Security to investigate source of forged letter on MPs Service Award

Kampala, (UG):- Uganda’s State House Monday said security and intelligence forces will investigate the source of President Museveni’s “forged letter” over commissioners’ service awards which went viral on social media over the weekend.

The letter which the Presidential Press Unit (PPU) later dismissed as fake had the President question if the Attorney General was aware of a meeting reportedly chaired by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, where a Shs1.7b service award was shared by four commissioners including former Leader of Opposition, Hon Mathias Mpuuga.

“The Presidential Press Unit – PPU wishes to inform the General Public that the letter circulating on social media purportedly authored by H.E The President on the subject of service awards to Parliamentary Commissioners is forged and should be ignored,” the PPU said in a brief notice which did not bear any signature nor any other features synonymous with official press releases from the unit.

The deputy Presidential Press Secretary, Mr Faruk Kirunda, would later come out to emphasize the authenticity of the Unit’s statement saying the “State House stands by its earlier stance” that the said letter was forged without the knowledge of the President.

“Please, note that the PPU statement issued earlier today clarifying the letter purportedly written by H.E the President to the Hon. Attorney General with the subject: ‘Service Awards to Parliamentary Commissioners’ dated May 3, 2024, still stands. Just to confirm; that letter is forged and is the work of self-seekers,” Mr Kirunda stressed.

When pressed for further clarification on whether the State House was investigating the source of the allegedly “forged letter”, Mr Kirunda was quick to say security agencies will investigate the matter.

“The intelligence will follow up,” Kirunda said without divulging more details on when such investigations would commence.

Museveni’s forged letter came at the time when another letter, dated May 11, which Kirunda said was authentic took social media by storm on Monday in which the President last week directed the Inspector General of Government, Ms Beti Kamya, to investigate the alleged property and bank accounts the Speaker of Parliament owns in the UK.

“I have been contacted by many of you wanting to clarify on a May 11, 2024, letter signed by H.E President Museveni and addressed to Gen. J J Odong, Minister for Foreign Affairs on the subject of sanctions slapped by the UK government against Rt. Hon. Anitah Among and two former ministers. I wish to confirm that this letter is authentic,” said the president’s Deputy spokesperson, Farouk Kirunda on Monday night. 

In the letter, Museveni said he had received information from Dr. Patricia Achan Okiria, Deputy Inspector General of Government, on the 9th of May, 2024, “informing me that the Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among never revealed that she had a house in the United Kingdom.”

Museveni in his writing to Odongo said, “Rt. Hon. Anita Among has told me that she does not own a house or houses in the UK,” and instructed him to officially request information from the United Kingdom’s authorities.

“Therefore, working with the Attorney-General, write an appropriate letter to the relevant authorities in UK to demand the source of their information,” he added saying “They (auK) cannot falsely accuse any of our people and we just let it pass.”