SUSPECTED REBELS ATTACK MUHOKYA POLICE POST, KILL COP

A group of people suspected to be rebels raided Muhokya police post in Kasese district early this morning killing a policeman and injuring another.

The attackers also took off with a fire arm grabbed from the deceased police constable.

Three of the attackers were also killed by police officers in retaliation.

The Uganda Peoples Defense Forces have for a while been claiming the presence of Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels regrouping from about fifty kilometers from the Ugandan border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Armed with machetes and spears, the unknown men attacked the police post five kilometers from Kasese town at 6:00 am according to a special police constable Enos Lhusenge who battled with them.

Lhusenge told reporters that he was in the kitchen preparing porridge for breakfast when two men armed with spears and machetes attack the post.

According to Lhusenge, the police officers locked themselves inside the house before the attackers convinced the Officer in Charge of the post whom they injured.

OC Levy Sunday is admitted at Kilembe hospital after being injured by stubbing several times on the neck.

The dead police officer was only identified as SPC Semakula who was recently transferred in the area.

Semakula was killed about three hundred meters from the police post as he was pursuing one of the attackers.

The dead attackers wearing blue trousers and dirk jackets were not easily identified by security personnel by press time.

Some of the residents of Muhokya who rushed to the scene after gunshots said the police officer was killed after a long battle with the assailant.

They said the attacker wore a green t-shirt but he was later seen in a red shirt, holding a gun and headed in the direction of the Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Kasese Resident District Commissioner Lt. Milton Odongo said a mobile phone and some documents have been recovered from the killed attackers.

Lt. Odongo said the men showed an act of rebellion by attacking a police post but not the community.

He refuted claims linking the attack to the recent uprising between the Bakonzo and the Basongora over the installation of Ivan Bwebale as King in Muhokya.

Police and army have deployed heavily in Muhokya in pursuit of the rest of the attackers who took away with a gun.

The Officer in Charge of Kasese Central Esau Opio said there was no preliminary information concerning which group of people should have attacked the police post.

END.

KASESE WOMAN MP BY-ELECTIONS CAMPAIGNS START

Campaigns for the Kasese woman parliamentary seat by-elections started on Monday with the four candidates traversing across the district to seek for votes.

Four candidates were nominated for the August 8 by-elections ordered by the court of appeal on June 4 on grounds of non compliance with electoral laws by the electoral commission.

Independent candidate Betty Kayezu who was romoured to have pulled out of the race under unknown circumstances spent her day in Katwe-Kabatoro town council in Busingora County South where as Democratic Party’s Rosemary Masika had rallies in Nyakiyumbu and Karambi sub-counties in Bukonzo County west.

FDC’s Winfred Kiiza accompanied by party president Dr. Kizza Besigye campaign in Kisinga and Kyalhumba sub-counties in Bukonzo county East where as her main rival Rehema Muhindo of NRM campaigned in Kitswamba sub-county and Hima town council in Busongor County North.

Campaigning for Muhindo were defense Minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, Busongora South MP Boaz Kafuda, Kasese Municipality MP James Mbahimba and Kasese district chairman Lt.Col. Mawa Muhindo.

Ms. Muhindo runner up of the 2011 elections addressed issues of standardizing education and improving on the maternal health in the district.

“If you elect me into parliament this time, I will make sure I work towards improving education standards in the district so that we match the rest of the country. I will also make sure the pregnant mothers will never suffer”. Ms. Muhindo said.

Defense Minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga who is also the NRM Chairman for Kasese district asked the people of Busongora North to vote for Rehema Muhindo if they are to get their long agitated district of Rwenzori.

Muhindo who lost in her home constituency of Busongora North requested to be forgiven of any mistakes she has committed in the area in her everyday life and when she was secretary for social, services at the district from 2006-2011.

However, the turn ups of voters for the NRM rallies in Busongora North were low than expected prompting party officials accusing the local organizers for failing to mobilize, sources at the three rallies told Daily Monitor.

At Kisinga playground in Bukonzo County east, a number of MPs took to the platform to campaign for Ms. Kiiza urging that she is missed in parliament on matters that affect the country.

Newly elected MP for Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality Mr. Oddo Tayebwa, Rukungiri Municipality Mp Mr.Rowland Kaginda, Busongora North MP William Nzonghu, Bukonzo East MP Yokasi Bihande and western youth MP Gerald Karuhanga campaign for Ms. Kiiza.

Ms. Kiiza who has been the opposition chief whip told supporters that the by-elections will set the truth on who really was the rightful winner of the election.

She said there are uncompleted tasks to handle in parliament if voted back ranging from education, health, unemployment and participating in debating national issues like the crop marketing among others.

Ms. Kiiza told her supporters that Defense minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga was behind her throwing out of parliament because “he wants an MP who can not challenge him as he has nothing to offer for the district”.

Opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye asked the people of Kasese to defend their Rwenzururu Kingdom by voting into parliament Ms. Kiiza who knows the values of the people of Rwenzururu.  He said that the Banyarwenzururu have showed that they are able to participate in protecting the country by overwhelmingly contested the emerging Busongora Kingdom.

“I have come here to thank the Banyarwenzururu for showing the country that you are able to defend your Kingdom because some people (Basongora) had invaded your peace but government could not do much to stop them until you pulled down their flag.

At Mushenene Trading center in Kyakiyumbu sub-county, DP’s Rosemary Masika promised to fight poverty and unemployment if elected into parliament.

FOUR HELD FOR KILLING SPECIAL HIRE DIRVER IN KASESE

Police in Kasese are holding four people for allegedly participating in the killing of Miro Kizito a special hire driver who went missing two months ago.
The Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigations Department at police headquarters Mr. Joel Aguma said the four have been picked from different districts in regard to how they participated in the saga around the death of Kizito.
After a long time search for Kizito who went missing on May 8th after being hired to take people to Kamwenge, his body was week found in a bridge in River Mbanga in Fort Portal.
Mr. Aguma said the suspects should have killed him with a hitting by a hammer after tying him with a rope.
He identified the suspects as Sembatya 47, from Mbondwe-Lubiriha town council, Ibra Atwine 24, Gad Turyatemba 47, and Johnson Makao 27 all from Kamwenge district.
The police chief said Makao used his phone to send money on mobile money to the deceased to buy fuel to drive to Kamwenge, Turyatemba bought the hammer and rope that were used where as Atwine was found to have used Kizito’s phone after disappearance.
Mr. Aguma told a press conference in Kasese that after the arrest, the four led the police to the bridge where the decomposing body was found.
Aguma who took on the case after it was abandoned by Kasese Police said they have been charged with robbery and murder and will be produced in court for prosecution.
“ I decided to take over this case because it had stalled and the public especially friends and family of the deceased were losing confidence in the police. I am going to take on any other abandoned case in Kasese to check the increasing crime rate here” Mr. Aguma said.
He said they had planned to sell the stolen Toyota premio car registration number UAM 018M to a dealer across the borders.
The deputy CID boss also revealed he is taking over two more cases that have been in the minds of the people of Kasese-that of Mr. Felix Mugyema the Kilembe Mines Hospital superintendent who went missing in May on official duties in Kampala.
But the Mines management revealed someone dad seen him boarding a bus to Kasese in Kampala before he disappeared.
Another case to be taken on by Mr. Aguma is the sudden shooting of independent Journalist Mr. Amon Thembo Wamupaghasya. He was shot on his way home from viedographing a wedding party in Mpondwe-Lubiriha town council.
The RDC Kasese Lt. Milton Odongo said that the police in the district are failing investigations into serious crimes because they always release suspects easily.
END.

TWO HELD FOR STUFFING VOTERS REGISTER IN BWERA

Police in Kasese are holding two people for allegedly sabotaging the ongoing display exercise of voter’s register.

The Officer in Charge of Electoral Offenses Aidah Akelo said last evening that the duo was arrested after the officials from the electoral commission reported that they mismanaged the voter’s register at Old Car Park in Mpondwe-Lubiriha Town Council.

The display of voter’s register is in preparation for the August 8^th by-elections for the Kasese district woman parliamentary seat that fell vacant after court of appeal ordered fresh elections because of non compliance in the 2011 polls.

She identified the two suspects as Habert Mumbere a display officer and Musa Zawadi who allegedly stuffed the voter’s register.

Akelo said that Mumbere is alleged to have neglected the voter’s register hence nearby people seeing Zawadi stuff it in his pocket.

She said Zawadi was held by police immediately after those who saw him stuff the register in his pocket made an alarm.

Mumbere and Zawadi have all been charged with negligence and theft respectively and they will be produced in court as soon as investigations are completed.

The Kasese District Returning Officer Kanzira Vally Tumwesigye said that the register was secured and re-organized for the display exercise.

Tumwesigye says another display official among those on standby has been assigned the work to display the register beginning today.

He warned display officials and supervisors against taking the exercise for granted adding that the electoral commission can not hastate to sue whoever sabotages its programs. END

EC READY FOR TOMRROWS BY-ELECTIONS’ NOMINATIONS IN KASESE.

Emotions are high in Kasese district as nominations for different elective posts in the August 8th by-elections are set for tomorrow Thursday and Friday.
The Kasese district Registrar Kanzira Vally Tumwesigye told www.thembokahungu.blogspot.com  that the Thursday and Friday exercise will take place at the electoral commission offices in Kasese town starting at 9.00 and until 5.00pm each day.
Confirmation from the district registrar indicates four people expected to be presented for nominations to run for the seat of Woman Member of Parliament for Kasese that fell vacant after court of appeal
ordered fresh elections.
They are FDC’s Winfred Kiiza, NRM’s Rehema Muhindo, DP’s Rosemary Masika and Betty Kayesu running as Independent.
Winfred Kiiza and Betty Kayesu will be nominated on Thursday at 10:00 and 12:00pm respective where as Rosemary Masika and Rehema Muhindo has booked Friday at 9:00 and 11: am respectively.
Also to be nominated are candidates for the LC 3 seat for Lake-Katwe and Nyakatonzi sub-counties. Also different categories of councilors from Isango sub-county, Kisinga Town board and newly created
Nyakatonzi sub-county will be nominated.
The confirmed list from the Registrar’s office indicates Swizin Bukenya of NRM as the only contender for the Nyakatonzi LC 3 seat.
Selestine Siwako (NRM), Cyprus Baluku (FDC), Emmanuel Kyalimba and Vincent Odoru both independent are set for nominations to vie for the Lake Katwe sub-county LC 3 seat that also fell vacant following a
court order in April last year on grounds of election malpractices in the 2011 polls.
Mr. Tumwesigye, the district registrar has asked every aspiring candidate turning up for nominations to come with only two vehicles possessing a police sticker to avoid abstraction of the exercise.
FDC president Dr. Kizza Besigye is arriving in Kasese to accompany Winfred Kiiza for nominations and later on at a public rally at Nyakasanga stadium tomorrow.
DP’s candidate Rosemary Masika will also be accompanied by party’s Vice Chairman for Western region Mr. Imamu Makumbu but there is no confirmation whether the NRM secretariat will send a representative to accompany flag bearer Rehema Muhindo on Friday.

RWEHINGO FARMERS MAY WAIT FOR SOME TIME

Cultivators on the disputed Rwehingo land in Kasese district may take long to takeover there land as ordered by court because the commissioner of surveys is yet to open the boundaries.

According to the Inspector General of Police Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura, it was wrong for the Kasese district Chairman to lead the farmers to the land before all the procedures following the court ruling are finalized.

Ten people sustained injuries when Basongora clashed with Bakonzo as the former descended on the 2050 acre land to prepare for the new cultivation season.

High court sitting in Fort Portal early May ruled in favour of the 284 cultivators who had sued government for giving out their land to Basongora who were repatriated from Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006.

High Court judge Owiny Dolo ordered the commissioner of surveys to open the Lokeris line as the recognized boundary between the land occupied by the Basongora and that for the cultivators.

He also awarded twelve million shillings as punitive and general damages to each of the 284 cultivators in relation to the suit and wasted seasons.

According to Kayihura, the farmers were not supposed to repossess the land before a court order is issued to the Basongora who were basing on government defense over the case to take the land.

He said that Basongora elders told him they have never seen the court judgment and neither did they receive a government official to brief them.

 When asked, the cultivators lawyer Chan Masereka said Justice Owiny Dolo had not yet signed the court order after he was transferred to the anti-terrorism section of the high court.

The IGP has ordered that no one should use the land before the commissioner of surveys opens the boundaries as ordered by court.

Kasese district chairman Lt. Col.Mawa Muhindo was reportedly asked to apologize for leading the farmers to start digging the land without following the legal procedures, which he did.

Kayihura has been in the district for the second time this month to attend on the conflict between Bakonzo and Basongora following the installation of Busongora King Rwigi IV Ivan Bwebale.