The Lord Mayor of Kampala, Erias Lukwago, has threatened to drag the New Vision newspaper to court over publishing a story linking him to the Chief coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation, Gen Salim Saleh.
This follows a note dated December 31 attributed to Gen Saleh revealing that he was offended by what Lukwago said about him, and to the effect, he had withdrawn all the support he has been extending to him until he apologizes.
“Dear Brother Elias Lukwago, Lord Mayor Kampala City. I’m very offended by what you have said about me and the power I am misusing. I have withdrawn all the support I have been giving you in your fights (political) until you apologize. Otherwise, like Archbishop Semwogerere said, obulimba n’obukyaayi bwenkurabye nabwo – Uganda yakusabira,” adds Gen Salim who is also a brother to President Yoweri Museveni.
Gen Salim, who has not come out to deny the note, neither revealed what Lukwago had said nor the kind of support he referred to.
Now on Wednesday, New Vision carried a story entitled, “Gen Saleh speaks out on Lord Mayor Lukwago”, noting that they had spoken to Gen Saleh who confirmed to them that all he awaits is an apology from the Lord Mayor.
They reported that in an interview with them, Saleh said the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) strongman must apologize to him.
“I am waiting for the apology,” Saleh told New Vision in a television interview on Monday.
While addressing reporters at City Hall on Wednesday afternoon, Lukwago noted what New Vision reported today is nothing but lies and total fabrication aimed at tarnishing his name, thus opting to sue the daily.
“If you have represented New Vision here, tell them I am serving them with summons today (Wednesday) and they are required to put-in defense in 15 days for fabrication,” Lukwago told the reporters.
He said Vision Group is not new to defaming him revealing that its platforms published and aired three defamatory stories against him a couple of years ago. The cases, he said, alleged he stole Lufula abatoir in Kampala, got money from unsuspecting people and that someone built him a house.
“New Vision has ever defamed me before using all their media outlets and I dragged them to Court. I had 3 cases against them and they paid me Shs40 million each,” Lukwago said.
“That time it was a lot of money and for the New Vision they should this time prepare, I am ready and coming for that money,” Lukwago said, adding that in the following year (2016), Red pepper also defamed him and he sued them too, attracting Shs16 million from them.
“I asked ‘do you know how I have struggled to build my own house?’, let me drag you to Court. At least for them I was a bit linient, they paid me Shs16 million but this time for the New Vision, it is going to be a bit heavy,” stressed Lukwago.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Kabuye Kyofatogabye confirmed on Wednesday that the note is from Gen Salim Saleh and that he is seriously awaiting the apology from Lukwago whom he said “cut a finger that fed him.”
He claimed Lukwago, while at the blocked prayers by united forces of change to mark the end of the year, said its Gen Saleh who ordered the blocking of their prayers. We however could not independently verify the claim.
Kabuye alleged that Gen Salim Saleh has been providing political support to Erias Lukwago for long and in different ways including helping him to overcome attempts to unseat him by his former Deputy Sulaiman Kiddandala a couple of years back.
He said had it not been for the intervention of Gen Saleh then, Lukwago would not be Lord Mayor.
The Minister went ahead to challenge the Lord Mayor to come out in the open and deny that Gen Saleh has been giving him support, and if he does, they will expose him more because they have overwhelming evidence to the effect.