Adungu

By Richard Ekotu, Soroti

Soroti municipality member of parliament and former health state minister Mike Mukula who was sentenced to four years in prison after he was found guilty of embezzling Shs 210m of the Global Alliance Vaccine (GAVI) funds by Chief Magistrate Irene Akankwasa of the Anti-Corruption Court has attracted mixed reactions from the public in Uganda.

Mukula who was admitted to ward B1 of Murchison Bay Prison was allocated a prison number – MBP 148/2013 – and a yellow uniform is also the National Resistance Movement Vice chairman Eastern Region.
While serving as minister of state for Health (General Duties), Mukula allegedly requisitioned and signed for Shs 263m on behalf of the First Lady, Janet Museveni, which money was part of Gavi (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) funds donated to Uganda for treatment of children infected with HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis.
Up to Shs 1.6bn of the fund was allegedly misappropriated, and the Health ministers at the time were held responsible, among other individuals. The other ministers were Jim Muhwezi (Health) and Dr Alex Kamugisha (state for Primary Healthcare).
However, court, on July 31 2012, ruled that Muhwezi and Kamugisha had no case to answer, but Mukula, who accounted for Shs 53m, was told to explain the whereabouts of Shs 210m.
In Teso now Mukula’s sentence is being seen as selective application of the law by a certain group of people since his other colleagues were set free and yet he was a junior Minister.

Julius Ochen a former local council five for Amuria District from Uganda people’s Congress (UPC) says they totally condemn the segregative way in which Mukula is being handled in the GAVI funds case and yet others people have been left free.

Mean while the National Resistance Movement chairman for Soroti District Charles Elasu said that people of Teso should not condemn the actions of court but wait for the appeal and stay calm as the law takes its cause.

By agencies in West Nile,

Anxiety, sorrow and fear of superstition have griped the management and the entire staff of Radio Pacis in Arua-Uganda following the mysterious death of the finance administrator Mr. Bayo Justo at Arua Regional Referral Hospital on the 30th of September after a short illness.

Shocking revelations

Shockingly, during the funeral service on Sunday 3rd October 2011, Dr. Atiku, a surgeon at Arua hospital revealed to thousands of mourners at the home of the deceased in Zambia cell, Arua Municipality that the late Justo died of dangerous toxic substance which destroyed his liver and pancrease within a short time.

“Though the late Justo had high blood sugar and pressure, these could have not killed him within such a short time, we found his liver was rotting at a fast speed, he must have taken in some dangerous substance” Dr. Atiku revealed, sparking fresh weeping among the mourners.

Blame game

A reverend from the Anglican Church who presided over the funeral service publicly blamed the death of Justo on power struggle for his finance position by some of his close friends in the core management team at the Radio Pacis and Arua Diocese Media Center. “ Weare aware of the power struggle at Radio Pacis, someone at the station has been struggling to take up the late’s lucrative position and has work hard to ensure that he is no more, the place is now open for him” the reverend said causing more tears to roll down the chicks of the mourners.

Arrival of Radio Pacis staff ignites fresh blame

To add salt to injury, more than fifty staff of Radio Pacis arrived at the funeral place in an expensively hired Gaagaa bus, all smartly dressed in newly printed Red ‘T’ shirts. To their surprise, they were immediately greeted with jeers, words of insult and all sorts of blame words from the mourners.

The station manager Sherry Meyer who had just arrived from the Europe after fainting and collapsing twice due to too much pressure from the public for her poor handling of issues at the station sat perplexed as she could not officially be recognized at the funeral .

More suspicion and speculation continued at the funeral after it was discovered that one of the senior members of the management was unexpectedly missing at the funeral.

Radio Pacis management suspends staff over rumour on the death of Mr. Justo

Meanwhile two days after the burial of Justo, the management of Radio Pacis shocked the public after they suspended one of their junior staff working in the printery for “spreading rumour” about Justo’s death. Anguparu Gladys was reportedly suspended for two weeks on allegation that she informed other people who were not at the funeral of what transpired and the blame game on Justo’s death.

Rumours are that she may be dismissed from work for being a mouth piece for people who did not witness the shocking revelations at the funeral.

Radio Pacis which won an ‘All Africa BBC award in 2005’ is currently characterized by fear of superstition among staff members, high staff turn over, fear of some staff members going under water to keep their jobs and sexual harassment of female employees by their male supervisors.

More information about the late Bayo Justo and Radio Pacis can be obtained from www.radio pacis.org. ENDS

By our correspondents in Arua, Kabale and agencies in Italy

Social communicators in all the dioceses in Uganda have pinned the management of radio Pacis based in West Nile, Arua Uganda for withholding and diverting millions of SIGNIS funds meant to upgrade their staff academia.

[Read more →]

By Stephen Candia in Arua
Voters in Vurra County are now crying foul after realising that they voted ‘unwisely’ in the recently concluded parliamentary elections. Vurra’s position in the NRM government fell on a hard rock after the voters decided to choose a Member of Parliament on independent ticket. [Read more →]

By Ronald Batre and Stephen Candia
Arua

Former Arua district LC 5 chairman Andama Richard Ferua has been arrested and subsequently jailed for failing to pay 25 million shillings rent arrears that accumulated during his first term of office. [Read more →]

By Stephen Candia in Arua

The high court in Arua was today Friday 10th June filled with ululations after Justice Joseph Mulangira dismissed with costs an election petition filed by Mr. Angualia Laus Richard, challenging the election of Alex Onzima, the MP Maracha constituency and also minister of state for local government. [Read more →]

By Stephen Candia –Arua
Reconstruction of the power dam at Nyagak in the newly created Zombo district has resumed amid protest by some locals over compensation for their land. [Read more →]

By Stephen Candia – Arua

Arua district persons living with HIV /AIDS (PHA’s) and civil society network (CSO’s) have demanded for an immediate action by the Government of Uganda to improve maternal and child services in the district to reduce on what they say is ‘an unacceptably high maternal deaths arising fro deliveries. [Read more →]

By Stephen Candia in Arua

The Member of Parliament for Obongi County in Arua district Hon. Kapa Hassan Fungaroo has launched a fundraising drive to renovate the dilapidate houses of former Ugandan vice president in Iddi Amin’s government General Mustafa. [Read more →]

By Stephen Candia in Arua

The Arch Bishop of Gulu Arch Diocese Rt. Rev John Baptist Odama has cautioned government against attacking peaceful demonstrators. Odama made the remarks during the consecration and installation of the new Bishop of Nebbi Diocese Rt. Rev. Sanctus Wanok at Nebbi Catholic cathedral on Saturday 30^th April 2011. [Read more →]