The Uganda Investments Authority Director General, Robert Mukiza has put the State Minister for Investment Evelyn Anite on the spot for misrepresenting a meeting with the British High Commissioner to Kampala that never was and also orchestrating cyber harassment against Dubai Prince Sheikh Mohammed Juma Al Maktoum.
The July 23, 2024 letter making rounds, is copied to President Museveni’s Principal Private Secretary, the Minister of Finance, UIA Board Chairman, the Attorney General and all the UIA staff who received the honorarium payments the minister had directed should be refunded, Mukiza stung the minister for peddling several lies.
Mukiza said in the letter that after being asked to receive the Dubai Prince and also accompany him to the Heroes Day celebration where he was given an award, this didn’t augur well with the minister .
“After receiving the prestigious award, witnessed by the UAE Ambassador to Uganda, some hate-filled individuals threatened by his potential investments, sponsored bloggers to create a sham platform news whose cardinal purpose was to create and promote fictious and fake content against the Sheikh as a conman who is impersonating the royal ruling family of Dubai,” Mukiza says.
The UIA Director General also accused the minister of lying that she had personally met with the UK High Commissioner to Uganda, who had directed that the money be refunded.
“I find that the story of your meeting with the British High Commissioner to discuss the day to day of the Namanve project management not adding up, inaccurate, false and misleading.”
Mukiza explains that it is common knowledge that generally, United Kingdom embassies across the world don’t involve themselves in micro managing projects funded by the UK and particularly the British Commissioner’s office doesn’t at all interfere with the day today running of the projects funded by the United Kingdom Export Finance.
He added that the Namanve project was signed between Uganda Investments Authority, v and Standard Chartered Bank and not the British High Commission office.
“The above analysis therefore brings me to conclusion that you lied about the meeting with the British High Commissioner as well as your engagement with United Kingdom Export Finance regarding honoraria and VOP payments to the contractor.”
The UIA director general asked the minister to resign for fabricating lies and subsequently be taken to Luzira over the same.
“On the other hand, if you produce empirical evidence that challenges my above analysis, then I tsnad to be penalized.”
Mukiza said that in relation to President Museveni’s guidance of forgiveness for the good of UIA, he forgives Minister Anite.
Mukiza’s letter follows one by Anite on July, 3 in which she expressed her disappointment at him for allegedly lying to the president.
“I was taken aback when in an attempt to deflect from the misuse of funds, you accused me of being driven by personal motives as I was fulfilling my duty as a minister accountable of ensuring transparent investment practices,” Anite wrote in a letter directed to Mukiza.
She however said she has buried the hatchet with Mukiza.
