|
KAMPALA -Maj. Roland Kakooza Mutale met President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday night in a bid to save his job.
Sources have told The Monitor that Mutale met Mr Museveni in Kampala, where the president flew by helicopter from Soroti for a series of short meetings.
The president has been camping in Soroti since August 16, to co-ordinate the fight against the LRA rebels who had infiltrated the area.
The sources have told The Monitor that the meeting took place at State House Nakasero, hours after Mutale's lawyers filed an appeal in the High Court to challenge the decision to sack him.
The Monitor broke the story of Mutale's sacking yesterday, following a recommendation by the Inspector General of Government, Mr Jotham Tumwesigye, over Mutale's failure to declare his wealth, as required by the Leadership Code.
A source close to the meeting told The Monitor yesterday that Mutale failed to convince the president to reverse the decision.
When contacted for comment yesterday, the Minister in charge of the Presidency, Mr Ali Kirunda Kivejinja denied knowledge of the meeting but said the president's decision was irreversible.
"What can you do? Anyway, it's a matter now before court," he told The Monitor on phone.
Kirunda said President Museveni's hands were 'tied' because he made the decision, based on a recommendation by the IGG.
"Although the president is a political animal, his hands were tied; He had no way out, the verdict was passed by the IGG and the president had no powers except to act accordingly," Kirunda said yesterday.
Other sources told The Monitor that Mutale travelled to Soroti yesterday morning. It was not clear whether the former adviser was trying to meet the president again, neither was The Monitor able to independently verify his visit to the area.
Efforts to get a comment from Mutale were futile. The IGG wrote to the President on May 9, asking him to dismiss the major for breach of Section 4 (8) of the Leadership Code, which requires public officers to declare their incomes, assets and liabilities.
Mutale says that he was willing to declare his wealth but was denied forms.
The major has lodged an appeal before the High Court in Kampala, seeking court to quash the IGG's recommendation, declare his sacking null and void and award him costs.
His lawyers say the decision to sack him was based upon an erroneous and/or illegal recommendation of the IGG1/4"
The legal team also accuses the IGG of bias and discrimination. Kirunda yesterday could not comment on Mutale's political future and said his fate lies before the Courts of Law.
He warned that people shouldn't be concerned about Mutale's sacking but his politics.
"I know that Mutale's enemies may be celebrating but tell them that what is happening to him today may be on their door the next day," he said.
Mutale, a former journalist turned soldier and political cadre, was very instrumental in Mr Museveni's 2001 Presidential Campaign.
His para-military group, the Kalangala Action Plan, was accused of intimidating and harassing rival supporters, a claim denied by Mutale.
Mutale has been in the news lately, after he opened a vocational institute in Luweero, called the Matembe Institute.
| 
