By Emma Mutaizibwa & Frank Nyakairu
March 16, 2004
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Splashes red wine on guests Walks out on ambassador KAMPALA – A Cabinet minister stunned guests at a fete thrown by the US embassy yesterday when she hurled insults and splashed wine on guests. State minister for Security, Betty Akech, was one of several members of parliament invited by the US Agency for International Development director in Uganda, Vicky Moore, to discuss solutions to the war in the north. The US ambassador, Jimmy Kolker, five Ugandan MPs, and other UN officials attended the function, which was to be followed by a dinner in honour of Usaid’s assistant administrator for Democracy, Leonard Rogers, who is visiting the country. However, hell broke loose when the talk about the war in the north got to minister Akech. MPs who attended the function told The Monitor that Akech, who had listened quietly all through, suddenly erupted in anger. “She confronted Randy Harris, a co-ordinator of Usaid; she said she is a minister of state for Security, how come America is poking its nose in Ugandan Affairs,” Aruu County MP, Odonga Otto, who attended the function, told The Monitor by telephone. He described what followed next: “Akech said, ‘you called me here in the capacity of a minister and as the minister of state for Security you can’t give me the respect I want. I am so disappointed with your stupid argument,’ she angrily shouted on top of her voice.” Akech then reportedly got so infuriated, she upset a glass of red wine she was holding in one hand while hurling more insults, Otto said, before storming out and heading for her official car. Mr Harris followed her out, ostensibly to sort out the misunderstanding, but this drew more anger from Akech. “She hurled more insults like ‘you sycophantic Americans’ as she banged the door of her vehicle,” MP Otto told The Monitor. MPs apologise The Ugandan MPs at the function told The Monitor that they had been humiliated by the minister’s outburst. “If a government minister can behave like that what do you expect of [LRA rebel leader Joseph] Kony. Kasilo MP, Elijah Okupa, said he had apologised on behalf of Ugandans. “I have to take my clothes for dry cleaning,” the wine-drenched MP said. Agago MP Prof. Ogenga Latigo also attended the function and confirmed the outburst. “It is true,” he told The Monitor, “I was there; she walked out of the place.” Minister Akech has been sparring with donors over the war in the north in the last three weeks. She accused them of interfering in Uganda’s politics after they defended a parliamentary resolution declaring a disaster area in the north, after Cabinet had rejected it. Neither Akech, nor officials from the US embassy were available to comment on the incident by press time last night. |
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