UNCERTAINTIES AS UGANDANS ARE KILLED IN DRC.

There is uncertainty over plans to retrieve the bodies of Ugandans allegedly shot dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo on New Year’s Day.

Five people were reportedly buried in a mass grave after they were killed by Congolese army in Ihungu area near Kasindi town in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Most of them are said to be Ugandans.

A source at the Congolese border with Uganda says the victims were found with guns and wearing a military attire which made the army suspicious of their mission.

Notable among the dead is Mr. Deogracious Kyoghero who has been a teacher at Bwera secondary school in Kasese district. He also served for one year as deputy minister for local administration in charge of documentation in the Rwenzururu Kingdom.

The rest of the team is yet to be identified but it is reported they all had Congolese identifications.

Kasese district Chairman LC V Lt. Col.Mawa Muhindo says it is “uncertain” that the bodies of these people can be retrieved from the DRC to be accorded a decent burial because of the diplomatic issues around their death.

Lt. Col. Mawa who has been very close to the Congolese army commanders following his active service in the army a few years back on January 3, 2013 tried to intervene on receiving the news that people from Kasese have been killed in DRC.

It is reported, upon killing the team, they were found with fire arms and clad in military attire of an unidentified force and with Congolese citizen’s identity cards.

“It is uncertain that we as Ugandans authorities can convince the Congolese government to exhume the bodies and bury them in Uganda. Their mission is not known at all and no one can tell what they went to do in DRC, therefore any attempts can cause diplomatic tensions”. Lt. Col. Mawa said.

There are allegations in the DRC that the group might have been on a criminal mission or trying to join negative forces fighting the government of President Joseph Kabila.

There are quite a number of militia groups fighting the Congolese government from the eastern part most especially the Mai Mai that has routes in the Ituri region. Also the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces have continuously announced that remnants of the Allied Democratic Forces have been regrouping in the DRC with an aim of re-attacking Uganda.

The UPDF is yet to make a statement on the matter with the 305 brigade spokesperson Lt. Ninsiima Rwemizuma saying the “information is still scanty at the moment”.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kyoghero’s family in Kitholhu sub-county that neighbors the DRC on Saturday held funeral rights in honour of their fallen son.

A family elder Mr. Simon Baluku said that the family had nothing to do but to hold prayers and funeral rights because it was already confirmed their son died in “unknown circumstances”.

NGO PASSES COMPUTERS TO CONGOLESE COUNTERPARTS

Rwenzori Agriculture Diversification Promotion Organization (RWADIPO) has passed on a chance of benefiting from the computer aid to civil society organizations in eastern democratic republic of Congo following a ban on importation of second hand computers to Uganda.

RWADIPO a nongovernmental organization based in Kasese district have been benefiting from computer donations from Gerry Georgatos in Australia and supply them to schools and individuals trying to enhance their computer skills.

By the time the government of Uganda slapped a ban on importation of second hand computers three years ago, four hundred computers had been secured and a consignment of about three hundred more had reached Mombasa port in Kenya.

An official from RWADIPO Sulait Kule says that they have taken a decision to pass on the opportunity to the Bayira community in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo through the Lubiriha based NGO called Development for Urban and Rural Communities in DRC.

Kule said that by April this year, a consignment of three hundred computers and one hundred wheel chairs will have been shipped into the Democratic Republic of Congo to the beneficiaries that will have expressed interest.

The computer Aid project of RWADIPO started in 2006 with an aim of using an Australian partnership to develop computer skills in the Rwenzori region.

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SECURITY GUARD HELD OVER POSSESSION OF FAKE DOLLARS

Police in Kasese are holding a security officer attached to Group 4 Security Company for attempting to circulate fake American dollars.

The officer in charge of Criminal Investigations Godwin Tumugumye said that Justus Mulengwa guarding in Hima Town council was arrested from the Stanbic Bank Kasese branch while trying to exchange two thousand seven hundred fake dollars.

Tumugumye said that the 27 year-old Mulengwa was arrested following a tipoff from a bank teller who detected the fake dollars.

On interrogation, Mulengwa told police that he was given the dollars by his brother a boda boda motorcyclist claiming to have found then along the Kikonzo-Kihyo road in Hima town council.

Police is still hunting for the boda boda motorcyclist who is said to be on the run.

In a related development, three people are under detention for allegedly stealing one thousand dollars from the home of the Director of Kagando Rural Development Center Rev.Can. Benson Baguma.

The OC/CID identified two of those detained as John Balinda and his daughter Doreen Biira all residents of Nyabirongo village in Kisinga sub-county. Police could not identify the third suspect because of security purposes.

It is reported that on January 2^nd, 2013, money totaling to one thousand dollars went missing in the bag of Margaret Kabugho who had visited Rev. Can. Benson Baguma for the New Year’s Day celebrations.

Tumugumye said that Doreen Biira who has been a dependant in Rev. Can. Baguma’s home had picked the money and taken it to her father before the old man was arrested while trying to exchange it in Kasese town.

Tumugumye said that investigations into the two incidents are ongoing and suspects will be taken to court to answer charges of circulating fake money and theft respectively.  END.

MUMBERE SACKS CLOSEST MINISTER OVER STEALING MONEY FROM STATE HOUSE.

In what is looked at as the “last kick” on corrupt officials in the Rwenzururu Kingdom, King Charles Wesley Mumbere on January 3 sacked one of his closest ministers over alleged fraud.

Mr. Erisania Isingoma Cameroon was relieved of his duties as Minister in charge of special duties in the office of the King and special envoy to State house for allegedly misappropriating about Shs 30M meant for King Mumbere’s medication.

A source from within the palace claims that King Mumbere has requested for SHS 70M from State House to cater for his medication abroad in November and Mr. Isingoma was to collect the cash and hand it over to the King.

At least SHS 50M was approved by State House financial comptroller but on November 10, 2012 Mr. Isingoma only delivered Shs 21M that the King used to seek medication in South Africa.

“Following your financial dishonesty into the missing of funds to the tune of Ushs 30700000 which was intended for the treatment of His Majesty Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere Irema-Ngoma abroad which you never passed and only handed Ushs.21M as government facilitation for the medical treatment abroad.

I hereby invoke the powers entrusted to me by the constitution of the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu to relieve you of your duties as minister for special duties with immediate effect in order to allow investigations and proper recovery of the stolen money goes well”. King Mumbere said in his letter dated January 3.

Mumbere has also directed Mr. Isingoma to write a handover report and submit it to his office within seven days and then refund the missing funds without delay.

Mr. Isingoma who has served as a principal private secretary to the King and Minister in charge of protocol before did not comment saying he is still loyal to the King and the entire Kingdom administration.

Sources in the Kingdom say, Mr. Isingoma has survived the axe for a long time “for no good reason” because he has been part of a group of ministers that have been involving in corruption tendencies.

He is the only minister among those that were accused of receiving campaign funds from the National Resistance Movement during the 2011 general elections.  Five other ministers were sacked in the 2011 reshuffle with subjects claiming it was a result of their involvement in partisan politics.

Mr. Isingoma’s sacking comes nearly three months after returning from a two months leave that he took to campaign for Ms. Rehema Muhindo the NRM candidate in the August 8 by-elections for the Kasese woman MP.

The Nongovernmental organizations coordinator in the Rwenzururu Kingdom Mr. Samson Nzoboli described Mr. Isingoma’s sacking as the last kick on corrupt officials in the Kingdom.

 “The Omusinga (King) had even delayed to act because these people led by Isingoma have derailed the Kingdom’s developments through corruption. He has even survived for too long”. Mr. Nzoboli said.

Mr. Nzoboli said that they are not only the NGOs that will fight corruption in the Rwenzori region but also the hand of the cultural institutions by shaping the morals of both cultural institutions officials and government officials.

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FIVE KASESE RESIDENTS SHOT DEAD AND BURRIED IN DRC

Kasese district local government has entered negotiations with Congolese government officials in Ituri Province seeking to retrieve bodies of five Ugandans shot dead across the border.

Throught Thursday, there were reports in Kasese that two residents were shot and buried in the DRC on News Years day in unknown circumstances.

Kasese district Chairman Lt. Col. Mawa Muhindo on receiving the information crossed to the DRC town of Kasindi where it was confirmed they were killed.

Lt. Col. Mawa quouted a Congolese army official as saying that the five had crossed into the country with military attire and armed with guns which threatened security in an area where a number of militia groups of operate.

 Notably among the dead that were buried in one grave is Rwenzururu Kingdom deputy minister of Local Administration and Mobilization Mr. Deogracious Kyoghero.

Kyoghero was also a teacher at Bwera secondary school in Mpondwe-Lubiriha town council a border town with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The district chairman said it was not yet clear whether the team that has been known as civilians had gone on a criminal mission in the DRC.

The Uganda Peoples Defense Forces 305 brigade Public Relations Officer Lt. Ninsiima Rwemizuma was not available for a comment. END