Security minister Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi has heaped praise on the fallen Office of the Prime minister permanent secretary Keith Muhakanizi saying he lived an upright life.

Muhwezi says Muhakanizi kept his honour and strictness to achieve a common objective in a teamwork spirit.

“Muhakanizi did not work for the downfall of others. He hated lies, intrigue and malicious gossipers at work. Keith was an introvert who would never share bad information about you with others to bring you down,” he says.

Muhwezi, who was speaking to hundreds of mourners at the wake of Muhakanizi at his home on Luthuli Avenue, Bugoloobi in Kampala on Friday, said he knew Muhakanizi when he was still young and as a public servant at the ministry.

“I remember Muhakanizi when we were accused together and tycoon Bob Kabonero of stealing $38m from the Treasury on allegations that he had wired the money to banks in Malaysia which were completely trash,” he said. Muhakazizi was a former secretary to the treasury and finance ministry permanent secretary.

Geoffrey Bwambizo contesting the burial, Lawyer Charles Beinomugisha and Moses Geofrey Kakuru who are against Muhakanizi held a press conference

Muhwezi added that if it were not for the keenness and understanding of President Yoweri Museveni, the trio would have gone to jail in 2017.

“A joint investigation with the support of foreign banking experts showed that the reports were fictitious and unfounded,” he added.

Sgt Simon Peter Odongo, a former head of the cyber department at the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) allegedly fabricated and circulated audio tapes and WhatsApp conversations to frame Muhwezi, Muhakanizi and a business mogul of money laundering.

“Odongo framed us with the former director general of ISO, but we pleaded with President Yoweri Museveni and he listened to us and the charges were rubbished,” he said.  

Muhakanizi did not grab anybody’s land or government property

“That mad person on social media who is accusing Muhakanizi of stealing his land without opening a case in court is a criminal,” Muhwezi said.

He told mourners that Muhakanizi lived an upright life, and worked diligently and patriotically towards the development of other people around him and his nation.

The family of Geoffrey Bwambizo objected to Muhakanizi's family plan to bury him on a disputed piece of land at Kabula in Lyantonde district.

Through his lawyer, Charles Beinomugisha, the High Court advocate working with Atlas Advocates, Bwambizo accuses Muhakanizi of unscrupulously grabbing his 152 acres on block 64, plot 20 in the above locality.

“If the Government makes the mistake of burying Muhakanizi on my clients’ land, we shall exhume the body because it is known that that land is contested under the Courts of Law,” Beinomugisha said.

Muhwezi pointed out to critics that the Government has fully restored freedom, ensured security and peace and tried to fight corruption.

“It takes two to tangle. Fighting corruption is a two-way thing and the public should volunteer information about the corrupt government officials to help the government prosecute the culprits.”

Muhakanizi is expected to be laid to rest on Sunday, April 23, 2023, on the said land in Lyantonde.