Dental surgeon and businessman, Dr. Martin Aliker, has passed on. Dr. Aliker died earlier today, a source within the family said.

At time of his death, he was the Chancellor of Victoria University, Uganda, a private institution. Dr. Aliker served as senior adviser to the President of Uganda and has sat on the boards of directors of nearly forty Ugandan companies.

Aliker was born in Gulu District on October 21, 1928, to Rwot Lacito Okech and Julaina Auma, the daughter of Musa Ali, the first ordained Anglican priest in the region of Acholi. He attended Gulu High School for his primary education before transferring to Kings College Budo for his O-Level studies.

In 1948, he was admitted to Makerere University, the oldest public university in East Africa. Before he could complete his studies at Makerere, he won a scholarship to Northwestern University, in Chicago, Illinois, United States, where he studied political science, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Following that, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study dental surgery, also at Northwestern, graduating with a Doctor of Dental Surgery. Later, he was awarded the title of Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons by the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

After his doctorate studies in the United States, Aliker returned to Uganda and took up employment as a government dental surgeon. Later, he left the civil service and set up the first private dental practice in Uganda, owned by an African.

In 1971, when Idi Amin captured power in a coup d’état, his residence shared the back wall with Aliker’s house. Amin’s security people ordered him to move away from his home because he was deemed a security risk to Amin.

In late 1972, he fled to Nairobi, Kenya, because of the deteriorating security situation in Uganda. While in Nairobi, he set up a lucrative dental practice, staying there until 1998, when he came back to Uganda. On his return, he was able to repossess his home.

Starting in the 1960s, Aliker began buying shares in blue chip companies, including the Uganda Commercial Bank and the National Insurance Company. As of October 2014, Aliker was a shareholder in the following publicly traded Ugandan companies: Stanbic Bank Uganda, Uganda Clays Limited, Nation Media Group, National Insurance Corporation, and East African Breweries, among others.

He sits on the boards of many of these companies and is the chairman of Uganda Clays Limited.  From 2004 until 2014, he served as the founding chancellor of Gulu University, a public university. He was also the best man to President Milton Obote.

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Robert Twinomujuni, the owner of Ideal Hostel properties,has been charged and remanded to Luzira Prisons on allegations of forging a land sale agreement.

Twinomujuni on Friday appeared before Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court presided over by Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi. He had earlier been arrested and detained at the Central Police Station (CPS) in Kampala.

According to the prosecution, the businessman committed the forgery alongside Samson Arinaitwe, a resident of Nyakahita Cell in Kigongi Ward, Central Division in Kabale Municipality, who is still at large.

The alleged forged land sale agreement dated June 6, 2020 is in respect of leasehold land comprising Rwampara Block 42, Plot 38, in Ntungamo District’s Ruhama constituency.

On Friday, Twinomujuni applied to bail, citing ill health. But prosecution led Ms Joan Keko asked for four working days to authenticate particulars of the sureties and the documents they presented.

“Your worship, the defense has overwhelmed us with documents that we need to speak authoritatively to,” Ms Keko submitted, “When one furnishes a letter from the Local Council (LC) [leadership], it is not [a] gospel truth. [So], we need to verify.”

The magistrate then remanded the businessman up to Thursday this week when he will reappear in court.

This website understands that the contested land reportedly belongs to relatives of leaders close to the first family in Ruhama constituency, Ntungamo District.

The charge sheet shows that on June 16, 2020 in Kampala District, Samson Arinaitwe purported to make the agreement in his capacity as the administrator of the said land and forged signatures of Simon Nsekanabo, Winfred Musimenta, Richard Apollo Rutaro, Edith Busingye, Prudence Namara, Beatrice Kisembo Rugarama and Betty Rugarama.

The state alleges that on February 18, 2021 at Ntungamo Police Station in Ntungamo District, Arinaitwe and Robert Twinomujuni knowingly and fraudulently uttered a false document; to wit, a forged sales agreement dated June 6, 2020 purporting to have been signed by Nsekanabo, Musimenta, Rutaro, Busingye, Namara, Kisembo and Rugarama.

It is alleged that between the months of June and December 2020 in the districts of Kampala, Ntungamo and Kabale, Arinaitwe and others still at large forged acknowledgement of receipt of money purporting that Kisembo, Nsekanabo, Musimenta, Namara, Rugarama and Rutaro received proceeds from the sale of land comprised in Rwampara  whereas not.

The state further alleges that Arinaitwe forged national Identity cards of Kisembo, Nsekanabo, Musimenta, Namara, Rugarama and Rutaro.

Prosecution avers that between June and December 2020, in Kampala and Ntungamo districts, Arinaitwe and Twinomujuni conspired together to defraud Namara Prudence and others of their beneficial interest/share on land comprised in Rwampara Block 42 plot 42, leasehold register volume 3027, Folio 9, for land in Ruhama, Ntungamo District.

The Commander of Land Protection Police Unit (LPPU), Johnson Olal, has since been suspended on allegations of mismanaging investigations into the land dispute.

The suspension of Olal followed separate investigations by the Police Inspectorate and the Police Professional Standards Unit.

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The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has released Shs7.687 trillion as government expenditure for the April-June period, which is the last quarter of the Financial Year 2023/24.

The Finance Ministry PS Ramathan Ggoobi said the released funds represent 30.4% of Uganda’s total budget. This brings the total release to 28.564 trillion for the Financial Year 2023/24.

Out of this money, Shs1.872 trillion is for wages and salaries across government and Shs312.291 trillion for pensions and gratuity.

Ggoobi asked accounting officers to ensure that they pay wages, salaries, pension and gratuity by the 28th of every month and also prioritise payment of service providers on time and avoid accumulation of arrears

Shs529.7 billion is for Parish Development Model (PDM) bringing the total Release for PDM to Shs1.059 trillion.

Shs239.91 billion has been released for Local Governments including Shs110.9 billion for Capitation Grants to schools to cater for Term Two.

The Uganda Road Fund has received Shs189.74 billion for road maintenance. This ensures 100% of releases to the Road Fund, that is Shs 428.757 billion.

Shs90.211 billion goes to National Medical Stores for procurement of essential drugs and medicines reflecting 100% release to the entity (Shs560.967 billion.)

Meanwhile, Parliament received Shs 156.141 Billion, Judiciary Shs31.419Billion and Auditor General Shs 19.52 billion.

Regional referral hospitals have received Shs21.322 billion each as operational funds.

The Ministry of Health has been given Shs37.067 billion; Mulago hospital got Shs11.276 billion, Butabika – Shs 2.172 billion; Uganda Cancer Institute – Shs 14.43 billion; Uganda Heart Institute – Shs3.79 billion; Uganda Blood Transfusion Services – Shs1.455 billion and Uganda Virus Research Institute – Shs1.405 billion.

The Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs has been given Shs312.49 billion; Uganda Police Force- Shs61.063 billion;  Uganda Prisons Services – Shs72.318 billion, and ISO and ESO – Shs52.927 billion.

Science Technology and Innovation Shs106.7 billion; UNRA- got Shs364.807 billion for road construction; MoWT – Shs146.141 billion which includes funds for SGR; Outstanding obligations under MoWE – Shs133.46 billion; and Capital expenditure under MEMD – Shs152.78 billion.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries got Shs42.7 billion. Shs12.5 billion has been given to Cancer Institute; Shs2.075 billion for Heart Institute; and and Shs10.487 billion for regional Referral hospitals.

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The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has implored all troops to often leave a positive and indelible impact at all their respective services, units and formations.

He mentioned that the above act manifests the peaceful culture of a professional military like UPDF.

“Do the best you can with the knowledge and perspective you have to leave an indelible and positive impact on the force,” General Kainerugaba told Service commanders, Chiefs, General and Senior Officers; as he presided over the Hand/Takeover ceremony for the office of Deputy CDF (D/CDF) and Chief of Joint Staff (CJS).

The hand/take over ceremony, at the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs (MODVA) headquarters in Mbuya – Kampala, had the Outgoing D/CDF Lt Gen Peter Elwelu handing over to Lt Gen Sam Okiding while the former Chief of Joint Staff Maj Gen Leopold Kyanda handed over to Maj Gen Jack Bakasumba.

 The CDF and also the Special Presidential Advisor in charge of Special Operations (SPA/SO), in his remarks to both the Incoming and Outgoing D/CDF and CJS, noted that the tour of duty is for everyone to heighten operational efficiency.

“These offices are not permanent and they are for everyone to pass through when building a professional force. Tour of duty is for everyone,” Gen Muhoozi reminded troops.

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba further urged troops to maintain the spirit of togetherness, brotherhood, and sisterhood and to continue building the UPDF that is loved and cherished by all.

 He also expressed happiness with the appointing authority and Commander in Chief of the UPDF Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for selecting the right people to occupy the aforementioned offices.

He further cautioned the new office bearers to make a bigger impact at their new stations and thanked the formers for a job well done.

The Outgoing D/CDF Lt Gen Peter Elwelu expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the President and Commander in Chief of UPDF Gen Museveni for the trust bestowed upon him when he served as Deputy Army Chief, saying it was a great challenge as a soldier and leader at all levels of command and control.

He pledged to continue serving his country in another capacity as a Special Presidential Advisor and commended the MODVA/UPDF fraternity for all the support over the last 38 years.

The Outgoing D/CDF, however, highlighted the fastening of court procedures for the military and the need to continuously improve the welfare of soldiers, noting that, “when people are retiring, they should be happy with the package on the table”.

In his acceptance remarks, the Incoming D/CDF Lt Gen Sam Okiding lauded the Outgoing for what he has done, adding that whatever happens in the world happens at the right time, and is Godly commanded and chosen.

He said his appointment is unique since he once deputized the current CDF at the Land Force Headquarters (Bombo).

He pledged to serve at his best and promised to work with others, emphasizing that, “If you want to reach far and then walk with others”.

 At the same ceremony, the Outgoing Chief of Joint Staff Maj Gen Leopold Kyanda applauded the privilege he had working with MODVA, adding that UPDF is now transitioning to the new establishment.

Maj Gen Kyanda noted that during his reign, MODVA/UPDF had achieved the following: Established UPDF Act 2021 opened the National Defence College -Uganda, a number of Engineering projects had taken root-most especially in education and health, Special Infantry Basic Course for Somali Nationals was started at Camp Rufu and there has been timely handling of documents in his office.

He, however, pronounced the need for the establishment of a service doctrine, budget rationalization, decentralization of services, and engaging the force in income generating activities, among others; to enable the force meet its constitutional mandate of protecting Uganda’s territorial integrity.

The Outgoing CJS cautioned his successor to uphold the notion of improving a soldiers’ welfare as priority number one.

 He noted that whatever Command and control method he executed during his reign was for the good of UPDF soldiers.

Maj Gen Jack Bakasumba the Incoming CJS, in his acceptance speech, appealed for all the support to fulfill the forces’ desired intent.

“l reaffirms my commitment to serve to the expectations of the mighty UPDF,” he alluded.

He promised to fight against indiscipline and pledged zero tolerance for corruption as guided by the building of a strong force based on ideological clarity.

 Both the Outgoing and Incoming D/CDF and CJS respectively, recognized President Museveni for his unwavering support and guidance.

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