Besigye: I will not attend presidential debate without Museveni

By

-

January 10, 2016

FDC flag bearer Kizza Besigye says he will not participate in a ‘one sided’ debate following President Museveni’s decision to shun the January 15 presidential debate. Museveni’s camp announced Saturday he would not ‘waste time’ attending the debate but instead, he will go ahead with his campaign schedule.

“It is nothing but madness of me to take a day or two off my tight schedule to meet my colleagues in the opposition for a debate,” Besigye noted.

The debate, that is organised by the Inter-Religious Council is meant for participants to expound on topics of good governance, rule of law and social welfare, foreign policy among others.

Former Principle Judge James Ogoola who heads the presidential debate’s organising committee said that no representatives will be allowed.

“We had a meeting with representatives of all the candidates, including those of Museveni and they said that all candidates are ready, willing, eager and able to take part in the debate. If any of them doesn’t turn up, then it will be the people of Uganda to decide if they can put such a candidate in power,” Sheikh Shaban Mubajje, the Mufti of Uganda, said during a press conference last week.

Stories Continues after ad

Man tries to attack Zuma

By

Our Reporter and Agencies

-

January 9, 2016

jacob-zuma-drum — WANTS EXPANDED POWERS: Embattled South Africa president Jacob Zuma

An ANC supporter was tackled by party security as he managed to jump over the stands and run towards the stage where President Jacob Zuma was delivering the January 8th statement today.

As security started frog-marching the young man off the field, the crowd started shouting and booing when they saw the guards hitting him.

Photographers and camera men ran to get visuals of the incident which led to a scuffle.

An ANC security guard kicked a photographer and tried to punch him.

The crowd started shouting and some threw water bottles.

Another ANC supporter in a red jumpsuit also managed to get himself onto the field and started running. He too was tackled to the ground.

This all happened in the middle of Zuma’s address at the Royal Bafokeng stadium in the North West.

The two men were taken off the field and the ANC president continued to deliver his address.

Stories Continues after ad

Aine is being hidden, says Museveni

By

Jonathan Kamoga

-

January 9, 2016

President Yoweri Museveni, who is also the National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate for the 2016 elections, has said that the head of private security Christopher Aine is being hidden by unknown people.

‘That boy is being hidden by some people. He will pay because they caught him on camera hitting people with a club. I don’t want to say it is Mbabazi who is hiding him. I don’t know whether it is also a case for a VIP/leader to standby doing nothing while someone is being clobbered,’ Museveni said at a rally in Ntungamo, while winding up his campaigns in the area.

Ntungamo was the scene of ugly clashes between supporters of the NRM and Go Forward on December 12, after which Aine’s name featured prominently as one of the perpetrators of the violence.

Aine has since gone missing, prompting the Inspector General of Police General Kale Kayihura to announce a reward of Shs20 million for any one offering information leading to his arrest.

Also, since Aine’s ‘disappearance’ there have been several conspiracy theories by various persons including his family, the police and the general public, with arguments as to whether he is dead or alive springing up occasionally.

Stories Continues after ad

‘El Chapo’ returned to Mexico Altiplano prison

By

BBC

-

January 9, 2016

_84710590_2s2d5xbk — Guzman was one of the world's most wanted drug traffickers

Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has been recaptured and sent back to the maximum-security prison he escaped from six months ago.

He was paraded before cameras before being bundled into a helicopter to Altiplano prison in central Mexico.

He escaped from there in July through a tunnel dug in the showers.

Guzman was arrested on Friday in the city of Los Mochis in his home state of Sinaloa – which he had come to dominate through the drugs cartel he led.

During the early-morning raid, he managed to flee through a drain but was later caught by marines in a shootout.

Six people, including one marine, are reported to have been killed.

Part of the reason he was tracked down was because he contacted actors and producers in the hope of making a film about his life, Mexico’s Attorney General Arely Gomez said.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto described Guzman’s arrest as a “victory for the rule of law”.

Katy Watson, BBC Mexico and Central America reporter

The capture of El Chapo will be a big boost to President Enrique Pena Nieto’s administration.

The escape last July of Mexico’s most-wanted criminal was politically embarrassing. It made the government look stupid at best and institutionally corrupt at worst – many people doubted El Chapo’s escape could have happened without inside help.

It was made worse too by the fact that the president had previously said that if he escaped again it would be unforgivable.

Mr Pena Nieto has called the arrest “mission accomplished” – hopefully it is third-time lucky for the government with El Chapo remaining behind bars and the president’s legacy not being that of allowing a violent criminal to escape.

Who is ‘El Chapo’ Guzman?

The US congratulated the Mexican government but did not indicate whether prosecutors would seek Guzman’s extradition.

In a statement, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Guzman had caused “significant violence, suffering and corruption on multiple continents”.

Guzman’s July escape was his second – he was first arrested in Guatemala in 1993 and escaped from Puente Grande jail in 2001, reportedly in a laundry basket after bribing officials.

He was on the run for 13 years before being held again in 2014.

CCTV footage of his 11 July escape showed Guzman pacing his cell several times before heading into the shower area and disappearing at the maximum-security Altiplano jail.

A huge manhunt followed, with flights suspended at the nearby airports. The US government had offered a $5m (£3.2m) reward for information leading to his capture.

Authorities located him several days ago based on reports that he was in the Los Mochis area.

In October, Mexican officials said they had “broken up” and arrested the groupresponsible for helping him escape.

Guzman’s wealth is estimated at $1bn.

Despite being the leader of one of the world’s most powerful and violent drug cartels, Guzman was seen by some in Sinaloa – where there are few job opportunities – as a modern-day Robin Hood figure who could offer more security to people than the government.

Following his escape, shopkeepers began selling souvenirs such as baseball caps branded with “El Chapo” (Guzman’s nickname, meaning “Shorty”).

The US congratulated the Mexican government but did not indicate whether prosecutors would seek Guzman’s extradition.

In a statement, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Guzman had caused “significant violence, suffering and corruption on multiple continents”.

Guzman’s July escape was his second – he was first arrested in Guatemala in 1993 and escaped from Puente Grande jail in 2001, reportedly in a laundry basket after bribing officials.

He was on the run for 13 years before being held again in 2014.

Stories Continues after ad

Vote your leaders wisely – Museveni urges Ntungamo

By

Our Reporter

-

January 9, 2016

Museveni campaigns at Kyamate 08 — The President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni together with the first lady Janet Museveni arrive for the rally at Kyamate Secondary School playground on 8th January 2016.

President Yoweri Museveni who is also the Presidential Flag bearer for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party in the 2016 Presidential election has urged Ugandans to vote carefully in the forthcoming election.

“Your leaders make it hard to plan for the country. Such leaders should be picked carefully. Sending someone without a plan to parliament is spoiling for yourself,” he said.

Museveni was yesterday campaigning at a rally held at Kyamate Secondary School in Kyamate Ward in the Eastern Division of Ntungamo Municipality. He said that it is hard to cooperate and work with leaders without plans.

“You know the men who want to bring us trouble. I want you to identify people that you can work with. These roads and electricity have been able to move to another level because we fought for this,” he said.

The President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni together with the first lady Janet Museveni campaign at a rally at Kyamate Secondary School playground on 8th January 2016.

The President also cautioned the people of Ntungamo against violence.

“Last time I heard that someone came with goons who beat up people who were wearing t-shirts of the ‘Old Man’. We have imprisoned them all. You heard of a Muhima who was thinking while eating.. then a piece of millet fell in the milk and he said “You are lying. The way is one. I will reach you,” he said.

He also cautioned Ugandans against sectarianism, saying its unity that can guarantee Uganda’s prosperity.

“Before, Ugandans were divided along religious and tribal differences. Women and the disabled were being discriminated. The parliament of 1982 only had two women out of the 80 Members of Parliament (MPs). People were being killed. When we noticed all that, we realized that we were all going to die. We started mobilizing regardless of your tribe and religion. We even recruited women into the army. In Buganda some people used to look at height but we told them height had nothing to do with fighting because even the short people could shoot. When we reached a consensus we were then able to gain strength and that brought peace. This is the peace we are enjoying,” he said.

On health, candidate Museveni promised to upgrade the Ntungamo Municipality Heath Centre III to a Health Centre IV.

“A Health Centre III runs a general outpatient clinic and maternal ward with a laboratory while a Health Centre IV is a small hospital that has a theatre for carrying out emergency operations,” he said.

He also promised to extend power to the villages surrounding Ntungamo Municipality and put up street lights along the roads to avoid accidents at night.

On wealth creation, candidate Museveni said that the NRM manifesto for the 2012/2021 elections is mainly about wealth and household incomes. “When you have peace and development but are still poor, it does not help. That is why we are advising you on how to acquire wealth in this manifesto,” he said.

He said that wealth is found in four sectors maninly; commercial agriculture, industrialization, services and Information Communication Technologies such as business process outsourcing. He advised against waiting for public service jobs saying that they are few and do not bring wealth.

He revealed that the wealth creation funds were started after realizing that people were not fighting poverty.

“When NRM realized that people were not working on wealth creation we set up different projects to support our people; NAADs, youth fund, women fund and microfinance fund. We are going to boost the budgets for these projects to support everyone,” he said.

President Museveni urged the residents of Ntungamo to vote for him and the NRM flag bearers in the elections.

“Vote for the NRM because it is a party of peace and unity,” he said. The NRM flag bearers include Davis Singahache (LC V), Yona Musinguzi (Ntungamo Municipality), Beatrice Rwakimari (Woman MP), Mwesigwa Rukutana (Rushenyi Constituency) and Micheal Timuzigu (Kajara Constituency).

The First Lady who is also Minister for Karamoja Affairs Janet Museveni who accompanied President Museveni for the rally thanked the residents of Ntungamo for their loyalty to the NRM party. “I want to thank you for the unity, solidarity with the Movement. Ntungamo is for the Movement,” she said.

Over 300 defectors from both the Forum for Democratic Change and Go Forward to the NRM were received by candidate Museveni.

Stories Continues after ad

ANC celebrates 104 years

By

Our Reporter and Agencies

-

January 9, 2016

African National Congress President Jacob Zuma has arrived at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium to be part of the 104th anniversary celebrations of the party.

Zuma, along with other leaders including national ANC chairperson Baleka Mbete, walked around the stadium waving at the crowd of thousands of dancing and whistling people who braved the scorching heat of the North West Province.

The Royal Bafokeng Stadium was a sea of green and gold as supporters donning party regalia filled the 45,000 capacity venue for the festivities and president Zuma will deliver the ANC’s traditional January 8 statement at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium today, Saturday.

Meanwhile, Zuma has urged the African National Conference Youth League needs to be less diplomatic and defend the ANC.

“Diplomacy belongs to us older people, not you,” he said at a cake cutting event at the Rustenburg Civic Centre during the ANC’s 104th anniversary celebrations.

“Tell them as it is [to] whoever stands in the way of the ANC. We won’t reprimand you and say you have gone astray, but you must do it in a disciplined way.”

Zuma said the ANCYL could not sit back while people attacked the ANC day and night. He said the “young lions” had to use social media such as Twitter and WhatsApp to defend the party.

“You need to defend the ANC, it is your duty. Now that the revolution is under threat, you must be at the forefront. That is the truth,” Zuma said.

Stories Continues after ad

Mbabazi to Museveni: ‘Old man with a hat please retire’

By

Richard Wanambwa

-

January 9, 2016

Go Forward presidential aspirant John Patrick Amama Mbabazi has called upon his political nemesis Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement, to retire from politics.

Mr Mbabazi, a former Prime Minister and close ally of Mr Museveni for most of their political journey that spans back to 1973, made the remarks early today, while fielding a question and answer media session with journalists at the Mt Elgon Hotel Mbale.

Mr Museveni, Mr Mbabazi and six other candidates including the Forum for Democratic Change flag bearer Dr Warren Kizza Besigye are contesting for presidency in the 2016 elections slated for February 18.

‘He needs to listen to my advice; it is that old man with a hat please retire,’ Mbabazi said a day after the NRM lawyers wrote to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), protesting against some of Mr Mbabazi’s taunts against the NRM candidate, Mr Museveni.

On Thursday this week Mr Mbabazi’ lawyers wrote to the IEC complaining that Mr Museveni planned to be in Mbale between January 9 and 10, days that were officially allotted to him to campaign in the Elgon area, and at the session today he also took swipe at the response made by NRM candidate Mr Museveni’s lawyers, Messrs Kiwanuka and Karugire Advocates and Solicitors.

‘The arrangement is that when a presidential candidate is in an area he has exclusive rights; I saw a letter written by Karugire and someone else; they used uncouth language and I don’t know who can use that language,’ Mr Mbabazi said, in apparent reference to the principals of the law firm.

Yesterday, Mr Karugire’s law firm wrote a strongly-worded letter to the IEC, advising the electoral body to restrain Mr Mbabazi from bothering their client, NRM candidate Museveni.

‘It has become a habit of the complainant to invent fictional grievances, such as this, which our client is required to respond to. We therefore request you to advise the complainant to substantiate this and all other future allegations he is sure to make, lest our client is constrained to continue wasting time and resources answering allegations made without any factual basis,’ the NRM lawyers wrote.

The lawyers further informed the IEC that Mr Museveni has no planned activity in Mbale on the said dates of Mr Mbabazi’s campaigns in the Elgon region.

However, despite denying the allegations regarding Mr Museveni’s presence in Mbale between January 9 and 10, the NRM lawyers stressed that Mr Museveni is the President of Uganda and that his duties cannot be disrupted by campaign activities.

‘HE Yoweri Museveni is the President of Uganda, Mbale inclusive, whose duties do not cease during the campaign period. Therefore, any duties of state that require his attention cannot be curtailed by political campaign programmes,’ a statement from the lawyer firm indicated.

Lawyer Edwin Karugire is Mr Museveni’s son-in-law and together with his principal partner Kiwanuka Kiryowa, own the law firm Kiwanuka and Karugire Advocates and Solicitors.

The battle of words between the NRM and Go Forward teams has been escalating since December 12, when supporters of the two political organisations clashed in Ntungamo.

In the ensuing days police mounted a search for those who reportedly orchestrated the violence, and one of the people police sought was the now missing Christopher Aine, the head of Mr Mbabazi’s private security detail.

And today in Mbale, while speaking about Aine’s ‘disappearance’, Mr Mbabazi put the Police on notice.

‘Has the police identified a body that was floating (on the shores of Lake Victoria); I don’t want to spend much time on that; Aine was arrested by some people I don’t know; let us wait for the court process. I think police should not make public statements. I think there is a court process; I have been seeing comments from Mr Enanga,’ Mr Mbabazi said.

The Go Forward candidate also took time off to talk about his earlier campaigns in the greater Eastern and north eastern region including Karamoja, and in Mbale, where he will campaign tomorrow.

‘I am very happy with the reception in Karamoja; and there has been this nonsense that we are not in rural areas like Karamoja. Karamoja is the only area where we have eight unopposed leaders,’ he said adding: in Kumi and Bukedea the support was enthusiastic but the mobilization wasn’t all that well.’

Mr Mbabazi further said: ‘I will be announcing something new here in Mbale tomorrow; it is not concrete but it will help’.

He also hinted at the intermittent cases of intimidation, allegedly carried out by the ruling party.

‘This thing of intimidation is destructive and the state is intimidated; why do you arrest an 83 year-old man, giving his views? I wonder who is intimidated; is it the old man or the state? He asked and added: ‘I don’t know who the leopard is but I keep telling people that the power is theirs’.

Stories Continues after ad

Rwomushana arrested over ‘Aine photo’

By

Steven F Mandu

-

January 9, 2016

Controversial politician and political analyst Charles Rwomushana has been arrested on accusations of circulating misleading information, in relation to missing Go Forward candidate John Patrick Amama Mbabazi’s head of private security detail Christopher Aine.

Rwomushana was arrested on Friday night in Kampala having been under close watch by police since Tuesday when he is said to have started sharing the photos on social media, and Police spokesperson Fred Enanga has confirmed the arrest of Rwomushana.

“We have arrested Charles Rwomushana, on credible information that the dangerous and questionable pictures of a ‘dead Aine’ were widely circulated by him online,” said Enanga in a statement.

The controversial photos which also landed two Redpepper editors in jail, reportedly first surfaced on Rwomushana’s Facebook wall, and below the photos were a sensational caption: “I am all in tears. Christopher Aine is dead.”

Enanga said the Red Pepper editor Ben Barybaha and his Kamunye colleague Simon Mubiru, who published the photos without verifying their correctness and authenticity, were released on police bond upon recording statements.

“He (Rwomushana) is now assisting police with investigations,” Enanga added.

Rwomushana has a history of controversy, and first came to the limelight when he served as Guild President at Makerere University in the early 1990s. Then, he was a strong critic of the National Resistance Movement government and also championed the cause of poor students at the university, through an organization called the Needy Students Association.

A vocal politician, Rwomushana was later elected to the Constituent Assembly to represent Rujumbura county, after which he was ‘rehabilitated’ by the NRM and appointed the Head of Political Intelligence in State House.

At one time he also served as the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Pader in Northern Uganda but later turned and became a strong critic of the NRM, often appearing on radio and TV shows castigating ruling government.

Meanwhile, the police spokesperson said despite the fact that questionable images of a photo of a dead body, were published and also posted in the print and social media, police highly believes the suspect is alive.

“This is to inform the public that the police are still actively looking for Aine Christopher, who remains missing, but believed to be in hiding, over his alleged involvement and connectivity to acts of assault occasioning bodily and grievous harm, to several victims in Ntungamo District, and also, in response to the criminal summons issued against him by the Chief Magistrates Court, in Jinja,” Enanga wrote in the statement.

He stressed that the police notice for his arrest remains valid.

Police therefore, calls upon members of the public who may be having knowledge of his whereabouts to provide it, so as to enable police establish the circumstances surrounding his alleged disappearance,” he said, before calling upon Aine ‘to come forward and hand himself over to the police for recording a statement that would assist him as in individual, family, police and the public to clear the uncertainty’.

Aine, who has a bounty of Shs20 million on his head, went missing over two weeks ago when he was allegedly arrested in Kyanja and the Go Forward team has since said that he was arrested by police.

Aine had been summoned by the police to record a statement regarding the violence that happened in Ntungamo when Museveni’s NRM supporters clashed with Mbabazi’s Go Forward supporters on December 12 last year.

Stories Continues after ad

JUST IN! Police Bows To Pressure, Releases Redpepper Editors

By

Our Reporter

-

January 8, 2016

The Police has just released Red Pepper editors who were detained for publishing a picture of a dead body look alike of head of independent presidential candidate, Amama Mbabazi head of security, Christopher Aine.

Ben Byarabaha, the Red Pepper News editor and Dickson Mubiru, the Managing Editor of Kamunye, the sister company were yesterday detained at Special investigations police unit, Kireka for interrogation and recording of a statement.

“Special Investigations Unit is conducting an investigation into publication ‘Aine body emerges’ that was carried on page 1 and 2 of the Red Pepper 07/01/2016. Pursuant to section 27A of the Police Act, you are required to report to Special investigations Division Kireka, today Thursday, 07/01/2016 at 16:30 hrs to assist in giving information in respect to the matter being investigated,” read the letter in part.

Aine is said to have gone missing after his arrest was ordered by the Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura over election violence that ensued when the Go Forward supporters clashed with those of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) during one of Mbabazi’s rallies in Ntungamo.

Stories Continues after ad

PHOTOS! FDC independent leaning Karuhanga endorses Museveni

By

Our Reporter

-

January 8, 2016

Western Uganda outgoing Youth Member of Parliament, and now Ntungamo Municipality MP candidate, Gerald Karuhanga seen below in the photo endorsing President Yoweri Museveni in Ntungamo Municipality.