Following press reports that there was bad blood between Bank of Uganda Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile and his Deputy Loius Kasekende, the governor released a statement to the contrary.
“I continue to count on the confidence and support of my deputy and all other members of the Board of Directors, Executive Directors and staff of the Central Bank,” Mutebile wrote.
Mutebile’s statement followed rumours of infighting within BoU, following Mutebile’s February staff changes where former Executive Director Supervision Justine Bagyenda was the biggest casualty as she was disgracefully sent on early retirement.
Contrary to Mutebile’s reassurances, there has been word of a rift between the two. In fact recently The Independent magazine reported that Kasekende was on Bagyenda’s side. They cited 23 trips which Kasekende took out of the country in the period of about a year and always left Bagyenda in charge of his docket.
The Independent reported that Kasekende was considered next in line after Mutebile was grooming Bagyenda to take over as his deputy and that he had started making strategic appointments for his trusted people, some of which were overturned during Mutebile’s February shake-up.
Bagyenda was replaced with Dr Tumubweine Twinemanzi who previously worked with the Uganda Communications Commission.
However, Bagyenda went down fighting as she refused to hand over office, ran to the President who said he couldn’t meddle in BoU affairs and then ran to the Inspector General of Government Irene Mulyagonja, sparking a war of word with Mutebile when she directed him to stay his appointments and he rubbished her order as BoU is an autonomous body protected by the Constitution. It took President Museveni to call the public officials to order.
Apparently, Kasekende was silent in the meeting, probably not wanting to appear to be against his boss Mutebile because it was a public secret he was on Bagyenda’s side.
And now despite several public bodies including the IGG’s office, URA and Financial Intelligence Authority investigating Bagyenda due to her vast wealth valued at several billions after her bank details leaked, it seems Kasekende is bent on returning her.
An online outlet spyreports.com has reported that Kasekende is hatching a plan to return Bagyenda when Mutebile travels out of the country anytime soon. Over the past four years, Mutebile has not been in very good health and he is periodically flown out of the country for treatment.
And if anything is to go by, Bagyenda’s return would be more than meets the eye.
“If Justine Bagyenda successfully convinces the BOU Board to extend her contract, she will use this opportunity to cover up the Auditor General’s expected report on the defunct commercial banks that she shut down,” online reports noted, quoting impeccable sources.