Mike Chibita the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has dismissed allegations that government dropped charges against Dr. Aggrey Kiyingi due to lack of sufficient evidence linking him to the gruesome murder of Muslim clerics in Uganda last year.

While appearing before the High Court in Kampala on Thursday, State Prosecution removed Australian based Ugandan cardiologist Dr Kiyingi from the list of people implicated in the murder of Muslim clerics last year.

Dr. Kiyingi, Sheikh Muhammad Yunus Kamoga, the Amir Ummah and 31 others (as per the amended indictment) are accused of masterminding the killing of Sheikh Mustafa Bahiga, the former Kampala District Amir and top Shia Cleric Sheikh Abdulkadir Muwaya among others.

Chibita told Journalists at the Media Centre in Kampala on Friday that Dr. Kiyingi was removed from the charge sheet for tactical reasons but he would still face charges in case he is arrested and brought back in the country.

“The fact is that we withdrew charges against Dr. Agrey Kiyingi. This is because in law, if you have accused a group of people and a time comes for you to present them before court, once one of them is missing from the dock and you have his name on the charge sheet, it is a technicality for the defense to exploit and say you are prosecuting people who are absent,” Chibita explained.

He added, “Anybody that we have not arrested by the time we go to court we remove him from the charge sheet, it’s not that we don’t have enough evidence against Kiyingi; this is a tactical thing to ensure that the trial of others goes along.”

“As you all know Kiyingi was indicted and as prosecution we have enough evidence against him; we are waiting to arrest him and once we have him, he will be added on the charge sheet.”

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mike Chibita has regretted that government through its investigative bodies has failed to pin down suspects linked to the killing of Senior State Prosecutor, Joan Kagezi.

It’s now a year since the 48 year old Joan Kagezi’s life was terminated in cold blood by unknown gunmen traveling on a motorcycle, when she pulled over to buy fruits in Kiwatule a Kampala suburb.

Kagezi was the head of the DPP’s War Crimes and Terrorism Department, which was stationed in Kololo near the High Court’s International Crimes Division.

By the time Kagezi was assassinated, she was charged with handling many cases of terrorism; notable among them the 2010 twin bomb attacks in Kampala by the Alshabaab in which 76 lives were lost.

The DPP told journalists at the Media Centre in Kampala that it was regrettable that one year after the murder of Kagezi, no conclusive findings or arrests have been made.

“Am I comfortable or happy that it has taken one year without the killers of Joan being arrested? Absolutely not and no one else can be happy except the killers themselves,” Chibita noted.

“We have all been saddened, as well as members of the public but what can you do; do you arrest somebody and just frame them. You must therefore take all the necessary steps to find the culprits,” Chibita said.

He however revealed that investigations are still ongoing with positive leads to the assailants.

“We are in touch with Police, as you know it is them that are mandated to conduct investigations, we have got nothing conclusive as of now, but I want to assure the public that there are some leads which are very promising that the police is following up.”

Chibita observed that ever since the murder of Kagezi, police has beefed up security of every prosecutor who was assessed to be on high risk of attack.

A Makerere University lecturer this week went up in arms with Prof Mahmood Mamdani, the head of the Makerere University’s Institute of Social Research (MISR) after being ejected from her department office.

Dr. Stella Nyanzi, a lecturer and researcher at the Institute was early last week kicked out of her office by Prof. Mamdani for her refusal to follow the institute’s policies.

In the April 4th eviction letter, Prof Mamdani explained that Dr Nyanzi despite several instructions was the only researcher that refused to take part in the institutes’ PhD Program.

“Regretfully, you are also not a participant in any of the related MISR research programs,” read part of the letter. “I regret this notice asking you to vacate the office you are currently occupying and hand over the keys to the property manager…”

Dr Nyanzi on receiving this notice, rushed to Makerere’s Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, who wrote back asking Mamdani to hold the eviction until the matter is amicably resolved. Mamdani reportedly declined this directive.

Dr Nyanzi protests her eviction

Riding on her remarkable social media clout that she enjoys, Mrs Nyanzi has since spun this seemingly minuscule internal conflict into a major national issue, playing both the gender and race cards.

In a string of Facebook posts, Nyanzi accused Mamdani of trying to avenge his expulsion by President Idi Amin from Uganda on her.

Mamdani is a third generation Ugandan of Indian ancestry. He was born in Mumbai but grew and studied in Masaka and Kampala. Both his parents were born in neighboring Tanzania but relocated to Uganda.

In the 1972 expulsion of Asians decreed by Amin, Mamdani left the country for a refugee camp in England in early November just as the three-month deadline was approaching for people of Asian heritage to leave the country.

In a strong worded social media rant, Dr Nyazi said she was being the “sacrificial lamb.”

She posted, “Mahmood Mamdani is expelling me out of my office just like Idi Amin Dada expelled Asians out of Uganda. I refuse to be the sacrificial lamb to atone for Idi Amin’s evil. Power really gets to some men’s heads!”

In his calm response however, Prof Mamdani tweeted that MISR “doesn’t take institutional decisions on the basis of an individual’s political beliefs.”

Opposition parties have joined hands to unmask a gang of men dressed in black who on Tuesday attacked supporters of FDC former presidential candidate Col Dr Kizza Besigye and beat them up as they followed his car to the party offices in Najjanankumbi.

Despite the plain-clothed masked men standing shoulder-to-shoulder with police officers during the scuffle in town, Police has since denied using them to brutalize opposition activists.

Chimp Reports has learnt that opposition leaders are now holding meetings to mobilize and come up with a way of identifying and counteracting the attackers.

Democratic Party (DP) Presidential press secretary, Fred Mwesigwa revealed that the group having been denied by police would now have to be hunted down by civilians.

“We are in touch with all opposition leaders including; FDC’s Gen. Mugisha Muntu, DP’s Norbert Mao, UPC’s Olara Otunu and Go Forward’s Amama Mbabazi who shall issue a joint statement on the way forward soon,” Mwesigwa revealed.

“We have extensively mobilized able bodied youth to encounter these groups come Tuesday next week,” Mwesigwa noted.

“We have been prompted to revive the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) that gave hard time to police during the Kiboko squad of 2007 in the fight against the giveaway of Mabira Forest.”

Deputy Police spokesperson Polly Namaye said Wednesday that, “We are still investigating the matter. We were not working with anyone on that day to maintain order.”

Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) as of April 2016 has been ranked globally as the 92nd most powerful army, and the 16th on the African continent.

This is according to the latest rankings of the Global Firepower (GFP), a body that provides analytical display of data concerning modern military powers.

The GFP report was based on over 50 factors to determine a given nation’s power index.

“Ranking doesn’t simply rely on the total number of weapons, but focuses on weapon diversity to provide a better balance of fire power,” the report clarified.

The report placed the UPDF’s current active frontline personnel at 45,000 with 2000 reserves, out of 8.5million people who are fit for service.

“The available manpower is a key consideration and nations with large populations tend to rank higher,” the report pointed out.

In the East African Region, UPDF came behind Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) which was ranked Number 75 Globally and 11th in Africa. The Eastern Central Africa Region was dominated by Sudan which was ranked 71st and 8th in Africa, and DRC which came 73^rd and 10th on the continent.

Tanzania came third in the East African region while neighboring Rwanda and Burundi didn’t make it to the list.

Globally the top five most powerful armies according to GFP are United States, Russia, China, India and France while in Africa; it is Egypt (12), Algeria (26), Ethiopia (42), Nigeria (44) and South Africa (46).

While the Ugandan army is highly respected in the region and on the continent for its principally successful work, it was penalized in the GFP ranking for being less self reliant and having a meager defense budget.

UPDF’s internal and foreign missions are largely boosted by western powers, especially the United States and international bodies.

The UPDF annual budget according to the report, currently stands at USD 280million compared to Kenya’s USD 595million.

The national army’s air force was also found insufficient, with a total of only 47 aircraft, (Kenya has  132), 13 inter-coptors, 13 fixed wing attackers, 19 transport aircraft, and 22 helicopters of which only 5 are attackers.

For being a land locked country, Uganda wasn’t penalized for lacking a formidable naval force.

In weighing each country’s fighting strength on paper the GFP report was considering “a large strong fighting force across the land, sea and air, backed by a resilient economy and defensible territory along with an efficient infrastructure.”

Nuclear weapons were not taken into account in these rankings.

“Powers are based on conventional weaponry in inventory as well as other factors such as economic strength, border size, self sustainability in regards to war time resources, etc.”

The Ugandan army is highly regarded for successfully flushing out the Lord’s Resistence Army out of the country and defeating the ADF rebels in Western Uganda as well as several other rebel groups.

The army has also been pivotal in the fight against the Al Shabaab terror group in Somalia and for restoring relative peace in neighboring South Sudan, through a 20 month internal armed conflict.

The UPDF spokesperson Lt Col Paddy Ankunda when contacted to collaborate the findings of the report, said he needed time to study it first.

Controversial Makerere University lecturer Dr Stella Nyanzi has Monday made good on her promise to strip naked if she does not regain her office at Makerere Institute for Social Research (MISR).

The Institute’s director Prof Mahmood Mamdani maintains Nyanzi can only stay in office is she teaches at the facility as promised.

The aged don removed her dress and bras hence exposing her nudity to the full glare of the public.

“My clothes are on the floor. I want my office. If you have locked me out with one padlock…Mamdani, I want my office,” charged Nyanzi after removing her clothes.

She hurled more insults at the respected Harvard-trained researcher.

Observers say this the first time in the history of Makerere University that a female lecturer is exposing her private parts to the public in a strip protest.

“I have thrown my clothes outside Mamdani’s office. I am naked as a I cry out for my office,” she said.

Mamdani, who became director of MISR in 2010, has since laughed at reports that Nyanzi was being persecuted for supporting the opposition.

“Dr. Stella Nyanzi was confirmed in university service in May, 2013, only after she pledged to teach in the PhD programme. She received MISR and university backing for a fellowship at UCT only after a written assurance that she was going to use the time to design a new course to teach in the PhD programme,” said Mamdani.

“Since her appointment at MISR, Dr. Stella Nyanzi has done only private research,” he added.

“So long as she spends her time exclusively on private matters and personal research, MISR can only offer her a seat in at the MISR library. The day she begins teaching in the PhD programme, she will be provided an office by the institution.”

Nyanzi, who hit the limelight at the peak of the 2016 presidential elections during which she used explicit sexual modes of expression to disparage President Museveni and praise Dr Besigye, said on Facebook that “ Mamdani, is evicting me from my office because I refused to teach on his PhD program.”

Opposition Forum for Democratic Change’s four-time Presidential Candidate Col Dr Kizza Besigye has added his voice to those mourning the demise of the former Electoral Commission Chairman Al Hajj Aziz Kasujja who passed away yesterday afternoon.

Kasujja breathed his last on Sunday shortly after arriving at Platinum Hospital in Wandegeya, a Kampala Suburb. He was according to family members, rushed there after he collapsed in the middle of a school meeting in Kawempe.

Hajj Kasujja was in charge of the 2001 presidential elections in which Col Kizza Besigye contested for the first time with his former boss President Yoweri Museveni.

Besigye came second in the race with 29% while the incumbent polled a landslide 69%. Kasujja then retired from the office halfway through his term and gave way for the current EC Chairman Eng. Badru Kiggundu.

When the news came out yesterday evening of Kasujja’s demise, Col Besigye was amongst those who sent out their condolences to the bereaved family.

He said in the message that Kasujja gave his best to deliver fair results of the 2011 poll and described him as “a decent man.”

“Farewell Hajj Aziz Kasujja. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Hajj Aziz was a decent man and did his best in 2001,” tweeted Besigye.

Kasujja is expected to be laid to rest later today in Masaka district.

The Police have condemned the mode of protest exhibited by Dr. Stella Nyanzi a researcher at Makerere University’s Institute of Social Research, through stripping naked in public.

Superintendent Jackson Mucunguzi the Chief Security Officer Makerere said it was regrettable that a learned Professor could strip naked saying it sets a bad example.

“It is true stripping naked is a form of demonstrating peacefully but in the African setting, it is horrible and shaming. It contravenes with our culture,” said the police officer. “She could set a precedent for students to also follow suit.”

Asked about the allegation that Police didn’t offer protection when Dr. Stella needed it, Mucunguzi denied the claim saying they had no knowledge about it.

“We received information this morning that a certain Professor was threatening to undress in protest. As it seems, they (Stella and Mamdani) are fighting over space.”

“She didn’t inform us as police about her oppression. She alleges we side with Mamdani (the head of the institute who locked her out) but that’s not true because police protects everyone including her. If anything as you can see we came here to protect her and now her office is open.”

Dr. Stella Nyanzi’s office has since been opened following her protest together with students of MISR.

Mucunguzi said the Police will get the official communication from University on whether permanent or temporary.

We condemn injustice but we equally condemn the act of such extreme public protest. Prof. Edward Kirumira the Principal College of Humanities said the issue will be handled internally after which the university will release a formal statement.

Makerere students pursuing Ethics and Human Rights have Monday morning held a protest contesting the attempt by the Administration to scrap off the course in the ongoing course review process.

If approved, the move will see the course which has been running for 5 years scrapped off and made into a subject. The course has been under the Department of Philosophy in the School of Liberal and Performing Arts.

Chimpreports spoke to some students participating in the protest who expressed dissatisfaction saying the move is unnecessary.

Noah Ahimbisibwe a 2nd year student referred to it as gross violation of human rights adding that it is a direct decision by government to suppress the voices of Ugandans.

“The course underwent an approval process prior to its establishment. On what grounds then can the same people scrap off the course?”

“I think this is government retaliation to the recent demonstration by Ethics and Human Rights students against the illegal arrest by (Kizza) Besigye. If Ministers like Byandala still possess ethics, that shows you the problem at hand,” argued Ahimbisibwe.

Kaana Phillaner who’s also a student said that with the rate at which human rights are being violated globally, removing such a course would be a blander.

Both of them argued that many Ugandans remain ignorant of these rights and such a course is a way of championing awareness.

Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof Dumba Sentamu while responding to the issue said the University undertook to review courses a year ago.

“Reviewing programs is a normal process done world over and a year ago a committee was set up to do this. It’s for the good of the students and Uganda at large.

Makerere University students protests barefooted outside the Main building 

Last Thursday, the committee gave a report in which 33 programs are supposed to be scrapped and others merged. BA Ethics and Human Rights will turn into subject.

” The VC said the decision had been reached with the consensus of College leadership and the Committee.

“We think it’s wise for this program to be taught across the board for various courses. However we haven’t agreed with students. I will present matter with council.”

In response of students’ fear of hindering their employability, Prof Dumba said this won’t in any way stop students from getting jobs.

“The Degrees acquired will still be relevant despite change of programs. People who studied from Makerere in the 90s still use their documents to get jobs yet most programs have since changed.

Makerere University has described this morning’s shocking protest by one of their academic staff, Dr. Stella Nyanzi as regrettable.

On Monday morning, Makerere University’s Institute of Social Research attracted media attention after Dr. Nyanzi stripped naked in front of cameras protesting the oppression and illegal closure of her work
premises by her boss, Prof. Mahmood Mamdani.

The Vice Chancellor Makerere University Prof. Ddumba Sentamu told journalists at a news conference shortly after that the university condemns strongly the act of undressing in public.

“Much as this was her way of expressing her concerns, but we condemn the nudity displayed and we don’t condone it in any way.”

The Vice Chancellor explained that the university has learned of the contention between the two parties (Dr. Nyanzi and Prof. Mamdani) and a process will be initiated to resolve it.

“On Friday, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Barbanas Nawangwe wrote a letter to Mamdani asking that Dr. Stella Nyanzi retains her office but maybe he hadn’t received it.”

Regarding the morality of the nude protest, the Vice Chancellor said he will invite Dr. Nyanzi for a discussion.

“As a university, we are going to set up a committee to establish what the existing issues at MISR are. I cannot begin to condemn either of the two parties before getting a clear understanding of the
situation.”

Dr. Stella Nyanzi has since the Monday protest been granted access to her office following directives from the University Administration.

Police in Mbarara on Monday evening rushed to block FDC’s Col. Dr Kizza Besigye and his group, who were traveling to Kabale district for a court session which commences Tuesday morning.

Hundreds of his supporters poured on the streets to catch a glimpse of the opposition strongman who was last in the area in early February on his presidential campaign trail.

FDC supporters beat up a man who was wearing a yellow T shirt in the crowd

Besigye was travelling with the Kampala Lord Mayor Elias Lukwago, Kawempe South MP elect Mubarak Munyagwa and Imam Makumbi, all of who are accused of disobeying police orders during one of their rallies in Kabale back in 2012.

The group was momentarily blocked by Mbarara Police as scores of people halted traffic flow on the streets.

For some minutes Police blocked Besigye’s passage

After a brief scuffle with the crowd which hurled stones at the anti riot police, Besigye was cleared to proceed to Kabale.

Earlier while speaking to press at Grand Hotel in Mbarara, Besigye described the current government as a failed one, noting that it has lost all popularity.

Besigye addressing press at Grand Hotel in Mbarara

“There is not a regime in Uganda’s history which has lost popularity like this current one,” he said.

He urged his supporters to remain firm, assert themselves and continue staging demonstrations to maintain pressure on government.

Security has been beefed up in Kabale a head of the case in which FDC Presidential Candidate Col Dr Kizza Besigye and Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago are expected to appear before the Kabale chief magistrate’s court.

Besigye, Lukwago and a team from Kampala arrived in the south western district on Monday evening.

The two, together with Kawempe South MP Mubarak Munyagwa are accused of inciting violence that led to the injuring of four police officers and damaging of three police vehicles in 2012.

Others are FDC Chief Mobilizer Ingrid Turinawe, Roland Kaginda Mugume the Rukungiri municipality MP and Imam Makumbi the Western Uganda DP Vice President of the Democratic Party.

Sentaro Byamugisha the Kabale district FDC secretary general and mayor elect for Kabale municipality says that before going to court, the six opposition leaders will first attend the weekly Tuesday prayers at the FDC offices in Kabale town at 8am and then proceed to  court at 9am.

The leaders are accused of inciting violence on 14th July 2012 while addressing a 4GC rally in Kabale municipal stadium that ended in to running battles between police and the locals.

Police stopped the supporters who had turned up from marching to Kisoro road through Garage Street which led to a chaos that resulted in to the injuring of four police officers and damaging three police vehicles.

Students at the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR) on Monday joined Dr. Stella Nyanzi in demonstration against what they termed as oppression and reign of threat imposed by the Institute’s head Prof. Mahmood Mamdani.

The group of students told the press that Prof. Mamdani’s actions have in the past led several of their colleagues to lose scholarships and others getting low grades that don’t match with their performance.

Sabatho Nyamsenda a third year PhD student at MISR while speaking to Chimpreports revealed that students who have come out to oppose the administration have been intimidated or suffered unnecessary repercussions.

“Some of the students have not been given supervisors for their thesis and others lost scholarships in very dubious ways. The institute lacks structures and policies have been changed eventually raising minimum points.”

Nyamsenda added that students previously had representation on the Academic Board of MISR but their slots have since scrapped.

Dr. Stella Nyanzi whose office was locked by Prof. Mahmood Mamdani last week

Bernard Bacha lost a scholarship due to his firm stand against the way affairs were being run while he was a Sports and Entertainment leader.

“When I lost the scholarship, I appealed through the College of Humanities and Social Sciences for a review process but it was ignored. As a result I was evicted from my room of residence. This protest isn’t about just Dr. Nyanzi but students too,” Bacha told journalists

Among other concerns by students is the wide scale exodus of the teaching staff at MISR and the mass recruitment of new instructors who lack background to the issues affecting the institute. Students claim that this has affected their efforts to challenge the status quo.

Noosim Naimasiah, a fifth year PhD student at MISR

She attests to the fact that most students enrolled at the Institute drawing inspiration from Prof. Mamdani’s works and his unwavering position against political oppression.

“However, he has since changed. He’s no longer the Mamdani that advocated for justice for all. He reigns with fear and everybody now is scared of being victimized,” Naimasiah explained to journalists.

While on the surface, the weeklong MISR controversy appears to be majorly tied on Dr. Stella Nyanzi and her senior, Prof. Mamdani, the concerns raised by students point to a broader possible problem. An institutional breakdown where there’s seemingly persisted absence of a hierarchy of administration.

Our efforts to reach Prof. Mamdani both physically and on phone were fruitless.

The university Vice Chancellor on Monday in response to the issue said a committee was to be formed to investigate into the issues surrounding MISR.

High Court justice Wilson Musene Masalu has on Tuesday morning set sodomy convict and former Cranes manager Chris Mubiru free after faulting the magistrate’s court of wrongly convicting him.

Buganda road court chief magistrate Lilian Buchana last year had convicted Mubiru and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment after being found guilty of sodomy. The convict was also ordered pay Shs 50million to the victim.

Mubiru this year appealed at the High court against the sentence, saying the trial magistrate erred when he considered evidence from a video which had not been tendered in court.

In his judgment on Tuesday morning, Justice Masalu ruled further that it was wrong for the victim not to report to police, having been sodomized in 2009 and waited in 2013 when many years had already passed.

“He should have done it when it was still hot and not in 2013 to pastor Solomon Male,” the judge said.

The judge further noted that there should have been a medical report to help corroborate the evidence of the victim as required by law, adding that its absence meant the evidence was very weak and could not be considered while convicting the suspect.

On the videos, the High Court judge said this evidence was a waste of court’s time because none of those filmed as victims had complained in court.

“I find and hold that the trial magistrate failed to evaluate evidence and wrongfully convicted the appellant .I therefore set aside the sentence by the trial court and set the appellant free,” he said.

The embattled head of Makerere University’s Institute of Social Research (MISR) Prof Mahmood Mamdani has vowed not to cooperate with an investigations committee appointed to resolve a conflict that he is entangled in with one of his research fellows, Dr Stella Nyanzi.

The standoff yesterday hit the boiling point when Dr Nyanzi staged a nude protest at the Institute, over her eviction by Prof. Mamdani from her officer.

Following the incident that shocked the university and sparked a wild debate on social media, Makerere’s Vice Chancellor Prof Ddumba Sentamu promised to set up an Investigation Committee to look into the matter. The committee would be reporting to him as the head of the university’s administratve arm.

In a statement issued this morning, Prof Mamdani said he would not comply or cooperate with the committee, stating that the VC has a conflict of interest in the matter.

“The Vice Chancellor lacks the moral authority and objectivity to set up and provide oversight for such a Committee. He is partisan and has a clear conflict of interest due to his close family relationship with Dr. Stella Nyanzi,” said Mamdani.

He added that the Ssentamu would have to exclude himself from the entire process.

Mamdani accused the VC of “encouraging, fomenting and prolonging insubordination of both Dr. Nyanzi and a few graduate students of MISR, all of whom have been increasingly emboldened by what they see as the support towards their cause from the highest office in this institution.

Below is the Full Statement:

The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. John Ddumba Ssentamu, yesterday circulated a memo on the Makerere University webmail setting up an Investigation Committee into MISR.

The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University has set up a Committee that will report to him. The Vice Chancellor lacks the moral authority and objectivity to set up and provide oversight for such a Committee. He is partisan and has a clear conflict of interest due to his close family relationship with Dr. Stella Nyanzi. The VC should exclude himself from the process. This would allow the Committee to conduct it’s work in an impartial manner as well as to look into the VC’s own conduct, in particular, the extent of the VC’s involvement in encouraging, fomenting and prolonging insubordination of both Dr. Nyanzi and a few graduate students of MISR, all of whom have been increasingly emboldened by what they see as the support towards their cause from the highest office in this institution; and the basis and accuracy of allegations the VC presented before the Appointments Board over the last few months to bolster his case against the PhD programme at MISR and the renewal of the Director’s contract.

Incredibly, the terms of the Committee are totally silent about the events of Monday morning, events which have radically changed the situation at MISR and adversely affected MISR’s position in the academic world. Dr. Stella Nyanzi defaced walls, vandalized property, hurled insults at the leadership of MISR and intimidated MISR staff and students, all of this with impunity. No self-respecting academic will want to come to MISR if these circumstances continue. The best students will look for alternatives. Donors will look for other places to put their money. Until yesterday, we had demanded that Dr. Nyanzi teach in the doctoral programme. Now, the presence of Dr. Nyanzi threatens the very survival of the PhD program. Rather than teach in the PhD program, Dr. Nyanzi should be transferred to any other unit in the University that will accept her.

Instead of dealing with the events of Monday morning, the Committee’s stated terms of reference include: investigating the genesis of the matter as well as evaluating the extent of the misunderstanding; ascertaining the working conditions at MISR; the reporting and assignment structure of staff; the extent to which the staff mentioned above [Dr. Nyanzi and Professor Mamdani] are disrupting each other’s mandates and claims that the space at the Institute is occupied by non-members of the University Staff.

The Management of MISR was not consulted prior to constituting these terms of reference. We find these terms of reference partial, selective, and prejudicial. They are stacked to investigate the management of MISR and not Dr. Nyanzi, to investigate the director and divert attention from the events of Monday morning that have created an explosive crisis at MISR. The terms completely sidestep the issues at stake – the very survival of the MPhil/PhD program – and will not address the impunity and insubordination that has led us to this point. They read more like terms of reference for an inquisition seeking to rationalize pre-determined conclusions. Any impartial Committee would want to investigate the circumstances under which Dr. Nyanzi has continued to be paid as a civil servant without discharging her official duties and responsibilities as assigned by her unit head and how her continued insubordination and flagrant flouting of Makerere University regulations has consistently gone unpunished.

Yesterday, for instance, contrary to University regulations, Dr. Nyanzi, four students and a research assistant held a press conference with NTV crew in her office at MISR. It is lamentable that the University’s leadership has busied itself with setting up a witch- hunting committee as MISR’s PhD program is being dismantled before TV cameras and social media. If the program is to be killed, let it be killed in broad daylight. At least, then, the Ugandan people will know who to hold responsible for this tragic outcome.

With all of the above in mind, the MISR Management will not cooperate with the current Investigation Committee instituted by the VC, who has a vested interest in the outcome of the investigation, and who, given his recent maneuvers to circumvent specific MISR initiatives, cannot suddenly be seen to place MISR’s and the University’s interests above those of his kin, Dr. Nyanzi. The prerequisite to addressing the present situation is three- fold: one, to set up a truly impartial consultative (rather than investigatory) process; two, to transfer Dr. Nyanzi from MISR, given her well-documented insistence that she will not teach in the PhD programme or participate in institutional research at MISR, but immediately to send Dr. Nyanzi for a month long leave with the understanding that she will not return to the Institute for any reason; and, three, to consult all constituencies (students, academic staff, management) in the process that follows and do it only after the new semester begins in mid-May.

Former National Resistance Movement Deputy Treasurer Singh Katongole has been rushed out of the country with a severe heart ailment Chimpreports has learnt.

Katongole who failed on two attempts to represent Rubaga North Constituency in Parliament developed a heart attack over the weekend.

According to reports, he was yesterday rushed to India for treatment. Details on the development were still scanty by publication time as the NRM spokesperson Ofwono Opondo was unavailable for comments.

Singh Katongole’s close friend and State Minister for Housing Sam Engola when reached, he said he was unaware of the development as he had just arrived in the country from Mumbai. Incidentally, Katongole was flown to the same Indian city for treatment.

However, Katongole’s brother who asked not to be named confirmed that the former NRM treasurer was indeed unwell.

“I cannot tell you much other than the fact that he is sick, and he is being treated. I am not his spokesperson,” he said. When pushed to say something about Katongole’s condition he hung up the phone.

Organizers spearheading the drive to help raise funds for Carol Atuhairwe who’s battling cancer have asked the public to continued support for her treatment.
In a news conference held on Tuesday at Panamera Bar, the lead organizer Muhereza Kyamutetera requested well wishers to participate in the car wash slated for Saturday 23 at Panamera parking lot.

“The exercise will begin at 10am in the morning and each car will be washed at a cost of Ugshs 50,000. We ask individuals and organizations to help participate in washing and also with washing materials like buckets,” Kyamutetera told journalists.

The drive has been undertaking several other channels to raise money including; Mobile money drive, auctioning T-shirts, watches and a social media campaign among others.

Kyamutetera said that of the Ugshs 270M required for Carol Atuheirwe’s treatment in USA, so far Ugshs 117,837,400 has been raised implying that Ugshs is still 152M remaining.

“She needs to be flown to the US at University of Cleveland, Ohio where she’ll undergo construction of her throat as well as examine whether there’s any cancer left in her.”

Agnes Mugyizi, the mother of the patient thanked Ugandans for their kindness in making sure her daughter receives treatment and gets relieved of the pain.

She narrated that Atuheirwe fell ill in 2011 and started spitting blood at which point the doctor suspected cancer and referred her to Mengo. Unfortunately at Mengo, they couldn’t find the cancer.

Carol Atuheirwe’s mother, Agnes Mugyizi (C) speaks to journalists with Muhereza Kyamutetera (L) the lead organizer of the fundraising drive

“Breathing became hard and we moved to various clinics and hospitals to establish the problem. In May 2012 she was opened up, a sample taken and she was diagnosed with malignant cancer. However since she was almost completing her studies at university, we decided she’s get treatment after,” she said.

On the very last day she was sitting her last paper, Carol got admitted at Mulago where diagnosis indicated negative for cancer and she was discharged for a year.

In 2013, 3 different samples were examined in different hospitals all of which showed that she had cancer.

She has been receiving radiotherapy treatment at Mulago but her mother says this did a big damage on Carol.

“I believe the radiotherapy machine had already broken down through her treatment. Much as it helped burn the tumor in her throat, it also burnt her right shoulder all through her chest.”

Atuheirwe’s esophagus would later fall off and a tube fixed on her throat through which she feeds. For this reason, she can’t speak.

The mother says that Atuhirwe recollects a total of 36 surgeries she has undergone all together including plastic surgery to reconstruct her chest body which had been burnt.

“Her state is very painful even for me who’s used to her but she’s strong and has faced it boldly. It’s surprising that she affords to do jewelry, knitting, bed covers and watches even while she’s bed
ridden,” said the mother.

Financial support for her treatment has come from some government officials, organizations, churches old students, celebrities and individuals from as far as USA, Canada, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Celebrities who have confirmed participation in Saturday’s car wash include Bobi Wine, Salvador, Coco Finger, Ruyonga, MC Kele Kele, Nince Henry, Miss Tourism, Daniel Omara and MC Kapale

Police this afternoon used pepper spray to arrest Forum for Democratic Change Politician Col Dr Kizza Besigye who was returning from a court hearing in Kabale town.

Besigye was in the south western district together with Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Kawempe MP Mubarak Munyagwa and other opposition leaders to answer to a 2012 case before the Kabale Magistrates Court.

From court, Besigye was intercepted by police a Rwamucucu as he headed to his home district of Rukungiri. Police reportedly said Besigye tried to sneak into the district and was arrested because he would cause security problems there.

Besigye’s car was mounted on Police truck and towed to Rukungiri Police satiation amidst heavy rains.

At the station Besigye revealed through twitter, that Police broke into his car spayed pepper spray to force him and the other passengers out.

“My vehicle has now been broken into and pepper spray pumped in it! Barely holding out. Lord Mayor and Munyagwa are already in police van,” he tweeted. “Spray was pumped from sunroof!”

Reports later in the evening indicated that Besigye, Lukwago were arrested together with a Daily Monitor reporter identified as Perez Rumanzi.

Forum for the Democratic Party supporters remain strong and hopeful that through their weekly prayers they will overthrow the current NRM government.

Party supporters in Mbarara emphasized this during their weekly Free my Vote campaign prayers at the party offices along Markhan Singh Street.

Engineer Bukabeba Omugishagwaruhanga who led the day’s prayer session said that for as long as the FDC supporters remained peaceful and devoted to prayer, the long desired change of Government would soon come.

“Our defiance can only succeed with God’s guidance through prayer, not protests and acts of violence; we are condemning all those throwing stones at police, we don’t need guns to take over power after all we don’t have them, but by the power of the Lord we can,” he said.

Engineer Bukabeba Omugishagwaruhanga led yesterday’s prayers

“Police officers and the army also need our prayers, they need treatment when they fall sick, they need their children to study from good schools and get jobs.”

Bukabeba added that the power of God was already manifesting itself in the NRM government and President Yoweri Museveni.

“You have heard him recently confessing what he has failed to do for the country; he is being convicted by God.”

The preacher thus urged party supporters to remain defiant but entirely peaceful noting that the biblical Shadrach Meshach and Abednego won by defiance and not compliance.

Bukabeba urged the FDC youths not to join armed rebel groups to bring about change, but seek for God’s intervention and that He would answer their prayers.

“Our God who reigns and who answers does not stay in the bush; Besigye, Muntu and the rest joined the bush but we are now with them seeking for justice from God.” he said

Forum for Democratic Change’s Col Dr Kizza was last night forcefully driven back to Kampala by police from his home town of Rukungiri, following a flopped court hearing in neighboring Kabale district.

Besigye was in the south western district together with Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Kawempe MP Mubarak Munyagwa, FDC mobilizer Ingrid Turinawe and other opposition leaders to answer to a 2012 case before the Kabale Magistrates Court.

After the Magistrate failed to show up for the hearing, Besigye essayed to spend the rest of Tuesday at his home in Rukungiri but police would not permit that.

Besigye and his group was intercepted at the Kabale-Rukungiri border and dragged to Rukungiri police where they were sprayed with pepper, apparently for get them out of their cars.

Besigye revealed yesterday that his car was broken into and pepper spray pumped inside through the sunroof.

At the station later in the evening, Besigye, the Lord Mayor and the group were forced into a police van and driven back to Kampala.

Besigye revealed Wednesday morning that he was dropped at his house at around 11:30pm, and that he was feeling unwell following the Rukungiri scuffle.

He revealed he had sore eyes from the pepper spray and that his throat and chest hurt.

“Our broken vehicles were handed back to the drivers at night. They are now on the way to Kampala,” he added.

The Kigezi regional police spokesperson Elly Maate was quoted yesterday as stating that Besigye could not be permitted to proceed to his home district because he would cause security problems there.

Besigye was in April  2001 admitted for a week at Nairobi Hospital after he was near blinded by pepper spray in the heat of the infamous walk to work protests in Kampala.

In the same protests Besigye was shot in the hand with what police said was a rubber bullet.