By Norman Miwambo

17^th Dec 2012: Just a day before Friday, December 14, I wrote a message to a friend referring him to a recent comment by Butaleja District Woman MP, Cerinah Nebanda Arioru.

Ms Nebanda, 24, is reported to have said that MPs were forced to wash their hands when they arrived at President Museveni’s State House.  “When we went to State House for the caucus meeting, they forced us to wash our hands, why do you fear to die and you want others to die, Nebanda asked?

Ms Nebanda’s comment then was in response to an alleged order by, Mr Yoweri Museveni to have all NRM caucus to wash their hands before a meeting that had been scheduled to break the deadlock over the budget, on Monday, September 17, 2012.

The legislators had wanted Shs260 billion (approximately $ 97.5 million) for Health sector before they pass the 2012/13 budgets – a demand that the president rejected outright.

Little did I know that the MP would be dead in about 85 days!  Although the cause of Nebanda’s demise remains a mystery, it’s safe to say that death has robbed Uganda of one of its youthful leaders who had the country at heart.

But what kind of death took Nebanda from us?  There are rumours flying around that Nebanda may have been poisoned.  The question is: by whom?  In October 2003, the British newspaper The Telegraph quoted Museveni expressing possible poisoning plots against his family.

“When it comes to medical care for myself and my family, there is no compromise.” Museveni said.  “I regard myself and my immediate family as a principal target for the criminal forces.”

Circumstantial Evidence

This is clear confirmation that even the most guarded man in Uganda still fears assassination by poisoning.  If he is that fearful, then spare a thought for vulnerable MPs like the late Nebanda – after all, even as NRM MP, she was still a thorn in the back of the government.

Key opposition figures like Dr Kizza Besigye and Ingrid Turinawe have also expressed fears of poisoning plots.  It was reported that Jacqueline Kehoda Ahimbisibwe, a member of Ingrid Turinawe’s household recently died of suspected poisoning.  Sam Mugumya, an Aide to Dr Besigye, is also said to be suffering from strange ailments.

In 2007, or thereabouts, State House employee Ananias Tumukunde was arrested together with Niels Jørgen Tobiasen, a Danish national.  The indictment showed that the two were accused of the possession of Criminal Properties in contravention of Section 327 and 329 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Ian Day, Operations Director for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) company who had worked with Niels Jørgen Tobiasen at the same company, later said his company had trained Ugandans in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear facilities.

The question is: Why would a country like Uganda which doesn’t produce such lethal substances want some of its citizens to be trained for the eventuality of reprisal attacks from such substances?  If not, then is it safe to conclude that there are people stationed in the country whose job is to administer lethal poison to the government’s opponents?

To this day, uncomfortable questions still linger around about the mysterious circumstances under which former Defence Permanent Secretary Brig. Noble Mayombo died.

These uncomfortable questions are further fuelled by the fact that the government refused to release the findings of the investigation into Mayombo’s death.

Could it be that the investigation team found that Mayombo had in fact been poisoned?  END: Login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories mid-week for our updates

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