, to move to court, and sue Mr Museveni and the IEC.
And today, the Supreme Court justices led by Chief Justice Bart Magunda Katureebe heard the petition and adjourned for fresh conferencing till March 14, while also telling the petitioner’s lawyers to furnish the respondent (Museveni) with an amended petition before the close of business today.
Earlier, Mbabazi’s legal team had sought an application for amendment received at 10:15am when court was supposed to be in session. In the amendment of pleadings Amama team wants all declaration forms from 50 districts and a recount.
The judges argued that the amendments are important for the issues under consideration.
The respondent’s team also protested, saying they had been ambushed by the amendment, and that the application to amend will delay the court process and amount to abuse of court process. They challenged the petitioner’s legal team to mention the special circumstances that have prompted the amendment of the petition. According to the AG, representing the respondent, it is not necessary to amend the petition merely to bring new evidence.
‘They can do so in other affidavits,’ the AG argued.
‘We are here for conferencing but we have been served with an amendment which substantially alters the first petition,’ the respondent’s team further argued.
But the petitioner’s legal team argued that ‘there is no specific rule that bars the petitioner from making amendments’.
Meanwhile, Counsel Asuman Basalirwa had expressed concern and notified court about the reported arrests and intimidation of Amama’s would be witnesses, and asked for witness protection.
Meanwhile, the press, public and advocates have been reminded about the subjudice rule and warned against discussing the case in media. The press was also advised to set their machines and sit at the back because the ‘court room is not a theatre and should be treated with decorum’, the judges said.
The full bench of SC judges hearing the petition is led by Chief Justice Bart Katureebe, while the Museveni’s team is led by the Attorney General’s team led by Deputy AG Mwesigwa Rukutana.
The Electoral Commission has also been conjoined to the petition and is represented by lawyers Muhammad Mbabazi and Enos Tumusiime.

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