The Lord Mayor of Kampala Erias Lukwago has recruited a security squad to counter Maj. Rowland Kakoza Mutale’s militias that are being trained in Luwero to defend President Museveni’s continued stay in presidency in the fourth coming 2016 Presidential elections.

While speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon at his wakaliga home, Lukwago emphasized that his group dubbed The Truth and Justice would not sit back and watch as Mutale prepares for violence in the coming elections.

“When you have the likes of Mutale training what do you do? Do you just sit and watch? We know it’s such a big task ahead of us but we have decided to strengthen our security detail,” Lukwago said.

Mutale last week confirmed he is currently training militias in preparation for the 2016 elections, with the sole purpose of fighting opponent of Museveni.

The Lord Mayor was however quick to distance himself from reports that the group of youths has been armed and is a militia noting that these have are citizens who have joined voluntarily.

“We shouldn’t be mistaken as ours is not a militia or Kiboko squad. We truly believe in the rule of law and we are not bent to cause any mayhem.”

He also says they have prepared themselves for self-defense and they will counter those who want to derail their cause. “We shall guard the will of the people by guarding the votes and repel the would-be trouble causers.” He promised.

He added,” The group is only a shield and not a sword. They are not out to go on offensive but shield and defend the will of our people. ”

Mr. Ivan Bwowe, a former Guild President of Makerere who is handling the recruitment said they are getting positive response from youths who are willing to defend this nation from the mayhem that Mutale wants to cause during the elections.

“We are doing massive voluntary recruitment and so far the training is ongoing and I call upon all those able bodied youth who yearn for peace to join us,” He said.

Bwobwe says the group is already trained and equipped with the skills that are necessary and are ready for action.

“We have prepared ourselves for self-defense and we will counter those who want to derail our cause. We shall guard the will of the people by guarding the votes and repel the would-be trouble causers.”

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The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) is to choose an Elders Committee that will settle differences between party members before and after the 2016 elections.

According to the party Chairperson Ambassador Wasswa Birigwa Ssekyondwa, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) will meet on September 2 to select members of the committee.

“The Elders Committee is very important since it has the powers to interpret the Constitution,” Amb Birigwa, who is also a member of the FDC National Organizing Committee (NOC), said and added that the new committee would handle complaints from disgruntled party members and provide solutions.

“After elections, there might be some disagreements and that is why we need them,” Birigwa, a former Ambassador to Japan, said of the dispute resolution committee.

Previously, the old Elders Committee under the chairmanship of former Ruhaama MP Augustine Ruzindana helped resolve differences between party president Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu and Budadiri West MP Nathan Nandala Mafabi after the 2012 party presidential elections. Other members of the outgoing committee includedSoroti Woman MP Angeline Osegge, Bukooli Central MP Wafula Oguttu, and Winfred Kiiza, a former FDC Chief Whip.

Meanwhile, Amb Birigwa also confirmed the delegates’ conference scheduled forSeptember 2 and said it will be held under the theme: ‘Our agenda will be electing the 2016 party flag bearer and reviewing the party Constitution’.

He allayed fears that there would delays in picking nomination forms for those intending to contest for the 2016 national presidential elections, saying the Democratic Alliance is yet to choose a candidate.

“We have at least up to mid-September,” he added.

In a related development the Chief Electoral Commissioner Mr Dan Mugarura said the ongoing FDC flag bearer campaigns by party president Mugisha Muntu and his predecessor Col (rtd) Dr Warren Kizza Besigye had been smooth and that both candidates would be back in Kampala by the end of the week.

“It is winding up period, Dr. Besigye is in Kampala and Maj. Gen Muntu is summarizing his campaigns in Lango,” he revealed.

Mugarura further revealed that they were in talks with Nation Television (NTV) to see that Maj Gen Muntu and Dr Besigye face off in a live debate.

“We are in talks with our candidates and I hope it will be aired by the weekend,” he said.

Mugarura also weighed in on the conference, saying the respective authorities had been duly informed.

“It’s their responsibility to see that our event is successful; we wrote to them and we don’t expect them to interrupt our plans,” Mr Mugarura said.

The FDC delegates’ conference is expected to attract over 1500 individuals and of these only 1200 have the mandate to vote and these include Members of Parliament, Local Council Chairpersons, Mayors and the district delegates,.

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Police has this morning denied media reports and civil society reports that it is holding the National Coordinator of the Jobless Brotherhood, Norman Tumuhimbise, who reportedly went missing early last week.

According to available information, while on the Morning Breeze show on NBSTV, Tumuhimbise reportedly called Youth Minister Evelyn Anite a ‘courageous fool’.

Subesquently, Tumuhimbise claimed he received a call from the Media Crimes Department at the Kibuli CIID headquarters “inviting me to record a statement in regard to what I had said on NBS television.” He reportedly snubbed the police summons saying he was ‘busy and had no time to waste’.

Little was known about the police involvement till Robert Mayanja, a workmate of Tumuhimbise claimed his colleague was last seen on August 19 at 7pm heading home, prompting him to file a ‘missing person’ statement with police.

But according to police spokesman Fred Enanga, the police neither know Tumuhimbise’s whereabouts nor about the accuracy of Mayanja’s claims.

“The media reports have said it’s the police, however we have cross-checked with all our points and none has Norman” Mr Enanga said, adding: “We are talking this as a serious matter and in case we find out it’s a false call, we shall have Robert who wrote the statement explain more.”

Meanwhile, Police has detained two fraudsters at the Central Police Station in Kampala, who masquerade as policemen from the Flying Squad Unit.

According to police, Muhammad Ndugga and Nathan Kakuru and others at large arrest unsuspecting people using fake arrest warrants and drive them around the city with the aim of extorting money.

“This arrest is a case study; we are going to use these two to crackdown on the rest of this racket which has been rushing to people’s homes,”Mr Enanga said, adding:

“We caution the public to demand for identification from anyone who comes to them as a police officer, whether in uniform or not, they must possess a warrant card.”

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President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Regional Police Commander for Kapchorwa to release some elderly women arrested for practicing female genital mutilation and cautioned that the issue needs to be handled sensitively.

“I heard that people were arrested for cutting our girls. Release them and we start a new page. I don’t know who taught that engineering. Biology does not agree with you. If you get a plastic cloth and interfere with it, it looses its elasticity. What sort of science are you doing? You get a healthy body and tamper with it! This is wrong science,” he said.

President Museveni who was on a one-day working tour of Bukwo district to promote the Operation Wealth Creation campaign commended the people of Bukwo for being hard working but urged them to exploit cost effective enterprises that can improve their incomes.

Speaking at a rally at Amanang Secondary School grounds in Bukwo District, President Museveni advised the people to grow crops like Arabic coffee, Irish potatoes, wheat and to also engage in poultry rearing and piggery that will earn them more money than maize.

“You are very hardworking people and I can see you have grown a lot of maize. But I hear the maize takes nine months to mature and you earn between Shs 500,000 to one million per acre. The calculation of maize production does not satisfy me,” he said.

Museveni said for the first time the NRM government has ensured improved education, health, good roads and electricity and guaranteed peace in the whole country.

“I am paying my debts slowly; NRM and UPDF have finally guaranteed peace in the whole country. Electricity is already in Kween and they have already laid the poles in Bukwo. We are going to work on the road from Kapchorwa to Bukwo that will also link us with Kenya,” he said.

The President urged the people of Bukwo to vote wisely so that peace is maintained and more developments implemented.

He said the issue of UBC Television and Radio boosters will be studied.

Initially President Museveni commissioned 14 classroom blocks, one laboratory and one library at Amanang Senior Secondary School. He also unveiled a foundation stone for the construction of Bukwo District Headquarters. The President also visited the family of the former Member of Parliament for Kongasis constituency in Bukwo District, the late Toskin Bartile, and paid his respects before having a meeting with the family members.

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The Speaker of South Sudan’s Western Equatoria state legislative assembly has been killed by unknown gunmen in what an officials described as an “assassination”.

Western Equatoria state’s information Minister Charles Kisanga said James Bage Elias was shot dead by assailants outside the capital, Yambio on Friday.

“I can confirm as spokesperson WES (Western Equatoria state) Government that the speaker of WES legislative assembly was assassinated this [Friday] evening,” he said.

The state spokesman said the deceased was killed as he drove his car before it was sprayed with bullets on Uze River Bridge a few kilometres from Yambio at about 8 pm.

His bodyguard escaped and ran all the way to break the news to authorities and the family.

“It was not until 12 midnight when youth were able to reach the site and found him dead in the car. His body is now brought to his house and Acting Governor and other senior leadership are in attendance,” Charles narrated.

It is a second time in three days that unknown gunmen killed a senior official after a journalist was killed in Juba on Wednesday.

It also came days after the former governor of the state, Joseph Bangasi Bakosoro was unexpectedly dismissed by president Salva Kiir’s decree and a day later on arrested and detained for four days before his release on Friday.

The killers have not been apprehended and their motive for the assassination of the top state legislator was not clear.

Last month, state authorities announced the disappearance of Bage at a time when tensions were high as fighting pitting members of Dinka and members of the Azande community, from which the ex-speaker hailed, created a national security concern.

He later returned to the town and said he was only visiting his village on Friday and could not return on time due to security concerns. Sources said Bage had informed his fellow colleagues in the state assembly, police authorities and government operatives in the state that some people approached him while meeting some members of his constituents and allegedly threatened to kill him. He did not reveal the identity of those who threatened him, but allegedly accused some people in government of conspiracy.

Other sources claimed the former speaker organised a party at his residence in the aftermath of the decision by presdent Salva Kiir to sack elected governor, Joseph Bakosoro. Although the intention of the party was not clear, some people interpreted this to mean Bage had openly shown support for the newly-appointed caretaker governor.

The deceased, who hailed from Yambio County, was one of the politicians critical of the manner in which appointments were being made as it allegedly ignored people from his area.

He also sought several unsuccessful nominations for the position of the state governorship this, according to many local sources from the area, had annoyed him.

A group of rebels operating separately from the armed opposition faction of former vice president, Riek Machar, also claim to be fighting against president Kiir’s government.

Western Equatoria state has also plunged into tribal conflict pitting youth from the host community of Azande, Moro and the resettling armed pastoralists from the Dinka ethnic group, where deadly clashes occurred in the state last month.

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President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Force commanders in Nakapiripirit district under the leadership of Maj. Constantino Masembe Kajubi to arrest and disarm cattle rustlers in order to end the issue of cattle rustling for good.

Museveni also urged the Karimojong to report any cases of Pokot cattle rustlers who cross the border to Uganda.

“The National Resistance Movement sowed good politics because it has a strong army and that is why Karamoja and the whole country is now peaceful. We disarmed you so that you can have peace,” he said.

Museveni was accompanied by the First Lady and Minister for Karamoja Affairs Janet Museveni, is on a three day working tour of Karamoja region to promote the Operation Wealth creation campaign.

The campaign is aimed at ensuring that every household has a food security and income-generating project as part of the poverty fight.

Speaking during a rally at Loregae Sub County in Nakapiripirit District, President Museveni urged the people of Karamoja to protect wildlife and attract tourism.

“Wildlife brings tourists who in turn provide a market for your goods. Kidepo National Game Park is one of the sources of income that brings development in this region. Please do not fight for land owned by the Uganda Wildlife Authority,” he said.

He encouraged them to engage in modern farming so that they get good yields for a larger market especially from the tourists and local communities.

On the issue of health, Museveni called on the people of Karamoja to take all their children for immunization, saying it would stop diseases like polio, measles, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis B.

He also called on them to practice good nutrition and hygiene, avoid reckless behavior such as drinking alcohol and prostitution.

On the issue of service delivery, Museveni said he would not increase salaries before working on infrastructure such as roads and electricity. He said government managed to construct the Nakapiripirit – Moroto road because the issue of salary increments was deferred.

Janet Museveni congratulated the people of Nakapiripirit District for good food production. She said government would investigate and solve the issue of the death of their animals.

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