10 REASONS WHY THE 500 MILLION SHILLINGS TO HON. MATHIAS MPUUGA WAS AN ACT OF CORRUPTION AND ABUSE OF OFFICE Facts: On 6th May, 2022 there was a meeting of the Parliamentary Commission attended by Ms. Anitah Among, Hon. Mpuuga and the three NRM Commissioners of Parliament. This was two months after Hon. Zaake was illegally removed from that position. In that meeting, these leaders awarded themselves a collective amount of 1.7 billion shillings. Hon. Mpuuga was allocated 500 million shillings, while the three others were each awarded 400 million shillings. It was not until the minutes of the Parliamentary Commission were 'leaked' to the public almost two years later, that we all got to know about this. Upon return to the country, I convened an urgent meeting of senior leaders of the Party who included all Deputy Presidents, the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General, the current Leader of the Opposition, the National Treasurer, Hon. Muwanga Kivumbi and Hon. Betty Nambooze. (Also invited was Hon. Medard Sseggona, who unfortunately was not able to attend.) In the presence of these leaders, Hon. Mpuuga admitted that the leaked minutes were genuine. He admitted that it was wrong and immoral and apologized for the same. He regretted his actions and categorically stated that in hindsight, he should never have involved himself in such. He was strongly advised to step down from the Commission in public interest because that is what leaders do. He requested for some time to consult with and prepare his family and other stakeholders, which we agreed to, because it was only fair. When the one day agreed upon passed and following several reminders, we decided to issue a public statement on the matter because it is indeed a public matter for which the people of Uganda expected answers. It is their money we are talking about! Before that, I personally kept in touch with him and implored him to do the moral thing, in order to save his image and that of the Party. Unfortunately, following our public statement, Hon. Mpuuga has now released a statement apparently moving away from his earlier position and apology. His statement does not address the real issue of the 500 Million Shillings, and instead indirectly tries to justify this extreme act of immorality and corruption. I have noted that some people do not have the full context of this matter, hence the need for this clarification. Here are 10 reasons why this money-heist was illegal, immoral and wrong- and totally unexpected from a person we delegated to represent our values in Parliament, and lead the charge against corruption and misuse of public resources. 1. As all former Leaders of the Opposition have confirmed, none of them ever received a 'Service Award'. What was special about the service of Hon. Mpuuga to warrant a Service Award that was never given to his predecessors? Secondly, even if Hon. Mpuuga and the three NRM Parliamentary Commissioners had done anything exceptional, would it be up to them to sit and award themselves for a job well done? I mean, it defeats basic logic for anyone to say they are awarding themselves- moreover with hundreds of millions of tax payers' money. Does that mean that every public servant should now sit in his office and allocate some money to themselves for feeling good about themselves and the work they do? 2. In the widely shared minutes of the Parliamentary Commission, it was clearly indicated that the said money was 'person to holder'- meaning that it would not extend to any of the former or subsequent Leaders of the Opposition. They would be the first and last to receive this money. In our meeting with Hon. Mpuuga, he stated that the reasoning here was that every incoming LOP should negotiate his or her own 'Service Award'. Really? We asked, "What if the next LOP negotiates for 10 billion shillings of tax payers' money as his or her Service Award? How would we explain this?"

Thank you, General. I am humbled by the kind wishes.

Deepest condolences to the people of Kenya and Africa, as well as the global athletics community upon the untimely death of Kelvin Kiptum in an accident. Such a tragedy losing such a talented young man, who had a great career ahead of him. May his soul rest in peace.

I have received the very sad news of the passing of my friend, comrade Adam Mulwana, an artiste and political activist who dedicated his life to the cause for the freedom of Uganda. When I last interacted with him, he was as devoted to the struggle as ever, despite his ailing health. Such a pity he has passed on without seeing the kind of country he so much desired to live in. The best we can do for him is to accomplish the mission for which he sacrificed immensely. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Woow!! Honestly, we did not expect this because we never set out to make an award winning film, no! We just wanted to document our story, a story of the people of Uganda fighting for freedom and democracy. We are just humbled that our story has received or has come to this level of international recognition. With this award and the attention that comes with it, we believe that we are going to be a little bit safer now because we know that the world is watching what is happening in Uganda. Ladies and gentlemen, my wife and I are not the real heroes in this film, no. The true heroes are the hundreds of men, women, and children who have paid the ultimate price in our struggle for freedom in Uganda. Those that are lying in unmarked graves scattered over the country, the political prisoners, and those that are missing. Those are the true heroes. We salute them!! I want to dedicate this award to my friend and neighbour, John Bosco Kibalama, and dozens of others that were arrested and taken away by the security forces and they've never been seen again. We honour you, we miss you, and we will never stop demanding for your freedom and return, dead or alive. Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen.