Developing Story: A story is told, of how a team of politicians and technical team took a flight to an overseas country. Reason? To fact-find and pick first-hand information about one of the companies that sought to construct one of the Country`s Hydropower dams. Upon reaching the foreign country, they were booked in the poshest Five-star Hotel.
They stayed for days, got treated to all tribes of entertainment available for VIPs, dined and wined every day before they could retire to their respective rooms. This trend, without being engaged in any activity of what took them. The last night, each found an envelope in their room. In the envelope was USD20K. Before their departure, they were strictly directed that only, and only the team leader was to brief the President back home.
Back home, the team leader briefed the President of how the company was one of the best in the world, if not the top-most finest. He presented to the Country`s Number One, the `report` they generated from what they `physically` visited, touched with their hands and saw with their naked eyes. The President was so glad, appended all the signatures there was to require and, swore upon the living God that no other but this highly recommended company should do the work. Several years down the road, the work has been very near to total incompletion.
However, this couldn’t have been the case, had President Museveni been reachable and not sandwiched by the country`s celebrated parasites. Reason? One of the team members that traveled abroad was not comfortable with what transpired. And upon their return, he penned a narration to the president, explaining how they had not even visited the basic works of the said company, any of their offices and or, even their headquarters, to mention but a few.
In this dossier, he further informed the president how his own investigations had gathered that the same company was using another company`s profile. This is after it had been blacklisted by several countries which include among others; Siriranka, Iran and Botswana. He also confirmed he still had the USD20K bribe intact and ready to exhibit the same. One morning, he signed it off and delivered it to one of the top secretaries to the President. He sat back and waited for the big man`s response.
In the evening, he was summoned by the PS of the line Ministry. Waving the same letter to his face, the boss asked; “Mr. Biki bino byogenda owandiikawandiikira Principal?” He asked in Luganda, loosely meaning; “Mr. (the author`s name) what are these things you go around writing to the President?” Shocked to the marrow, the author pleaded guilty, but with no defense to himself. He was henceforth advised to resign and if he wished, he would instead deliver the USD20K to this boss, or chose to use it in his early, forced retirement.
This is how the President failed to get the real story and the country ended up contracting a fake company with not a single record of success and therefore, delivering no work at all, to the detriment of the country`s chief accounting officer, the President himself. The rest is a story for another day… But let this bring us to the headlined story of this piece.
It is a story where; a city mayor is faced with a similar situation of striving to have things right but with immense frustration and suffocation from the mafioso sandwiching the President. Her name is Hajjat Mpungu Hanipher, the Deputy Mayor for Kampala Central Division. This unsung hero has for some time taken it upon herself to expose the works of the mafioso, especially those who turn the President`s well-intended society offers into monetary projects for selfish reasons.
On three occasions, she has attempted to write to the President, only to be called by different people, telling her of the particulars in the letters before issuing threats to her. But Hajjat Mpungu is not about to throw in the towel. As a city leader, she avows to try until the last drop of her sweat, or so, reports her confidants. The property she has so far recovered from the hands of the mafia, complete with the land title, is contained in Plot 4, Berkerly Lane in Entebbe. And it’s the same property she seeks to return to the giving hand.
It all started when President Museveni, at one of those functions of officiating at the International Nurses Day Celebrations at Kyamate Secondary School grounds in Ntungamo Municipality, directed the Ministry of Health to get the Nurses land onto which, they would construct a university and other health related facilities beneficial to their Union. This was a reiteration of his earlier directive, hence giving the donation an implementation momentum.
Immediately after, the Ministry acted accordingly and, following all the necessary steps, they allocated land to the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union (UNMU). One piece is at the entrance of Mulago National Referral Hospital, and another in Entebbe. Before going any step into fully acquiring the same, the Union leadership put the land on market. It came to the attention of the Deputy Mayor in Hajjat Mpungu who, henceforth decided to expose the lot. But she had to go about the exposure, with water-tight evidence. She had no money to use but she posed as the potential buyer anyway.
She started with Mulago land which she pursued to almost the end but it slipped out of hand after she lost a relative so dear to her. By the time she resumed, the UNMU leadership had long sold out the land. Were they going to return the money she injected? No way, there was still land in Entebbe, and so, they suggested. And this is the property they were willing to sell to her and, oh yes, she went all the way… Welcome to UNMU Land Records series both here and at our Visual channel; The Investigator Tv via YouTube…
Author Profile
- Stanley Ndawula is a two and a half decades’ seasoned investigative journalist with a knack for serious crimes investigations and reporting. He’s the Founding Editorial Director and CEO at The Investigator Publications (U) Limited
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