The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) board is the latest casualty in the ongoing war between Director General Robert Mukiza and Investment Minister Evelyne Anite.
This publication has learnt that finance Minister Matia Kasaija last week dissolved the UIA board allegedly at the instigation of junior Investment Minister Anite.
The sacked members include Morrison Rwakakamba (Board Chairperson), Dr. Joshua Mutambi, Beatrice Mpairwe, Neima Ombambosa, lzama Angelo Opi-Aiya, Getrude Kateesa Lutaaya and Godfrey Byamukama Kereere.
Some of these had their contracts renewed two weeks ago but Kasaija decided to send all of them packing.
We have now learnt that behind all this is Minister Anite who has an axe to grind with UIA ED Mukiza.
The wars saw the two appear before President Museveni months ago where Anite was terribly exposed.
We are told not to go down without a fight, Anite reportedly recruited the UIA board to do a job for her—to force Mukiza to step down.
It goes without mention that the Anite-Mukiza wars came at a time when most of the board members’ terms were expiring and a condition was put by Anite—“I renew your contracts; you help me force Mukiza out of office”.
However, when the members’ contracts were renewed, they applied their conscience and refused to pass a vote of no confidence in Mukiza and Anite was left bruised.
In the grand scheme of things, Anite reportedly wanted the UIA board to institute investigations ranging from tribalism, mismanagement, corruption, favouritism among other accusations against Mukiza.
In doing so, they would require Mukiza to step down first to pave way for these investigations and that would be his end of tour at UIA.
When the old board members showed little appetite in doing so, Anite reportedly had a conversation with Minister Kasaija who has powers to appoint or dissolve UIA board and the rest is history.
With new board recruitment underway, insiders believe the members must be friendly to Anite and the mission is to make sure Mukiza is forced to step-down.
“Anite wants to fire Mukiza via the UIA board. The old board refused to be taken right, left & centre. When members refused, she used Kasaija to fire them. They are now recruiting new board members. Anite wants a board she can control. And this is not good news for DG Mukiza if you recall what happened to Kaguhangire [Mukiza predecessor],” reveals a source at the Ministry of Finance knowledgeable about the on goings.
HOW MUKIZA PREDECESSOR WAS FORCED OUT OF UIA
It should be noted that this is the same way Mukiza predecessor Jolly Kaguhangire was forced out of UIA in 2018.
The current events may be reminiscent of what Kaguhangire went through.
A petition was first sent to the IGG accusing Kaguhangire of misuse of office, gross insubordination, incompetence among others.
She was later suspended from office by the UIA board pending the investigations into the issues raised in the IGG petition.
However, in May 2019, the IGG cleared her of wrongdoing.
After the IGG report, Kaguhangire recently sought an audience with President Museveni where she claimed that her acrimonious exit in 2018 was engineered by mafias at UIA.
Sources told this website that she told the President that some senior UIA staff and board members fought her when she began exposing their corrupt tendencies.
Her daughter is also President Museveni’s social media handler.
A delegation of members of the Born Again faith, where Kaguhangire belongs, is also said to have met the President and convinced him that she was innocent.
President Museveni is then said to have sought the opinion of the IGG on the matter after which he ordered Finance minister Matia Kasaija to reinstate Kaguhangire.
However, Kaguhangire’s return was bound to be met by hurdles after UIA board members vowed to fight her.
The board members stuck to their guns and she eventually left UIA for good.
Kasaija would also later sack the UIA board that masterminded her exit.
