Byaruhanga, mind your status and stop lying!
Apr 12, 2006
SIR — I have read Mr. Moses Byaruhanga’s article “Muhwezi, Ogoola: We should wait for recommendations†published on April 5 in the Monitor. Byaruhanga, in a veiled attempt to defend the Movement, made some gross misrepresentation that I wish to point out.<br>
SIR — I have read Mr. Moses Byaruhanga’s article “Muhwezi, Ogoola: We should wait for recommendations†published on April 5 in the Monitor. Byaruhanga, in a veiled attempt to defend the Movement, made some gross misrepresentation that I wish to point out.
First he argued that Justice Ogoola’s behaviour during the judicial inquiry, when Jim Muhwezi appeared, was a personal confrontation. However, I think that Ogoola’s utterances were not only personal but were also sectarian or at best partisan and a manifestation of a bias against the Movement. This fact has been demonstrated by ogoola throughout the inquiry, by, for instance his masked graveyard comments or jokes about the Movement and its leadership which some of us who sit among the public audience see everyday.
Secondly, what amazed me most however, with Byaruhanga was the obvious, calculated and treacherous manner in which he argued his case. For instance, he said that Muhwezi, after being censured, was sacked by the President and therefore was punished. Muhwezi was never sacked, he was dropped in a cabinet reshuffle, together with many others, including agad didi, as is always the practice with governments.
Being dropped is not a punishment; it is simply a common political practice. Moreover, president Museveni is on record as having said, and rightly so, that Muhwezi was not guilty of any wrong that deserved censure. The president, however, said that he thinks rightly or wrongly that by Muhwezi doing business with a certain businessman, made a wrong judgment. I personally do not share the president’s view because most people in government, including the president himself, do business with this same gentleman, in one way or another. Muhwezi, by declaring his interest, was only honest and did not hide his interest in the business he planned to do with the businessman.
Thirdly, Byaruhanga also said that the president will act on the recommendations of the Ogoola report if he recommends that action be taken against Muhwezi, and by implication, others like Mike Mukula, and Alex Kamugisha. This is also misleading and wrong. The President should actually study the report and may or may not act on it depending on the objectivity of its findings, especially being backed by evidence. If it was automatic for the President to act on judicial reports then people like Major Gen. otafiire, Gen. Salim Saleh and others would perhaps be behind bars, following Justice Porters’ Report on Congo and Justice sebutinde’s Report on junk helicopters.
Fourthly, I found the list of historicals that Byaruhanga says are blameless not only interesting but also pregnant with something sinister. Does he want us to believe that he does not remember that Otafiire pulled a gun on the late wife of Sam Kutesa and had to resign his ministerial appointment? Has Byaruhanga forgotten the copper rivets saga? How about the plunder of the Congo that was dealt with in the Porter Report or tom Butime’s resignation after boxing a subordinate in the Ministry of lands? Or indeed eriya kayegaya’s Danze involvement in which billions of shillings were lost? What of the numerous scams in the Ministry of Defence under Amama Mbabazi’s leadership?
In fact, as far as we know, the Muhwezi censure was pure and simple witchhunting and political opportunism by various unprincipled forces. He is an innocent historical member like many others, who has repeatedly been used as a scapegoat by the likes of Byaruhanga. My advice to the President and his compatriots is never to make a mistake by making unprincipled decisions. I can sense some malicious intent in Byaruhanga ‘s argument, though I hope that I am wrong.
He seems to set up Muhwezi as a sacrificial lamb in order to whitewash some ugly antecedents of other people I do not intend to mention here thinking this will appease those demanding for “action against graft by the Museveni governmentâ€.
As for corruption, Museveni should be serious. After putting in place so many bodies to combat corruption, he should reject wild allegations of corruption.
Corruption is a crime just like murder, rape, and theft. it must be proved or else the accused remains innocent. Let it not be used politically, like McCarthyism was used in the USA to bring down political opponents, real or imagined by mere accusation of being communists.
Ogoola’s commission of inquiry ought to implicate, incontrovertibly those responsible for the mismanagement of the Global fund, if any. Otherwise the choice of a judge to chair the commission will have served no purpose.
I only hope that ogoola’s findings will not be as biased as his pre-judgments halfway through the investigation, as suggested by his condemnation of the witnesses.
Moses Byaruhanga, be honest, you are the President’s assistant, do not contradict him and do not lie! We may not be near the President but we are not stupid!
John Mutabanura
Rukungiri
First he argued that Justice Ogoola’s behaviour during the judicial inquiry, when Jim Muhwezi appeared, was a personal confrontation. However, I think that Ogoola’s utterances were not only personal but were also sectarian or at best partisan and a manifestation of a bias against the Movement. This fact has been demonstrated by ogoola throughout the inquiry, by, for instance his masked graveyard comments or jokes about the Movement and its leadership which some of us who sit among the public audience see everyday.
Secondly, what amazed me most however, with Byaruhanga was the obvious, calculated and treacherous manner in which he argued his case. For instance, he said that Muhwezi, after being censured, was sacked by the President and therefore was punished. Muhwezi was never sacked, he was dropped in a cabinet reshuffle, together with many others, including agad didi, as is always the practice with governments.
Being dropped is not a punishment; it is simply a common political practice. Moreover, president Museveni is on record as having said, and rightly so, that Muhwezi was not guilty of any wrong that deserved censure. The president, however, said that he thinks rightly or wrongly that by Muhwezi doing business with a certain businessman, made a wrong judgment. I personally do not share the president’s view because most people in government, including the president himself, do business with this same gentleman, in one way or another. Muhwezi, by declaring his interest, was only honest and did not hide his interest in the business he planned to do with the businessman.
Thirdly, Byaruhanga also said that the president will act on the recommendations of the Ogoola report if he recommends that action be taken against Muhwezi, and by implication, others like Mike Mukula, and Alex Kamugisha. This is also misleading and wrong. The President should actually study the report and may or may not act on it depending on the objectivity of its findings, especially being backed by evidence. If it was automatic for the President to act on judicial reports then people like Major Gen. otafiire, Gen. Salim Saleh and others would perhaps be behind bars, following Justice Porters’ Report on Congo and Justice sebutinde’s Report on junk helicopters.
Fourthly, I found the list of historicals that Byaruhanga says are blameless not only interesting but also pregnant with something sinister. Does he want us to believe that he does not remember that Otafiire pulled a gun on the late wife of Sam Kutesa and had to resign his ministerial appointment? Has Byaruhanga forgotten the copper rivets saga? How about the plunder of the Congo that was dealt with in the Porter Report or tom Butime’s resignation after boxing a subordinate in the Ministry of lands? Or indeed eriya kayegaya’s Danze involvement in which billions of shillings were lost? What of the numerous scams in the Ministry of Defence under Amama Mbabazi’s leadership?
In fact, as far as we know, the Muhwezi censure was pure and simple witchhunting and political opportunism by various unprincipled forces. He is an innocent historical member like many others, who has repeatedly been used as a scapegoat by the likes of Byaruhanga. My advice to the President and his compatriots is never to make a mistake by making unprincipled decisions. I can sense some malicious intent in Byaruhanga ‘s argument, though I hope that I am wrong.
He seems to set up Muhwezi as a sacrificial lamb in order to whitewash some ugly antecedents of other people I do not intend to mention here thinking this will appease those demanding for “action against graft by the Museveni governmentâ€.
As for corruption, Museveni should be serious. After putting in place so many bodies to combat corruption, he should reject wild allegations of corruption.
Corruption is a crime just like murder, rape, and theft. it must be proved or else the accused remains innocent. Let it not be used politically, like McCarthyism was used in the USA to bring down political opponents, real or imagined by mere accusation of being communists.
Ogoola’s commission of inquiry ought to implicate, incontrovertibly those responsible for the mismanagement of the Global fund, if any. Otherwise the choice of a judge to chair the commission will have served no purpose.
I only hope that ogoola’s findings will not be as biased as his pre-judgments halfway through the investigation, as suggested by his condemnation of the witnesses.
Moses Byaruhanga, be honest, you are the President’s assistant, do not contradict him and do not lie! We may not be near the President but we are not stupid!
John Mutabanura
Rukungiri