Bukenya being led out after the court proceedings and right id the WamalaBy John Katanywa.
Prof. Gilbert Bukenya betrayed some Catholic Bishops when they asked him to run for President against Museveni in 2006, it has emerged. Towards the 2006 Presidential campaigns, President Yoweri Museveni reached out to leaders of the Catholic Church especially Bishops led by Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala.
In all these, Museveni wanted to seek both their moral and spiritual support and also justify to them why he had backed the amendment of the 1995 Constitution to open up Presidential term limits. It should be recalled that had the Constitution not been amended in 2005, Museveni wouldn’t be eligible to run for a fourth term.
Meeting the Catholic leaders ahead of 2006 polls was very tricky to Museveni considering that in 2001 after Besigye had declared his presidential ambitions, Museveni had met the same leaders and he made it clear to them that he was seeking his last term of office. This caused excitement within the Catholic Church and in the process, this institution started to look out for its own to succeed Museveni.
Indeed unconfirmed reports indicate that in the 2001 meeting Museveni had with the Catholic Church leaders, he asked them to identify their own who would take over after him. That’s why the one name that made rounds within the institution of Catholic Church was of Prof. Gilbert Bukenya.
Much as some Bishops were excited over that development that Museveni will step aside for a Catholic in 2006, some religious leaders like Bishop Paulo Semwogerere (Luwero Diocese), Msgr.
Larry Kanyike (Makerere University Chaplain) and Msgr. Gerald Kalumba (Christ the King Church, Kampala) never believed it. Actually this is the very group that proposed that in case Museveni does not step aside in 2006, Bukenya would have ran against him.
In 2006, when Museveni offered to run again, this caused a sharp divide within the Catholic Church, some Bishops asked Bukenya to consider running against Museveni. However, Bukenya refused saying that Museveni is a complicated man in case he ran against him.
The same call for Bukenya to run against Museveni in 2011, was sounded again. Some Bishops like Archbishop Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga had put up critical voices against this regime, especially on issues of corruption and strained relations with Mengo.
M7 Enters Deal With Catholic Bishops
In June 2010, Museveni entered a secret deal with Catholic Bishops in Uganda which was largely seen to be political. This was possible because every year in the month of June, Catholic Bishops from all dioceses of Uganda hold a retreat either at St. Augustine Nsambya or Namugongo Shrines. This is always after the annual celebrations in remembrance of Uganda Martyrs who were burnt to death on the orders of ruthless Kabaka Mwanga.
Last year as they held their session, in which they elected Gulu Archbishop John Baptist Odama as the new Chairperson of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, they received a special visitor in the name of Amelia Kyambadde. At the time, Amelia was busy mobilising the Catholic Church support as she was in advanced stages of running for Mawokota North Parliamentary seat, which she eventually won.
The visit of Amelia was strategically planned to the point that, she met the Bishops as they were heading to the Dining table.
In her debonair style, Amelia greeted every prelate while kneeling down. After exchanging pleasantries, she was requested by the Bishops to join them at the dining table. As they enjoyed sausages, one Bishop after another inquired from Amelia how her boss, Museveni is.
This was supplemented with queries from Bishops that the President had failed to honour a number of pledges he made to individual Bishops. On hearing that, Amelia picked a pen and her writing pad to record the un-honoured pledges Museveni had not fulfilled.
Masaka Diocese Bishop, John Baptist Kaggwa was the first to make his claim. On realising that an opportunity had landed, Kaggwa cleared his voice and told Amelia how he had been waiting for a posh four wheel vehicle from the President. Kaggwa claimed that the president made the pledge to him. As Kaggwa made the claim, one Bishop from Western Uganda whispered to the other why Kaggwa wanted another vehicle yet he is known to have almost every ‘tribe’ of vehicles at his residence in Masaka. Amelia noted Kaggwa’s demands though.
Then Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala came. The prelate told Amelia that in the past, he had requested the President to avail him some scholarships for Catholic students to have further studies abroad. Cardinal Wamala added that unfortunately, Museveni had not done so for the whole period, he (Wamala) served as the Archbishop of Kampala.
After Cardinal Wamala’s presentation, then came in Bishop Mathias Ssekamaanya, of Lugazi. Like Bishop Kaggwa, Ssekamaanya noted that he was expecting a vehicle from the president which he had promised him some time back.
As Ssekamaanya narrated how long he had waited in vain, other Bishops in the dining hall showed empathy as to why State House could delay Ssekamaanya’s vehicle yet he is a known sympathiser of the regime within the Catholic Church.
Later, it was Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga’s turn; his were also material demands and services. He explained to Amelia that the Catholic Church especially his Archdiocese of Kampala has a construction company which can offer excellent services. He went further to say that he had made this known to the President in their secret meeting at the time radio CBS was closed.
Lwanga asked Amelia that government should give construction works to this firm so that it can generate revenue for the Archdiocese of Kampala. After Lwanga, other Bishops from around the country made their cases to Amelia, majority of them material items which the government had not honoured.
Amelia Reacts
After all the Bishops had made their cases, Amelia stood up and spoke. With a lot of humility, she apologised to the Bishops over the delay the pledges had taken. She promised that since she had been made aware of their predicaments, she would address the matter to the President.
That statement from Amelia led to applause from all the Bishops accompanied with infectious smiles on their faces. Amelia went further to suggest to the Bishops that it would have been better for her to organise a meeting between them and the President.
This left the Bishops divided. Some were against it on grounds that if it leaked to the media, they would be viewed in bad light. Others however, accepted.
At the end of the day, it was resolved that Amelia proceeds and organises a secret meeting between them and Museveni. In a few days, the meeting was secured. All the Bishops headed to State House. Museveni who was in a jovial mood received them and gave a handshake to every Bishop who entered the meeting room.
When the meeting took off, Museveni promised to honour all the delayed pledges he had made to them, something that excited the prelates.
In addition, Museveni pledged to Cardinal Wamala, that he would be meeting his medical bills whenever he goes for a medical check-up or treatment in Germany.
In addition, Museveni offered to avail the aging Cardinal his Presidential jet in case his medical trips would demand urgent and urgent attention. A sumptuous dinner was served and the President had a self service from the very dishes the Bishops served themselves from. This is how the deal was concluded.
New Secrets Why M7 Wants Bukenya Released
Meanwhile, new secrets have been unearthed as to why President Yoweri Museveni lobbied for his former vice president’s release. On Wednesday, as Museveni chaired a cabinet meeting, two things happened. First, Museveni shocked his cabinet colleagues when he attempted to secure former deputy Gilbert Bukenya’s release from Luzira prison.
Museveni told his ministers that he had received a legal opinion from the Attorney General, Peter Nyombi about three weeks ago, which indicated that there was no evidence against the former VP, so he argued that he did not see the reason why Bukenya was in jail. This development came a day after Bukenya was jailed on Monday. Bukenya was remanded to Luzira Prisons over his alleged role in the purchase of vehicles during the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
This was after Buganda Road Grade One Magistrate, Irene Akankwasa cancelled Bukenya’s bail and committed the outgoing Busiro North MP to High Court for trial.
Bukenya had been granted bail in June after depositing Shs50m and his travel documents. But Akankwasa cancelled the bail and sent the former vice president to Luzira from where he will start his trial before the High Court. He is facing two separate charges of abuse of office and fraudulent practice.
Still in the same Wednesday Cabinet meeting, a strange thing happened. The Secretary to Cabinet announced he had received summons for Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa, Chief Whip John Nasasira and Labour Minister Mwesigwa Rukutana from the Anti-Corruption Court. As the Cabinet was underway, the Secretary to Cabinet forwarded the summons to each of the wanted ministers.
It was Kutesa who caused most drama when he received his. Insider sources in Cabinet say that Kutesa looked shocked and he moved from one corner of Cabinet room to another reading it. He later excused himself from the room and went out. He was sighted making several phone calls to his lawyers to find out the next course of action.
As Kutesa was doing all these, some of his colleagues in Cabinet could be seen covering their mouths with folders because they were quietly laughing because of the drama the filthy rich minister had caused.
The following day, Kutesa had not yet recovered from the shock. On Thursday, his Akii Bua residence was a no-go zone to most people. He summoned almost fifteen lawyers to give their legal opinions on the matter.
These were led by his personal lawyer Byaruhanga, who is a partner in Byaruhanga and Kasirye Company Advocates. He was later joined by fellow accused, Nasasira and Rukutana who listened attentively from their wise counsels in a meeting that ended late in the night on Thursday.
In this article we reveal the secrets why Museveni lobbied for Bukenya’s release and the political implications given that Kutesa is also summoned.
Genesis
It should be recalled that in 2009, Bukenya claimed that he made most of his decisions on CHOGM procurements on President Museveni’s orders, State House reacted angrily. Through his Press Secretary Tamale Mirundi, the ex-VP was asked to own up his fate. I
ndeed, Tamale advised the Prof. Bukenya to stop pulling the President in his problems. Few days later, Museveni came out and offered to appear before the then Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee that was probing the CHOGM mess.
This team met Museveni for a good number of hours at State House, Entebbe. It could therefore be seen that Museveni did so to clean his name from Bukenya’s earlier allegations.
Actually, well placed sources say that since then, Bukenya’s relationship with Museveni got strained.
Bukenya of course knew this and during the presidential campaigns, he never attended Museveni’s rallies especially in Buganda region. Another source observed that Museveni deliberately refused to have those implicated in the CHOGM mess travelling with him to most of his campaigns.
That’s why people like Brig. Proscovia Nalweyiso, Haji Abdul Nadduli were the most visible in all these campaigns. Finally, after the elections, Museveni dropped Bukenya from the Vice Presidency.
Besigye Factor
It has now taken many observers by surprise when Museveni lobbied for the release of Bukenya. First, Museveni is aware that the Judiciary is supposed to act independently. A credible source argues that Museveni is very aware of this but as a politician, he had to make a public relations stint.
It should be noted that since Bukenya was remanded, the public reacted angrily by wondering why the other Ministers who were implicated in the same saga were not charged. Therefore, as a politician Museveni wanted to appear a neutral person in this whole saga so that the public does not pin him as the person behind Bukenya’s alleged political witch-hunt.
Museveni is also aware that some politicians have ended up becoming more popular after serving jail sentences. Prominent of these include: Al Hajji Nasser Ntege Sebbaggala, Col. Kizza Besigye and Hajji Suleiman Kiggundu.
At the moment, security has not ruled out a possibility that Bukenya will run for presidency in 2016. The other fears are that Bukenya may become an influential figure in those elections.
Therefore Museveni is aware of all those dynamics. He looked out in the Bible and recalled the book of John 11:43-44 which reveals a story of how Jesus Christ resurrected Lazarus the brother of Mary and Martha, who had been dead for four days and when Jesus shouted, “Come out”.
Still wrapped in grave linen, he got up and stumbled out of the burial chamber alive and well. Not only did Christ prove he had power over life and death, he also illustrated an important step in God’s plan to save mankind.
Therefore, Museveni on the other hand wanted to prove to the public that he is the liberator of Bukenya much as he is aware that the Judiciary works independently.
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