The good, bad and ugly: Stories that shook Uganda in 2017

They made headlines for a number of months. Both the public and government took a number of months debating about them. They are the stories that shook Uganda in the year 2017 that ended on Sunday.

Oil Handshake

In January 2017, a whistleblower released information on how 42 government officials had shared a whooping sum of six billion shillings after participating in the Heritage Oil and Gas Arbitration case.

Government of Uganda managed to retain about $434 million in the case with Heritage Oil & Gas and $250 million from a settlement of a capital gains tax dispute that arose again following Tullow's farm down of 66.6% of its stake to France's Total and China's CNOOC.

However, debate arose from the manner the 42 officials who were being facilitated to do the work on behalf of government were again rewarded six billing shillings of tax payers’ money by president Museveni ‘for doing work they are paid to do’.

Parliamentary asked its committee on Commissions, Statutory Authority and State Enterprises (COSASE) to investigate what had now been nicknamed as the ‘handshake’.

Before it could start, an interim order was issued by the Constitutional court led by the then deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma was issued halting any investigations causing a ‘turmoil’ between the legislature and judiciary.

In one of the August house proceedings, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga warned against what she termed as interference in her work, before ordering the vacation of the 'stupid order' by justice Kavuma.

She would later write a protest note to president Museveni.

Meanwhile, the COSASE committee later continued with its investigations and found the 42 government officials culpable before ordering that they refund the six billion shillings they had taken ‘illegally’.

AIG Kaweesi murder

Friday March 17, 2017 will forever remain on the hearts of many Ugandans, including senior security officers.

At around 9am, in broad day light, unknown assailants allegedly moving on motorcycles sprayed the Toyota TX carrying the then police spokesperson AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi with over 100 bullets killing him instantly.

The story was that the assailants had camped near Kaweesi’s home in Kulambiro as they monitored his movements before striking, killing him together with his bodyguard Kenneth Erau and driver Godfrey Mambewa.

There was debate especially among the public on how a highly guarded senior police officer could be killed in broad day light.

A number of people including Kamwenge town council mayor Geoffrey Byamukama were later arrested and tortured at the infamous Nalufenya detention centre.

Byamukama would after five months be released after photos of his sceptic wounds at Nakasero Hospital went viral on top of police condemnation over torture.

Meanwhile, the High court ordered government to pay each of the 22 people suspected of having participated in the murder of AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi be compensated to a tune of eighty million shillings for being tortured by security agencies, police in the lead.

A number of people charged at Nakawa magistrates court over the alleged murder have since been committed to High Court for trial whereas other have been charged afresh with belonging and professing to ADF, a terrorist organization based in Eastern DRC.

Panga wielding men attacks

The year 2017 saw an increase in the number of attacks by panga wielding men that started in greater Masaka areas but extended to Wakiso and some parts of Kampala districts.

The unknown assailants would first throw leaflets warning of their impending attack before invading homes at night, beat and cut residents before robbing them of their property.

At one press conference organised at Katwe police station in Kampala,a group of over 30 people alleged to have been part of the crime told the Inspector General of Police Gen.Kale Kayihura that they worked with police.

"We were taken to Mt.Zion hotel in Kampala from where we would be taken to Masaka for work. I found many other colleagues confined and at the entrance were police guards who never allowed anyone from getting out,” 22 year old Juma Muniira told journalists

Women murders

The country was yet again rocked with another disaster, the killing of women in various parts of Wakiso district.

Over twenty women were attacked, raped, killed and sticks inserted into their private parts before their bodies were dumped into nearby bushes in Nansana and Entebbe areas of Wakiso district.

 

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The murders raised concerns over the vulnerability of women as police was still puzzled on the people behind this new wave of criminality.

Internal Affairs minister Gen,Jeje Odong would later claim that the women were being killed by people connected to illuminati.

“There is strong evidence linking suspects and Katongole. Some suspects were found with forms given to them by Katongole to enlist in Illuminati. Others have 999 (sign of Illuminati) tattooed on their bodies. Katongole is physically linked to the death of Nakimuli Rose because he was in her company the night she was killed,”Gen.Odong said in a report he released to parliament.

Later, a number of people were arraigned before Nabweru Chief Magistrates Court and charged in connection with the murders.

Crane bank closes

October 2017 saw Bank of Uganda take over management of Crane Bank, Uganda’s third largest bank for being under- capitalised and thus was posing a risk to the banking sector.

A deep audit into the rushed sale of Crane Bank is timely

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“This is to inform you that Bank of Uganda has, with effect from today 20th 2016, pursuant to Sections 87 (3), 88 (1)(a) & (b) of the Financial Institutions Act 2004, taken over management of Crane Bank Ltd. You are accordingly suspended from your position as Acting Managing Director and you are required to make a formal handover of your responsibilities to the Bank of Uganda Statutory Manager, Mr Edward Katimbo Mugwanya,” read part of the letter by the Governor Bank of Uganda, Tumusiime Mutebile to the acting Managing Director of Crane Bank, PK Gupta.

According to the central bank, Crane Bank had been on their watch list since September 2015 after their capital had fallen below the fifty percent legal requirement.

Bank of Uganda later sued property mogul Sudhir Ruparelia for allegedly stealing Shs397 billion from his defunct Crane Bank.

Police, army chicken fights

The year has also seen a cold war between police and its sister security agency, the army.

ISO boss speaks out on relationship with police, criminality in the city

The war became pronounced at the home of Christine Mbabazi Muhooza, a lady alleged to be a girlfriend to the fallen police spokesperson AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi in Lungujja, Rubaga division.

Unconfirmed reports had it that the police Flying Squad had wanted to arrest Muhooza but were never allowed by the army who were guarding her home.

The then police spokesperson AIGP Asan Kasingye later told journalists that Muhooza had called police that certain group of people had locked her inside the house and that they (police) were there to intervene.

President Museveni would later order for deployment of the elite Special Forces Command to guard the home of Muhooza who is believed to have evidence regarding the murder of late AIGP Kaweesi.

The chicken fights between the two sister forces were again witnessed when the Chieftaincy of Military Investigations arrested a number of senior officers for kidnapping Lt.Joel Mutabazi, a former bodyguard to president Kagame and repatriated him back to Rwanda.

At first, the then police spokesperson told journalists that none of their officers had been arrested before saying he was not aware of the reason behind the arrests by the army.

The fight became pronounced when two Kaweesi murder suspects were re-arrested by security agencies but despite the army spokesperson Brig. Richard Karemire confirming that it was a joint operation led by police, police denied having participated in the arrest.

Later police admitted that the suspects had been dumped at the Nalufenya detention centre( manned police) in Jinja but insisted they had not participated in the arrests.

Strikes by judges, prosecutors, medical doctors

Dr Obuku attacked by thugs, sustains skull injuries

Opondo gets thrashing online after failed attempt at spinning against Besigye, Dr Obuku

Sit down strikes by medical workers, judges and prosecutors were another thing that characterised the year 2017.

These government workers were demonstrating over poor pay but they suspended the strikes after government promised to increase their salaries as well as improving their working conditions starting with the forthcoming financial year.