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On Wednesday this very week, President Museveni’s brother Salim Saleh quarreled with Gen Henry Isoke who heads the anti-corruption unit of State House. And the bitter telephone exchange had a lot to do with Minister Betty Amongi. The gender Minister tried to get appointment with Saleh, who has been avoiding her like a plague since the NSSF scandal, and when she failed she decided to just gate-crush at the President’s brother’s hideout in Gulu.
On arrival there, Amongi who had come with a big group of debt-stricken and financially struggling tycoons from Lira City where she wants to stand for Woman MP position in 2026, begged to meet the big man. Being a king man, Saleh reluctantly agreed to see Amongi who previously had almost caused war between him and President Museveni concerning the NSSF billions. Saleh wasn’t happy that his name had been used to appear as if he was the one pushing Amongi to force MD Richard Byarugaba out.
President Museveni one time summoned and grilled him with “what is this I’m hearing that you are involved in the Ugx6bn was between Byarugaba and Minister Amongi?” This angered Saleh who explained to the President how he had cautioned Amongi to strictly use the YLP cash and not that of NSSF.
Saleh had been approached by poor youths from Nakaseke at his Namunkekera base. He referred them to Amongi asking her to use YLP cash to help them. Instead the Minister looked at NSSF as an easy avenue to get such money for the youth groups even after Saleh had warned her to keep away from Workers money.
So, when she fluked Gulu, Gen Saleh still remembered that NSSF issue and made it clear it’s the reason he has always been avoiding Minister Amongi to avoid putting himself into problems. He nevertheless went ahead to listen to Amongi. She cleared her throat and said she had come to seek his support on two things. One was seeking his support to become the next Woman MP Lira City and the other was to get his support against Gen Henry Isoke who she reported was being used by Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng to mistreat Lira tycoons by investigating them over land-grabbing claims in Lira City.
Saying it was unacceptable for a General like Isoke to be used yet he is part of State House, Gen Saleh rang Aceng first and demanded to know why she was using her office to mistreat struggling tycoons from Lira. Aceng explained herself making it clear she has no control over Isoke since she is Minister of Health and not Presidency or State House. Saleh told her he had also not believed such claims because the Aceng he knows is a very peaceful, development-oriented person and a unifier who wishes to see all people from Lira become prosperous. In fact, she has been supporting many struggling Lira tycoons.
Amongi was right there seated as Gen Saleh rang Aceng. Immediately after, he rang Gen Isoke demanding that he explains why his office was being used to marginalize Lira tycoons. It’s true State House anti-corruption unit has been investigating many Lira tycoons over claims that they grabbed public land working with rogues in the now disbanded Lira district land board. Isoke first respectfully told Gen Saleh that he must have rang a wrong number to which Saleh responded with “that is not true because I’m not drunk. I meant to call Gen Henry Isoke of state house anti-corruption unit.”
Isoke then went on to explain his investigations were based on facts and never instigated by Aceng at all. “In fact, I have never talked to that Minister of Health. I just know her generally as a public figure otherwise I’m surprised that anyone would say I’m conniving with her,” Isoke told Saleh. On putting down the phone, Gen Saleh told Amongi “you can now see why there is nothing I can do for you because your things are based on propaganda and lies against colleagues.”
He told her there is no way he can endorse her decision to abandon her safer and predictable Oyam MP seat to go to Lira City and disturb another senior cadre who is stably leading Mzee’s cadres in that part of the country. He made it clear with Aceng in charge, Lira City is politically in safe hands adding that if anything, the NRM needs more strengthening in Oyam than anywhere else in Lango.
“Please go and reorganize yourself and make sure you keep in Oyam because that’s where we need you as NRM. Those things of fighting your fellow yellow person, I can’t support you. How will Mzee perceive me to be the one fighting his daughter Jane Ruth Aceng?” Saleh dismissed the meeting saying he wanted to attend to some other things prompting Amongi to wail like an orphan. He also advised the Lira tycoons to go and use courts of law in case they feel unfairly treated through Isoke’s investigations into their land scandals.
The businessmen also left the meeting in tears having realized that Amongi wasn’t as powerful and connected inside the First Family as they thought. It was really a bad week for the gender Minister because over the previous weekend, many UPCs in Lira had made her very heart broken when they rang into a radio talk show where Aceng was speaking to cheer and praise her saying she remains the best person for Lira City because of the large developments she has delivered in such a short time.
