Prof. Mbonye: Another victim of Museveni’s mafia

Questions have been raised by Ugandans on the death of Prof Anthony Kabanza Mbonye which occurred over the weekend. People strongly suspect his death is another inside job of President Yoweri Museveni’s State House mafia. Although the Professor's death was attributed to cancer, people say they do not rule out “cancer induced sickness,” as Museveni’s mafia does anything to eliminate their perceived enemies.

Media reports also previously mentioned that “Prof Mbonye’s sickness continues to be deliberately kept as a secret,” alluding to reasons why his wife skipped a job interview.  

Professor Mbonye resigned from the Ministry of Health in 2018 as the acting director general for health services, a post he had held between 2016 and 2017. Prof. Mbonye also taught at Makerere University School of public health and the Uganda Christian University. He resigned after serving more than 30 years in the health sector.

The genesis of Prof. Mbonye woes with Museveni’s mafia

After his resignation from the Ministry, Prof. Mbonye wrote a book titled, “Uganda’s Health Sector through Turbulent Politics (1958-2018”) in which he exposed the rot in the health sector. The top jobs in the Ministry of Health were not awarded on merit but “depended on who was closer to the first family,” Prof. Mbonye revealed.

“From this point, Ugandans can start tracing whether Prof. Mbonye’s cancer illness was not politically induced by Museveni’s powerful mafia,” a Kampala political analyst who preferred anonymity said. 

Atwine sues Prof Mbonye for defamation

Dr Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health sued Prof. Mbonye, for what she described as defamation in his book.

“On page 121 of the book, Chapter VIII titled Politics and Crisis of Leadership in the Health Sector 2010-2018, the defendant [Dr Mbonye] authored and published the following word; earlier the little known but vicious Dr Diana Atwine had sought to capitalise on her closeness to the First Family in order to ascend the hierarchy of the health sector but without much success,” Dr Atwiine stated.

Dr. Atwine previously served at state house as President Museveni's personal doctor, a position that can only be obtained by an insider. She is a daughter of Ernest Rujundira and Joy Kensheka Rujundira believed to be close relatives of first lady Janet Museveni.

Prof. Mbonye, in his book, revealed lack of experience by Dr. Atwine when she was appointed as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, along with other appointments that he considered influenced by political connections rather than merit.  

“A case in point is the recently appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine, who possessed little knowledge of the health sector and no experience in management and accounting procedures,” Dr Mbonye wrote.

“Similarly, the appointment of Dr Christine Ondoa as a minister when she had failed in her management of Jinja and Mbarara hospitals, proved problematic. In another case, Dr Jane Aceng from Lira Hospital, after failing in her application for the post of medical superintendent, was accelerated to the post of Director General of Health Services and later Minister of Health. She engaged in infighting with staff and fellow ministers,” he further stated.

Prof Mbonye’s book also cited how   appointments of inexperienced junior officers to influential positions in the Ministry of Health had undermined the quality of services delivered and demoralized experienced professionals.

Museveni’s mafia has always appointed their own in key Ministries with big budgets so that they can award themselves lucrative contracts and other corruption related malpractices. Dr. Atwine replaced Asumani Lukwago who was sent to a less funded Education Service Commission.

In December 2020, a report by the Ministry of Finance exposed the scandal of how Museveni’s daughter-in-law, Charlotte Kainerugaba, together with her sister Ishta Muganga, also a daughter of former Foreign Affairs Minister, were fraudulently paid Shs. 6.4billion on June 30, 2020 under invoice R1658/MAY20/01, before doing any work for installation of oxygen plants at Mulago hospital and Entebbe.

Dr. Atwine, as a first family insider and Permanent Secretary, is believed to have influenced the awarding of the tender. This is how Museveni’s mafia has stolen taxpayers' money.

Prof. Mbonye became a victim of in-fighting in the Ministry of Health which took him to the corridors of the high court defending himself from a “conflict of interest” allegation brought against him by the Inspector General of Government (IGG). On January 31, 2018, Justice Henrietta Wolayo dismissed the IGG’s findings and ruled that there had been no conflict of interest and that Prof Mbonye had not been given a fair hearing. Prof Mbonye had resigned two days before the ruling.

“I no longer had confidence in their capacity to lead; and felt that I could no longer work alongside officers who leveraged the power of their undeserved positions and conducted themselves in such an unprofessional way,” Prof. Mbonye revealed.

Prof. Mbonye has died when the rot he exposed in the Ministry has not improved but reached catastrophic levels. Hundreds of people are dying in hospitals for lack of oxygen, and hundreds more have been injected with water instead of Covid-19 vaccines.

The good people who try to expose the malfunction of Museveni’s government die mysteriously. The brave are the ones who will carry on the war as the song “Akatengo,'' by Musician cum politician, Bobi Wine, says. Uganda has lost a brave and intelligent son. RIP Professor.