Who is Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi
Oct 03, 2008
Like a cat, Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi Katugugu has nine lives. The Rujumbura legislator has been in “drama†much of his life. But then, he is a survivor, not a casualty.
BY CAROL NATUKUNDA
Like a cat, Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi Katugugu has nine lives. The Rujumbura legislator has been in “drama†much of his life. But then, he is a survivor, not a casualty.
In 1981, while serving as the officer-in-charge at Mbale Police Station, Muhwezi was arrested for his links with the then National Resistance Army rebels. However, his escape from the Jinja Road Police cells sounds like a movie script. The story goes that together with David Tinyefunza, Muhwezi grabbed guns from their guards and shot them before escaping. Muhwezi then sneaked out of Kampala, apparently dressed like a woman! That is when he joined the rebels.
While in the bush, he was involved in counter intelligence and combat operations. After all, he had earlier had thorough training at the Kibuli and Masindi Police training schools and had the expertise in law and Police matters.
After the war, he became Internal Security Organisation (ISO) boss until 1996 when he was appointed the State Minister in charge of Primary Education.
This was one of the most crucial posts, given the fact the government was slated to introduce the Universal Primary Education the following year. A year later, however, the legislators discovered that he was very rich and called for his censorship. They worried that he was stinking rich and could be dipping his fingers in the funds meant for the newly launched UPE. It was alleged that he peddled influence to get shares in Crane Bank among other things, which made his wallet a lot heavier.
His wealth was the talk of the town—so much that a list of over 27 of his properties in and outside Uganda circulated in Parliament. His assets were valued at about sh3b. A total of 148 MPs voted in favour of censuring Muhwezi, while 91 were against it. The legendary cowboy was censured over abuse of office. Muhwezi believed the fight was about him as a person and the wealth he had worked so tirelessly to attain.
But his censure did not pull him down, especially among his supporters back in Rukungiri. It is said that Muhwezi was the solution to their problems. He was always there for the little known farmer who didn’t have school fees for her child. He was always present at community functions, including funeral or wedding ceremonies. Little wonder that in 2001, he bounced back to the 7th Parliament and was shortly afterward, appointed health minister. Critics were enraged about his appointment, but legally there was no compelling ground not to appoint him to the Cabinet. Moreover, there were also rumours that even after his censorship, Muhwezi remained close to the appointing authority and his constituency had vehemently voted Museveni during the elections.
Away from the censure, Muhwezi had major strengths. There were no reports of torture by ISO during his reign, unlike in the past regimes and this helped to improve the image of security agencies. He had also served ably on the Constituent Assembly.
When he was appointed the health minister, Uganda made tremendous strides in combating disease and mortality rates. If anything, he was rated as one of the best performing ministers. Sub-county health centres were built throughout the country, and immunisation against the killer diseases was high on the agenda. The HIV/AIDS prevalence dropped from about 10% in 2001 to about 6.4%. But things went terribly wrong when over $200m from the Global Fund on AIDS, Tuberclosis and Malaria was mismanaged, leaving hundreds of patients at the mercy of death.
President Museveni instituted ordered a probe in 2006, chaired by the Principal Judge James Ogoola. During the probe, tempers flared when Muhwezi reminded the Judge that he fought for the prevailing peace.
“...I don’t know my Lord, where you were at the time, but the peace that prevails, I was part of.†Muhwezi said, to the shock of Ogoola, who thought that the minister would, for once, be courteous, given the magnitude of patients whose lives depended on the Global Fund.
But blame it on his background. Muhwezi seems to have no fear of any indictments whatsoever; not when he “went to the bush;†not when he has escaped tighter corners like the cells. If anything, the soldier in him has made him pompous. For he, indeed, “fought.â€
But that statement has since put Muhwezi under criticism. He has also been in the press for controversial reasons. Ogoola’s team recommended that Muhwezi and former health state minister Mike Mukula be investigated for abuse of office and perjury. The investigations are going on, albeit in a slow manner. Some legislators also wanted him censured.
Yet, Muhwezi is not one to bury his head in the sand. He has been at the forefront of accusing the embattled security minister Amama Mbabazi over the controversial National Social Security Fund land deal. This has annoyed some people who argue that he should have kept quiet until he is cleared of the charges against him. Muhwezi, however, insists that nothing can stop him from speaking his mind out.
Those who know him well say that that is a simple man.
“He can make you, the accuser, look like a fool,†says one of his close friends.
Born in the 1950s in Rukungiri district, Muhwezi grew up in a Christian family. His father, Katugugu was a reverend. It was rather shocking when this son of the priest joined the security agencies. Many people thought he whould have been better off mastering the law he had studied at university, than holding the gun.
So whether or not he is witty is another matter. What is for sure is that Muhwezi is simply a real cowboy because cowboys never die.
Like a cat, Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi Katugugu has nine lives. The Rujumbura legislator has been in “drama†much of his life. But then, he is a survivor, not a casualty.
In 1981, while serving as the officer-in-charge at Mbale Police Station, Muhwezi was arrested for his links with the then National Resistance Army rebels. However, his escape from the Jinja Road Police cells sounds like a movie script. The story goes that together with David Tinyefunza, Muhwezi grabbed guns from their guards and shot them before escaping. Muhwezi then sneaked out of Kampala, apparently dressed like a woman! That is when he joined the rebels.
While in the bush, he was involved in counter intelligence and combat operations. After all, he had earlier had thorough training at the Kibuli and Masindi Police training schools and had the expertise in law and Police matters.
After the war, he became Internal Security Organisation (ISO) boss until 1996 when he was appointed the State Minister in charge of Primary Education.
This was one of the most crucial posts, given the fact the government was slated to introduce the Universal Primary Education the following year. A year later, however, the legislators discovered that he was very rich and called for his censorship. They worried that he was stinking rich and could be dipping his fingers in the funds meant for the newly launched UPE. It was alleged that he peddled influence to get shares in Crane Bank among other things, which made his wallet a lot heavier.
His wealth was the talk of the town—so much that a list of over 27 of his properties in and outside Uganda circulated in Parliament. His assets were valued at about sh3b. A total of 148 MPs voted in favour of censuring Muhwezi, while 91 were against it. The legendary cowboy was censured over abuse of office. Muhwezi believed the fight was about him as a person and the wealth he had worked so tirelessly to attain.
But his censure did not pull him down, especially among his supporters back in Rukungiri. It is said that Muhwezi was the solution to their problems. He was always there for the little known farmer who didn’t have school fees for her child. He was always present at community functions, including funeral or wedding ceremonies. Little wonder that in 2001, he bounced back to the 7th Parliament and was shortly afterward, appointed health minister. Critics were enraged about his appointment, but legally there was no compelling ground not to appoint him to the Cabinet. Moreover, there were also rumours that even after his censorship, Muhwezi remained close to the appointing authority and his constituency had vehemently voted Museveni during the elections.
Away from the censure, Muhwezi had major strengths. There were no reports of torture by ISO during his reign, unlike in the past regimes and this helped to improve the image of security agencies. He had also served ably on the Constituent Assembly.
When he was appointed the health minister, Uganda made tremendous strides in combating disease and mortality rates. If anything, he was rated as one of the best performing ministers. Sub-county health centres were built throughout the country, and immunisation against the killer diseases was high on the agenda. The HIV/AIDS prevalence dropped from about 10% in 2001 to about 6.4%. But things went terribly wrong when over $200m from the Global Fund on AIDS, Tuberclosis and Malaria was mismanaged, leaving hundreds of patients at the mercy of death.
President Museveni instituted ordered a probe in 2006, chaired by the Principal Judge James Ogoola. During the probe, tempers flared when Muhwezi reminded the Judge that he fought for the prevailing peace.
“...I don’t know my Lord, where you were at the time, but the peace that prevails, I was part of.†Muhwezi said, to the shock of Ogoola, who thought that the minister would, for once, be courteous, given the magnitude of patients whose lives depended on the Global Fund.
But blame it on his background. Muhwezi seems to have no fear of any indictments whatsoever; not when he “went to the bush;†not when he has escaped tighter corners like the cells. If anything, the soldier in him has made him pompous. For he, indeed, “fought.â€
But that statement has since put Muhwezi under criticism. He has also been in the press for controversial reasons. Ogoola’s team recommended that Muhwezi and former health state minister Mike Mukula be investigated for abuse of office and perjury. The investigations are going on, albeit in a slow manner. Some legislators also wanted him censured.
Yet, Muhwezi is not one to bury his head in the sand. He has been at the forefront of accusing the embattled security minister Amama Mbabazi over the controversial National Social Security Fund land deal. This has annoyed some people who argue that he should have kept quiet until he is cleared of the charges against him. Muhwezi, however, insists that nothing can stop him from speaking his mind out.
Those who know him well say that that is a simple man.
“He can make you, the accuser, look like a fool,†says one of his close friends.
Born in the 1950s in Rukungiri district, Muhwezi grew up in a Christian family. His father, Katugugu was a reverend. It was rather shocking when this son of the priest joined the security agencies. Many people thought he whould have been better off mastering the law he had studied at university, than holding the gun.
So whether or not he is witty is another matter. What is for sure is that Muhwezi is simply a real cowboy because cowboys never die.