Regional
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.