FALLOUT BEGINS OVER KANYEIHAMBA REPORT
Leading figures, including at least one former chairperson of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, have already vowed to take legal action against the now dissolved Commission of Enquiry for being named in what to many looks a revenge attack by Kanyeihamba and his commission underlings. The entire uselessness of the report became evident when it praised another former chairperson, a Dr. Muballa, said to have been a personal friend of the former tourism minister Otafire, the main reason for his appointment, whose term of office was marked by controversy before being sacked by court for being incompetent to hold the office.
Muballa and some of his fellow board members, also sacked by court for being incompetent to hold such positions in the absence of any links to conservation, took UWA for a cash cow, demanded as much as three times the previous emoluments and when the former Executive Director of UWA refused to accommodate them was then first suspended and then sacked, in what was generally perceived as a revenge action. Muballa then illegally turned himself into an Executive Chairman a position which does not exist under the relevant Wildlife Act, which resulted in a court case leading to his sacking. All subsequent actions then became what is known as Otafires kangaroo courts and Kanyeihambas praise for a chairperson sacked by court and his contempt for others who left a legacy behind, speaks volumes.
Amongst those vowing to take action is the current Acting Executive Director Dr. Andrew Seguya, who was brought in from the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre where he held the same position. He, during his work at UWA, suffered of several public insults and run ins with Kanyeihamba who, when not seeing his dubious demands promptly fulfilled, then also took aim at the current UWA management.
A regular source at the Ministry of Tourism, on condition of strict anonymity, had this to say: Kanyeihamba is an embittered old man. He lost out for his erratic behaviour and public outbursts with the powers that be and this commission was his last shot for fame. He failed even here as far as we are concerned and his standing as a legal mind is now soiled by allegations over his motives, his borderline public comments on sitting witnesses before his commission which appear to have prejudged the outcome and by dragging in present UWA management and the new minister. Here he made a big mistake. That report will be torn up in court where it is heading now, but for us in the ministry, we are happy to see the back of this commission and his unreasonable behaviour, his constant demands for ever more funds and ever more facilitation. Imagine, he wanted another three months and multi millions of shillings to travel to the parks at taxpayers expense. He can now have a holiday and rest at his own home and should stay there for good.
These sentiments were echoed across a wide section of stakeholders polled over the matter, though some of those who served on various investigation panels may well disagree, after having been part of Otafires kangaroo courts as the phrase was coined already at an early stage in reference of the apparent revenge motives and prosecutor, jury, judge and executioner style court martial approach. Watch this space as this long saga now inevitably heads to court, and what a proper court will eventually think about the Kanyeihamba report, its methods and conclusions.
