Ugandan President Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni has made a few changes in a mini-reshuffle of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and Resident City Commissioners (RCCs). The changes in the mini-reshuffle were declared by Milly Babirye Babalanda, the Minister in charge of the presidency.
The powerful Babalanda is in charge of RDCs and RCCs as well as a number of key ministries. In the new changes, Eric Sakwa, the former Jinja RDC was reappointed after a few years on katebe just a few weeks (nearly one month) after he was acquitted of manslaughter, a charge that could have earned him life imprisonment.
SAKWA’S TROUBLES
Last month, court acquitted the controversial Sakwa of all charges the state had slapped against him. Prosection had alleged that the 40-year-old Sakwa, and Mohamed Simba had between March 22 and April 17 2020 while at Lwanda Village in Jinja District, unlawfully, caused the death of Charles Isanga. The RDC and his co-accused were also accused of stealing Isanga’s Shs80,000, three crates of beer, eight trays of eggs, sachets of waragi and soda bottles. The stolen items were valued at about Shs 429,000.
The charges against Sakwa had necessitated his suspension from office. When he released his list of RDCs, RCCs and their deputies, Museveni left out Sakwa. (See Full List of RDCs and RCCs as well as their deputies HERE).
But Sakwa’s fate took a positive turn in October when Jinja Chief Magistrate Jude Okumu Muwone acquitted him of all charges. Chief Magistrate Okumu Mowone declared: “I accordingly find A1 [Sakwa] and A2 [Simba Mohamed alias Meddie] not guilty and thereby acquit them of the offence of manslaughter contrary to section 187(1) and malicious damage to property; they are set free unless they are lawfully held on other charges.”
Following his acquittal, Sakwa was quoted as demanding back his RDC job. “I have wasted my time. I even lost my job because of the instances where they claimed I killed the late Charles Isanga. God is great that they have exonerated me of all charges and subsequently, I have been acquitted,” Daily Monitor quoted Sakwa as saying.
“I appeal to the Secretary in the Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande, to kindly [reinstate] me on my job because you are the one who interdicted me on the basis of the court issues. Court has exonerated me and kindly I need my job. Put me back on my job. I told you those people were telling lies but you insisted, saying, ‘unless Court acquits you.”
RDC MINI-RESHUFFLE
Now, in a mini-reshuffle, Sakwa has been appointed the Kaliro District RDC. Also transferred was former Mbale Resident City Commissioner or Ahamada (Ahmed) Washaki who was sent to Kumi District as RDC. Hussein Kato was transferred from Kumi District and sent to Mbale City.
Meanwhile, Museveni transferred former Kampala RCC Hudu Hussein, once again, taking him out of Yumbe District where he had thrown him eight months ago. (See Details Here).
It should be remembered that the appointment of RDCs, RCCs and their deputies was marred by claims by an NRM MP that whoever failed or refused to pay a Shs20m bribe was removed from the final list and replaced with whoever was willing and ready to pay that money so as to get the job. However, the Presidency rubbished this NRM MP’s allegations. (Details are Here and There).
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