Pope Francis will address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday, September 25.

According to reliable information, the Pope will also hold bilateral meetings with the UN Secretary General Ban ki Moon and the new UNGA President, and also participate in town hall gathering with UN staff.

Earlier in the day the Pope will also visit the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

“The attendance and address of Pope Francis are guaranteed to make it a special one. This year’s assembly will also involve huge decisions for its members concerning sustainable development, climate change and much more,” the official website for the Papal visit indicates.

Since the formation of the 193-member country organization (UN) seventy years ago in 1945, four Popes have addressed the UNGA and these include Pope Paul VI in 1965, Pope John Paul II (twice); Pope Benedict XVI in 2008, with Pope Francis now going to address the UN on Friday.

Meanwhile, several roads will remain closed to traffic during the Pope’s stay in New York.

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Outspoken Kawempe division mayor, Mubarak Munyagwa has been given police bond this morning and is to report to police on Monday next week.

Munyagwa was arrested last week after police received information that he extorted 60 million shillings from a one Francis Kakumba in order to allegedly use his influence to secure him a job on the Kawempe Land Board, a deal which reportedly stalled after the payment.

“It is something we have picked interest in, we are going to weigh the sixty million and the spot on the job and evaluate,” Police spokesman Fred Enanga said while addressing journalists at the police headquarters in Naguru today, shortly after announcing Munyagwa’s bond.

Mr Enanga pointed out that a number of witnesses among who are individuals who claim they played a mediation role and transporting the money  have recorded statements as police looks to gather more evidence on the case.

After his arrest, Munyagwa said that these were false allegations imposed on him by the government for being a big critic to its policies. He added that government has been implicating him in different cases in the past.

Munyagwa has been held at the Central Police Station in Kampala, while the case was filed at Kabalagala Police Station.

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The National Resistance Movement the highest decision-making body, the Central Executive Committee has failed to endorse President Yoweri Museveni’s son-in-law Odrek Rwabwogo for the post of vice chairperson western, denying him a chance of serving the ruling party in that capacity, at least for now.

In a meeting yesterday, Justice Minister Major Gen. Severino Kahinda Otafiire stood down for his bush war colleague Maj. Gen.  Matayo Kyaligonza, in the process edging out Rwabwogo, who mid this year announced he wanted to contest for the post of NRM Vice President for Western Uganda.

Rwabwogo’s announcement stirred voices of dissent from some party adherents, with Gen. Kyaligonza and Luwero Distrcit NRM chairman Haji Abdul Nadduli, both openly criticizing the decision by the President’s son-in-law to vie for the post.

However, the youthful Rwabwogo was undeterred, saying he wanted to re-energise the NRM based on its ideology.

Meanwhile, Jeff Rwakanuma, another contender for the NRM western Uganda vice presidency lost out alongside another ‘Young Turk’ Hakim Lukenge, who was standing against NRM National Vice Chairman Al Hajji Moses Kigongo.

“He can’t march the stature of Kigongo,” Mike Mukula, the NRM Vice Chairperson for Eastern Uganda, told Eagle Online.

However, contacted for comment Lukenge said he stands another chance, only if the National Executive Committee reverses the decision.

And, asked about his candidature, Mukula said he was still in the race and that “the vote will sort out the boys from the men.”

In a related development Speaker Rebecca Kadaga was returned unopposed as the NRM Second National Vice Chairperson.

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Having spent three days of intense discussions, The Democratic Alliance will be announcing the coalition’s successful candidate next week on Monday.

“The four candidates had fruitful discussion at the retreat just themselves in a room. I believe Monday is the D day,” the TDA Spokesperson Wafula Oguttu posted on his official Facebook page, adding that they held a meeting of about 13 hours trying to find the TDA flag bearer.

The four candidates include former Vice President Professor Gilbert Bukenya, former Prime Minister John Patrick Amama Mbabazi, FDC flag bearer Dr Besigye and Democratic Party President Norbert Mao.

The coalition’s summit was set to announce its flag bearer on Friday but disagreements emerged and FDC threatened to pull out of the TDA amid accusations that summit was ‘favouring’ former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi.

The FDC reportedly questioned the way Mbabazi was nominated and the criteria used to gauge him as the strongest potential candidate.

Amid all the chaos, on Thursday some FDC youth stormed the summit meeting at Royal Suites in Bugolobi, forcing Dr Kizza Besigye out of the meeting.

However, on Friday Besigye rejoined the negotiations with discussions among the candidates themselves agreeing on a number of issues.

Meanwhile, Mbabazi has said he brings to the TDA some support and vote-winning skills acquired while he served as the NRM’s Secretary General.

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Could the acute heart attack be something invented at death? Maybe yes maybe no.

Linda Aronda, the widow to the deceased former Minister of Internal Affairs, has cast doubt in autopsy report released by government showing that her husband died of acute heart attack.

“He has been full of life. The heart problem they are talking about may have been there, but the 20 years I have lived with my husband, I have never seen him sick. My children here are my witnesses,” she said.

A visibly devastated Linda was eulogizing her dead husband during the State funeral service at Kololo ceremonial grounds.

“We have never seen him fail to get work to work. He loved to work and he always left home to go for his official duties and always returned safely,” she said, flanked by her two children.

Gen Aronda who died last Saturday served as the country’s first and longest Chief of Defence Forces before he moved to the Ministry of internal affairs in close to two years ago, where he is credited for executing the erstwhile stalled national identification project.

According to senior police pathologist Dr Moses Byaruhanga, small scars were found in the swollen heart of Aronda, an indication that he could have suffered the problem for some time.

A cue the president picked from as he spoke at Kololo.

“Apparently, Gen around twice got heart attacks but they were minor,” he said. “But this one which happened in the aeroplane was so severe that it took his life.”

The contradiction between the widow and the government report is a matter which seems to point out that she is suspecting foul play in the death of her husband.

Earlier on in Parliament, the Leader of Opposition Wafula Oguttu also posed questions regarding the death particularly wondering how the Managing Director of Uganda Media Center, and government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo came to know that Aronda had died of a heart attack even before a post-mortem was done.

When news about Aronda’s death petered through the country, on 12 September, the outspoken spokesperson tweeted that, “Confirmed #Gen Aronda has died of heart attack while on transit in Dubai from South Korea @UgandaMediaCent @skaheru @AllanKasujja”

Gen Aronda will be buried at his ancestral home in Rukungiri district on Sunday.

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The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Stanley Ntagali has called upon leaders to emulate the exemplary leadership exhibited by the former Internal Affairs Minister General Aronda Nyakairima.

Addressing mourners attending a memorial service held at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in honour of Gen Aronda, the Archbishop said he knew the deceased as a man of integrity, God fearing and humble.

“For the time I have known Aronda, his name has never been mentioned in any corruption scandal and we must thank God for that,” he said and advised leaders not indulge in corrupt tendencies but use their offices to serve the people.

He also consoled the family of the deceased especially the widow Linda Aronda.

“Linda, in Aronda you got a good husband and it is unfortunate that he has gone too soon,” the Archbishop said adding: “You made a vow to stand with him in good and bad and this there is no doubt you have done this to your best.”

Taking a jibe at the forthcoming elections, Ntagali urged politicians not bribe voters and also advised the voters not to allow to be bribed but vote basing on issues that affect them.

“Do not be cheap to be bought but rather vote leaders on merit,” he counseled before imploring the clergy to be impartial.

“Now is the time to make Uganda better,” he said.

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