Cover Story

By Andrew M. Mwenda On December 14, 2008 the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) launched Operation Lightning Thunder on the camps of the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Later President Yoweri Museveni, in a national broadcast aired on radio …

By The Independent Team Here, The Independent talked to Maj. Gen. Zed Maruru, former army chief-of-staff under Gen. Tito Okello’s short-lived government. Maruru is an air force pilot trained in Czechoslovakia and at Bracknell Staff College of the Royal Air Force of United Kingdom, one of the world’s most respected …

By The Independent Reporter The Independent talked to two retired military officers; one from Britain, one from the United States. Both have worked for the Special Forces of their respective countries. According to these experts, the way UPDF employed its Special Forces in the operation demonstrated a lack of understanding …

By Andrew M. Mwenda  The inside story On December 4, 2008, President Yoweri Museveni called Finance Minister Ezra Suruma and ordered him to suspend the Managing Director of National Social Security Fund (NSSF), David Chandi Jamwa and his deputy, Mondo Kagonyera. For months, Suruma had been psychologically paralysed and unable …

By Andrew M. Mwenda A story of intrigue, bad weather, double-crossing   First, it was his Kaunda suit, then his walking stick, later his military pips, now it is his guitar. Over the years, the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) has captured many of the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army leader, Joseph …

By Andrew M. Mwenda What does the appointment of internal affairs minister, Ruhakana Rugunda, as Uganda’s permanent representative at the United Nations imply? Some people believe that this is the beginning of the end of Rugunda’s long political career. Others insist this could mark his rise to a more prominent …

By Obed K. Katureebe New CMI boss writes dossier on money lending racket On August 11, 2008, Brig. James Mugira called a meeting of the Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce (JATT) at the organization’s headquarters on Summit View hill in Kololo. Mugira had just taken over leadership of Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence …

By Obed K. Katureebe & John Njoroge Museveni grills security chiefs Just a few hours before President Yoweri Museveni flew out for a two-day state visit to Nigeria on November 20, he called all the security chiefs to an emergency meeting at State House Entebbe. In attendance were Inspector General …

By The Independent Team Abel Katembwe May 1998: NSSF board dismisses demands by parliament to send Katembwe on forced leave. NSSF initially resists and board chairman Sam Rutega defends him before parliamentarians as a hard working manager. But eventually Katembwe is sacked. Katembwe’s woes started after he bought a house …

By Patrick Kagenda Big money, greed, poor policy causing shortages Uganda’s petrol czar, Mr. Ivan Kyayonka, possibly does not know how it feels to drive into a fuel station and find no fuel. He has been the chairman of Uganda’s top fuel dealership, Shell, for around two decades and refills …