Top Legislators Allegedly Shared $5m Vitol Oil Deal Bribe

During the State of Nation Address, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni revealed that he is very careful when dealing with corrupt government officials.

Museveni however explained that if he fires or imprisons all of them, who will he work with in his government.

Highly placed sources in one of the highly feared intelligence agency told theGrapevine that Museveni made the said statement after reading a well detailed dossier on how government officials especially those from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development connive with senior Members of Parliament and heads of government agencies to fuel corruption in the country.

Through the said report, Museveni established that his government officials and MPs own multibillion properties locally and internationally and most of them are registered in shudder companies and names of their relatives.

Details in the report authored by the said intelligence agency matched with the details in the private report authored by Museveni’s trusted seasoned diplomat who revealed the particulars of the properties and companies owned by government officials abroad.

Museveni instructed his trusted diplomat to author for him the said report after the United Kingdom sanctioned the Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among maintaining that he owns fat bank accounts, owns a house abroad and is a big spender.

It was also revealed that Among has children who are studying from good schools in their country insisting that investigations made by United Kingdom intelligence established that all the money Among used to purchase, buy and educate her children is as a result of corruption.

However, in his letter to speaker Among, Museveni asked the speaker to confirm to him whether the house in the United Kingdom is owned by her or she is just renting it.

Among publicly disowned the said house and properties insisting that Rishi Sunak’s government was giving forged documents to President Museveni to cement their allegations that she owns properties in their country.

She maintained that she doesn’t even own a pussycat in their country.

Because of the sanctions against the speaker, Museveni directed further investigation in alleged corruption in parliament and more rot was discovered which included $5m Vitol Oil Company bribe.

Highly placed sources claim that when the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka started the process of legalizing the monopoly of selling oil in Uganda and all the powers be given to Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), Swiss based Vitol Oil Company also kicked off the process of taking the deal.

Sources claim that a number of senior legislators especially lawyers and those sitting on the parliamentary legal committee were approached and they accepted the deal of fighting for the interest of their company to be chosen as the only oil company to sell fuel to UNOC.

“When the president was in Kenya recently, President Ruto complained that Kenyan companies lost the deal to supply fuel to UNOC because of corruption. The President was preaching the cooperation of the East Africa countries and was shocked because Ruto had all the evidence implicating top government officials and legislators. What the President is doing is to punish those greedy people who placed him in bad light,” a source said.

Museveni struggled to convince President William Ruto to accept the issuing of the operation license to UNOC because Kenyans were very bitter with the way they lost the multibillion oil deal in Uganda.

Museveni government and that of Ruto also signed other deals in agriculture and trade and with immediate effect Museveni direct Kiryowa Kiwanuka to withdraw the case Uganda had filed in the East African Court of Justice against the government of Kenya.

Sources claim that $5m bribe was paid to legislators in installments and legislators especially those on parliamentary committees received their share in installments.

It should be noted that among the legislators who are currently in detention include; Yusuf Mutembuli, the Bunyole East Member of Parliament and also the vice chairperson of the parliamentary legal committee; Cissy Namujju Donozio the Lwengo district woman legislator and Paul Akamba the Busiki County legislator.

The trio were yesterday charged have with corruption and they pleaded not guilty. Court records indicate they solicited a percentage share of the Uganda Human Rights Commission’s 2024/25 budget, promising to influence its increase.

However, just like legislators, top government officials are also panicking over the ongoing investigation against them plus Museveni himself.

Sources disclosed that because of the scare, it is the reason why Museveni has summoned the National Resistance Movement (NRM) top party organ the Central Executive Committee (CEC) for an emergency meeting on Friday.

Emmauael Lumala Ddombo the NRM Director for Communication and Information confirmed the said meeting noting that there was a serious decision which was not taken during the Monday meeting which was chaired by Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo the National Vice chairperson.

Ddombo declined to reveal the decision which was not taken and why they need the guidance of their chairperson.

Godfrey Kiwanda Suubi the NRM vice chairperson in charge of Buganda told theGrapevine that the president has started biting the corrupt and they will all support him in this struggle.

He added Museveni has to act on corruption very seriously because it is going to be a strong factor in the coming elections.

Sources allege that Museveni is going to use the said meeting to share evidence he has received on the huge corruption in parliament with CEC members and a decision will be taken on how to handle the situation.

Sources said that the decision which is going to be taken is likely going to affect Speaker Among and Adolf Mwesigye the Clark to parliament since they have slept on the job as legislators used their positions to place the country in bad light.

Museveni is also expected to brief CEC concerning the advice he received from intelligence who warned him that if he doesn’t properly handle the issue of corruption, it can cause the downfall of his government since these government officials can facilitate and sponsor candidates against NRM in the 2026 general elections, sponsor rioters and demonstrators hence creating insecurity in the country.

But other sources said that CEC members cannot advise Museveni on corruption related issues, because they are also under probe.

However, seasoned political commentator and also senior presidential advisor on media, Joseph Tamale Mirundi insists that there is no government official who can threaten Museveni because he is the one who made them and has the alternative to weaken them.

He gave the example of how he weakened John Patrick Amama Mbabazi the former Prime minister and NRM Secretary General who was once branded as the engine that runs Museveni’s government.