The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) Secretary General David Kabanda has told daily monitor that his civic organization were not happy with President Museveni’s new cabinet explaining that a number of their members have been demoted by being deployed in dry ministries.
Kabanda gave the example of Kiryowa Kiwanuka and Haruna Kasolo who were removed from the office of the Attorney General and Minister for Microfinance respectively
Kabanda explained that both Kiwanuka and Kasolo have been instrumental in financing PLU activities and they have been using their offices to mobilize support but they were deployed to dry ministries where they could fail to advance the PLU cause.
Highly placed State House sources revealed to Ono Bwino that for the last three months, Museveni has been making changes in his cabinet to avoid being predicted.
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Sources said that Museveni surprised Deep State members who did not expect him to announce his cabinet the day he did because they had information that he was still consulting and seeking different opinions.
Among those who got the opportunity to look into Museveni’s cabinet list hours to its release was Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba the Chief Of Defence Forces (CDF) and also the Senior Presidential Advisor in charge of Special Operations who was shocked to see that Kiryowa Kiwanuka was dropped from the Office of the Attorney General.
Sources said that Gen Muhoozi pleaded with Museveni to at least deploy Kiwanuka at the Ministry of Defence to work with him insisting that their government still needs him.
“I congratulate my brother Honorable Kiryowa Kiwanuka on being appointed as Minister of Defense. We shall work together. I thank Mzee for this good appointment. Asante sana Mzee,” Gen Muhoozi stated on his X handle
Kiwanuka’s demotion not only shocked Gen Muhoozi but also the legal fraternity especially judicial officers and staff of the judiciary and leadership at Mengo establishment
“But for me, I was not surprised with Kiryowa Kiwanuka’s demotion because there were signs that the President was not happy with his guidance, especially issues concerning the judiciary. One tale tell signs of the President’s dissatisfaction was the appointment of Justice Kazibwe Kawumi as the deputy chief justice instead of Justice Musa Ssekaana,” a senior judge of the Court of Appeal said
He added that before Justice Kawumi’s appointment, Justice Ssekaana boasted that he was the deputy chief justice in waiting especially after the promotion of Justice Dr Flavian Zeija as Justice Owiny Dollo’s successor.
Sources said that Ssekaana was very sure that with Kiwanuka’s influence, his promotion was a done deal but he was shocked to miss out.
However, Ono Bwino cannot independently confirm that Kiwanuka supported Sekaana’s candidature
Ono Bwino has learnt that Mengo establishment under the leadership of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi recommended Kiwanuka for the position of the Prime Minister and Nankabirwa as the alternative.
State House sources said that even though Museveni loves Kiwanuka, he has been receiving a lot of complaints from veteran lawyers including personal friends against Kiwanuka especially on blocking their juicy government deals.
Ono Bwino has learnt that a number of private practicing lawyers were not happy with Kiwanuka’s decision to stop the payment of claimants demanding money from government on the lawyer’s bank accounts and straight to their individual bank accounts which caused them a lot of losses because clients runaway after receiving government money.
Government lawyers especially those practicing with the Attorney General’s chambers were also not happy with Kiwanuka’s leadership style especially on assessing their performance and having a final say on how they handle court matters against the Attorney General.
Even though a section of lawyers were happy with Kiwanuka’s demotion as Kabanda stated when he was talking to Monitor, the appointment of Mayanja who is also a longtime personal lawyer to Museveni has also scared a number of judicial officers who are predicting that the good relations between the judiciary top leadership and Attorney General’s Chambers will be affected.
Ono Bwino has learnt that on several occasions in cabinet, Mayanja clashed with Kiwanuka especially on issues concerning billions of money government was paying to Buganda Kingdom as rent from their buildings insisting those properties are owned by the government of Uganda not Buganda Kingdom,
Kiwanuka also blocked Mayanja’s proposal on amending laws concerning mailo land. Mayanja insisted that these laws were the only way to stop land eviction in Buganda and sources claim that it is one of the reasons why Museveni deployed Mayanja in the Attorney General’s chambers.
Buganda Kingdom Attorney General Owekitiibwa Christopher Bwanika, a seasoned lawyer declined to comment on Mayanja’s appointment noting the Kingdom leadership is still studying the situation.
