Tensions are running high within the precincts of parliament after information leaked that a special security team is probing Speaker Jacob Oulanyah's last 48 hours before his health abruptly deteriorated in June, prompting an emergency medical evacuation to the UK.
On the other hand, a storm is brewing within top-level parliamentary staff over promotions, corruption and an alleged purge of loyalists of former speaker Rebecca Kadaga.
Impeccable sources from State House have intimated to The Observer that President Museveni has ordered a specialized security team to investigate the sudden slump in Oulanyah's health a few days after assuming office.
The sources say the president is concerned Oulanyah could have been poisoned after medical reports from the UK, where he was rushed on June 22, turned out inconclusive.
"The report ruled out Covid-19 as it was earlier alleged in some circles. Oulanyah's problem started with stomach complications, then vomiting before he got breathing problems," said a source familiar with the matter.
"Oulanyah is now awaiting the full toxicology report to find out whether indeed something was planted in his food or drink but the president has decided to do his own investigation."
According to sources, the assembled security team comprised of specialists from police counter terrorism unit, Special Forces Command (SFC) and Internal Security Organisation (ISO) is analyzing CCTV footage at parliament and every place Oulanyah visited between June 19 and June 22 for leads into the matter.
"They [security] have already interrogated some relatives, friends and MPs but it is too early to get any solid information," said a source at State House.
"The team will hand over a report about its findings to the president in a few weeks."
Oulanyah quietly returned to the country on July 22 and has since avoided any public engagements to rest and fully recover.
It is not specifically clear why Oulanyah would be targeted given that he had not yet settled into the speaker's office but sources privy to the goings-on at parliament intimate that fear of being poisoned has gripped parliamentary officials for many years.
"It is a norm that many people in the top leadership at parliament carry their own food and drinks for fear of being poisoned. It gets more sensitive when it comes to the speaker's office," he said.
"Oulanyah took over office in an overzealous manner to immediately change the status quo and that could have exposed him to the threat of poison but we have to wait for the security and medical report before concluding it was poison."
STAFF TENSIONS
Meanwhile, The Observer has learnt there is infighting among the top staff at parliament and it is threatening to spiral out of control. It is understood that Oulanyah was heavily sidelined during his 10 years as deputy speaker but his new inner circle led by his deputy Anita Among, is out to overhaul top-level officers at parliament in order to have full control to smoothly direct affairs.
Parliament has more than 500 staff serving under 21 different directorates and many of them got sucked into the last race for speakership by taking sides between Kadaga and Oulanyah.
According to sources, the new leadership is purported to have deemed a significant number of those occupying top offices corrupt and lazy while some have already reached retirement age. In all this, matters are not helped if one has been known to be a Kadaga confidant.
"Kadaga influenced parliamentary staffing for more than 20 years, first as deputy speaker and then as speaker. She has a hand in the appointment of virtually all top-level officers and over the past 10 years, she had a firm grip on staff to the extent that everything revolved around her," said a source.
"All one needed to survive is to be in her good books regardless of whether you are incompetent or corrupt but the new leadership is trying to find its own personnel to work with."
PAYBACK TIME
Already, a number of high-level officers have been relieved of their work such as Jane Kibirige and Benson Masereka Oniz, the former clerk to parliament and Parliamentary Commission secretariat director respectively.
Last month, President Museveni retired Kibirige in 'public interest' while Among or- dered Masereka's removal from office without offering him a new placement.
Adolf Mwesige was appointed to take over as clerk to parliament whereas Masereka has been replaced with Robinson Kaweesa, the former director in the Office of the Deputy Speaker and a renowned Oulanyah confidant.
An NRM MP who preferred anonymity said the sequence of changes was humiliating for the affected staff.
"We all knew Kibirige and Masereka were close allies of Kadaga but the manner in which they were removed was absurd, especially when you consider the fact they were not deployed anywhere," he said.
Ordinarily, the speaker's office issues directives through the clerk to parliament but according to people close to the goings-on at parliament, there was little relations between Kibirige and Oulanyah.
KAGOYE ON WAY OUT?
Meanwhile, sources further claim that Ahmed Kagoye, the long-serving sergeant-at-arms, could be on his way out soon. The former police officer, who has occupied the office since 1989, is known to have been a close ally of Kadaga and some claim he has already clocked the public service retirement age of 60 years.
"He should have retired years ago but was only kept in office by the speaker [Kadaga] because they hail from same region," said an MP who preferred anonymity.
Sheila Atim, the principal assistant sergeant-at-arms, is being fronted to take over the position.
Source
