Top 15 biggest political stories of 2019

As we see off 2019 we can’t forget some of the biggest political stories that made headlines.

See the stories:

1. Rwanda-Uganda border closure

A row between the two neighbouring countries had been simmering for the past two years but escalated when Rwanda closed its border with Uganda in February this year.

Both countries have traded accusations of interference in each other’s security affairs. Up to date, the border is still closed after failed peace talks.

2. Mao calls DP members named in people’s government ‘watermelons’

This came when the national executive committee of the Democratic Party that sat on February 28 to decide the fate of DP members named in the so-called people’s government cabinet which was declared by former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president Dr Kizza Besigye.

Mao said that DP could not look on as some people calling themselves DP members taking on responsibilities from another political party. He described such members as watermelons which are green outside and red inside. The members he meant were Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago who was elected deputy president and Betty Nambooze as information minister.

3. Museveni promotes his son to Lieutenant General

In February this year, the 44-year-old First Son Muhoozi Kainerugaba was promoted from the rank of Major General to Lt General which continued to give political pundits reason to believe that Museveni was planning to hand over power to his son. Also on that day, Uganda’s only woman Maj-Gen Proscovia Nalweyiso was promoted to Lt-Gen.

4. Electoral Commission ‘clears Muntu’s party’

This year in March, the Electoral Commission cleared Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu’s party, the “Alliance for National Transformation”. Muntu announced that he has left Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) after losing the party presidential seat to Patrick Amuriat. Months later he formed his own political party.

5. Speaker Kadaga hospitalized, ‘in critical condition’

The speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga was on 22 March admitted to Nakasero hospital shortly after her condition worsened. She was later airlifted to Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi Kenya where she received medication and was discharged in April on 19th.

6. Stella Nyanzi asks court to summon Museveni

In June, suspended Makerere University research fellow Dr Stella Nyanzi, asked court to summon President Museveni as one of the key witnesses that needed to be examined for her defence. Nyanzi was accused of harassing the President and allegedly insulting his late mother. Prosecution contends that on September 16, 2018, Nyanzi posted on her Facebook page suggestions that reckoned obscenity against the President and his deceased mother.

7. Minister Anite ‘fires’ Bemanya, stands against attorney general 

This happened in June when the State minister for Investment, Evelyn Anite, wrote a latter sacking Twebaze Bemanya who was the administrator of the Uganda Telecom Limited.

The letter dated June 26, addressed to the Attorney General, Anite directed him to get an immediate replacement for Bemanya, saying that all the concerned parties have lost confidence in Bemanya’s administrator and therefore they could no longer work with him.

“Reference is made to the letter of the Minister of Planning & Economic Development to you dated 20 June regarding Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL). In effect, a decision has been taken to remove Bemanya Twebaze, an official receiver as the current administrator and to immediately replace him with an individual that we will indicate,” reads part of the letter.

8. Museveni directs minister Anite to audit UTL

President Museveni in July directed the state Minister for Privatization and Investment, Evelyn Anite to institute an audit in the activities of Uganda Telecommunication Limited (UTL).

In a letter dated July 16, 2019, Museveni said he had “heard of some allegations” against managers of the telecom company.

“This is to direct you to institute an audit in the activities that are going on in Uganda Telecommunication Limited. I have heard of some allegations,” reads part of Museveni’s letter.

9. Government awards soldiers medal for blocking land probe team

After blocking the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters in the month of June, government awarded medals to soldiers who blocked its members from accessing prime plots on Mutungo Hill, a city suburb. Justice Catherine Bamugemereire-led commission was left amused.

10. allC for Mutebile’s resignation

Following the currency saga that happened in Bank of Uganda in June,  several voices came out,f including Uganda’s biggest opposition party the Forum Democratic Change (FDC) called for the resignation of the central bank governor, Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile,

The FDC party spokesperson, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, said Mutebile should resign because it was clear he had failed to manage the bank. “Mutebile should resign because he has failed to contain different scandals that keep happening one after another in the bank. I am sure he also does not know how they happen since he just wakes up and some things have happened,” Ssemujju said.

BOU has for the last three years been in the news for the wrong reasons including closing the then second biggest bank, Crane Bank, and ‘donating’ it to DFCU bank. BoU later faced a Parliament probe which unearthed a lot of rot and mismanagement at the central bank. Mutebile, his deputy Louis Kasekende and senior management could have left if Uganda was serious about it’s economy.

11. Court issues criminal summons against Bobi Wine

In July the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court issued criminal summons against Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, for disobeying statutory duty in connection to protesting social media and mobile money tax.

This session was presided over by magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu, the prosecutor informed court that Bobi Wine and one of his co-accused, David Luke, were not present before the court.

12. Opposition Members threaten to take President Museveni to ICC

The Opposition under Dr Kizza Besigye’s People’s Government in November threatened to take President Museveni and others to the International Criminal Court in the Hague, for what they called gross violations of human rights; and committing crimes against humanity revealing. In this move, they need over 2 million signatures.

13. FDC candidate out of Kaabong District Woman MP race

In September ,the Forum for Democratic Change’s (FDC) candidate in the Kaabong District Woman MP Adyaka Nalibe pulled out of the race just two weeks to polling day.

“This notice is hereby made to unequivocally withdraw my candidature from the race and I don’t wish to contest in the aforementioned position and that my name should be struck off the list of nominated candidates to contest for the position of Kaabong District Woman Member of Parliament,” reads part of her latter.

She accused the FDC party of neglecting her during the campaigns and making empty promises to her.

14. Police cancel Bobi Wine’s Independence Day concert

In October, the Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola cancelled the Independence Day music show of Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine. Ochola in his letter dated October 2, accused Kyagulanyi of not considering the plans for medical care, traffic control, crowd control and security.

“This serves to inform you that the notice to the Inspector General of Police has remarkable deficiencies, which do not guarantee the lawfulness, safety, security for the public and organisers,” part of the letter reads.

15. First son Muhoozi sends warning to ‘enemies of Uganda

The First son and Presidential Advisor for Special Operations Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba in October warned whoever was planning to mess with Uganda that they will have a bad day.

In his tweet, Muhoozi said, “I can assure whoever even thinks of messing with Uganda will get a very bad day. Long live UPDF! Long live Ugandan Special Forces!,”