UTL scandal: President Museveni commands sacking of Twebaze Bemanya as Utl Administrator
On November 6, 2019, Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Maj Gen. Kahinda Otafiire addressed a letter to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni requesting him to extend Twebaze Bemanya contract that expires on Friday 22, November 2019.
This was after President Museveni commended Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija not to renew Bemanya’s contract as the Administrator of Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) that are currently struggling to survive, three weeks back.
But despite Otafire’s plea, President Museveni insists that Bemanya has to be sacked, as the UTL Administrator General and commanded his replacement. This was in President’s November, 9 letters to Minister Otafiire.
In the letter addressed to Minister Otafiire, President Museveni says since Bemanya and Evelyn Anite, the State Minister for Privatisation whom he lauded for being an active muzukulu have had a sour relationship, the appointment of a new Administrator would bring cohesion in the government’s efforts to revamp UTL.
“I have received your letter of November 6, 2019, about the Administrator of Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL), whose time is expiring, but you want to renew the contract. Mr Bemanya is always in conflicts with Minister Anite. Anite is one of our very active Bazukulu,” said Museveni.
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In his further argument, President Museveni said that the recurrent fights between Bemanya and Anite are very harmful to State Corporation management in the country.
Also, President Museveni earlier refused to meet Bemanya to discuss the matter surrounding his sacking.
“In the interest of cohesion, get another Administrator. It is easier that way. Going with endless tension is not good management,” President’s letter to Otafiire indicated further.
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The decision was arrived at during an Extraordinary General Meeting of UTL held on November 8, 2019.
Among the resolutions made, a new UTL Administrator was to be recruited to supervise the extension of UTL administration for another year to enable them to identify potential investors into UTL.
Following a court order, UTL is currently under audit by the office of the Auditor-General. The court order to audit UTL was secured by Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) which is among UTL’s creditors.
According to reports, UTL went into administration in 2017, and at that time government only controlled 31 per cent shares.
Meanwhile, Bemanya remains the Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB) after Minister Otafiire renewed his contract nine months before his contract expiry date, that ended in July 2019.
Close sources revealed that Minister Kasaija and Minister Anite clashed with the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, Keith Muhakanizi over Bemanya’s contract renewal in a meeting held this month with the president.
The source says Muhakanizi did everything he could to convince the president to renew Bemanya’s contract, but Anite and Kasaija rejected his plea saying his contract renewal would do more harm than good to the already struggling state-owned telecom company in Uganda.
