By our reporter
Recently we reported how Bank of Uganda Deputy Governor Louis Kasekende was not happy with his boss Emmanuel Mutebile’s decision to fire Director in charge of supervision Justine Bagyenda.
The reshuffle, which affected over 40 top officials of the Bank, including nine executive directors, 13 directors and 24 assistant directors is still puzzling the banking fraternity.
According to our sources, Kasekende was not happy since most of the people who left the Central Bank were part of his inner circle, which he hoped to depend on in case he was promoted to full governor. Kasekende, with age on his side, hopes to become the next governor. However, the president holds the strings of who becomes Governor. It is said that Dr. Kasekende was a close associate to Bagyenda and her sacking, left a big hole.
Last month, the internal fight within the Central bank attracted the Inspector General of Government (IGG) Irene Mulyagonja to pick interest in the case thus ordering the Governor to halt the staff changes until investigations are concluded which order caused a stir within the central bank, with Mutebile stating in his March 19 letter to the IGG that her “investigation is redundant”.
Following the spat, President Yoweri Museveni was forced to intervene to put the two government organs in order.
It is reportedly that Museveni on 26 March, 2018 met the two feuding camps at State House Nakasero.
According to the Independent Magazine Uganda, the meeting started at 3pm and was attended by Mutebile, Kasekende, former Bagyenda, Mulyagonja, and a few members of the parliamentary committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE).
During the meeting, it appeared that Museveni didn’t like the IGG’s move to investigate Mutebile over the recent reshuffles.
At one point, he reportedly, turned to Mulyagonja and asked: “I thought transfers were internal matters of an institution, why are you interfering?”
Mulyagonja said she had received several complaints including from “a senior credible person” who she was willing to disclose only privately to the President.
People who attended the meeting assumed Kasekende is the person Mulyagonja spoke about. This is partly because, The Independent magazine Uganda learnt, that although Mutebile has indicated the IGG cannot interfere in BoU affair due to constitutional protection of central bank independence, Mulyagonja on March 16 summoned three top managers of the central bank; Kasekende, Executive Director Administration Solomon Oketcho and the Bank Secretary, Susan Kanyemibwa.
ntil now Kasekende has remained largely silent as Mutebile appeared to be dealing with intransigency from Bagyenda. However, insiders now say Kasekende has been at the centre of the fight.
Throughout the meeting, Kasekende was dead quite, a source who attended said. Another said he was ignored.
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