{UAH} How Sarah Kagingo got her State House job back
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How Sarah Kagingo got her State House job back
Written by Edris Kiggundu- Category: News
- Last Updated: 13 February 2015
Sarah Kagingo (L) has been reinstated back Museveni acts as Muslim leaders decry marginalisation of their girl
It has emerged that Sarah Kagingo, the controversial presidential assistant on communication, is back in her job at State House. Sources in state house have told us that Kagingo, whose job became a matter of intense speculation for months last year until she was fired and put under investigation, has been quietly reinstated by President Museveni.
Kagingo's sacking was announced in a state house statement last year, following highly-publicized in-fighting amongst state house employees. The quarrel appeared to pit some of the most senior state house staff against Kagingo. All along, Kagingo neither confirmed she was out nor insisted she was still at state house; but the president's press secretary, Tamale Mirundi, often declared that she had been fired.
"She is no longer at state house. She is masquerading as our employee," Mirundi was once quoted as having said, in response to questions about Kagingo's job.
The alleged sacking happened late in October 2014 during Museveni's visit to the Vatican. A state house statement that announced her sacking also indicated that the tech-savvy presidential aide was under police investigation (see: Kagingo fired, put under police probe, The Observer, October 29-30, 2014).
Days later, the police denied receiving any such orders.
Confusion reigned as Kagingo continued to post on her Facebook page real time updates of President Museveni's activities, competing with the new managers of the president's online platforms.
DEATH THREATS
As the rivalry intensified, it was alleged that Kagingo received death threats, which she reported to Muyenga community police station. In the wake of last year's killing of Muslim clerics, Kagingo's plight was brought to the attention of President Museveni during a meeting with a group of sheikhs from Kibuli.
Kagingo hails from one of the most prominent Muslim families in Ankole but with roots in Buganda. The Kibuli sheikhs reportedly vented their anger at the alleged witch-hunt of Muslims in government, citing the Kagingo saga.
"She might be killed soon," one sheikh is reported to have said, according to our sources.
Museveni reportedly assured the Muslim leaders that he had not ordered Kagingo's sacking and promised to handle her case with urgency. After meeting the sheikhs, Museveni eventually met Kagingo on January 25 in Soroti, on the eve of the NRM liberation day celebrations. Museveni, according to our sources, kept the January 25 meeting at the Soroti state lodge a secret from many of his handlers.
Interviewed for this story on February 7, Kagingo declined to divulge details of her meeting with the president. But a reliable source said Kagingo poured her heart out to the president, telling him how she had been mistreated by some senior staff at state house. During that meeting, Museveni reportedly ordered that Kagingo be reinstated.
FIRST ASSIGNMENT
When news of her presence at state lodge, Soroti, got to Maj Edith Nakalema, the president's private secretary in charge of secretarial duties, and one of those who were not getting along with Kagingo before she was fired, she allegedly stormed the place but found Kagingo walking out of the meeting room.
The Special Forces Command soldiers reportedly restrained the two women from any ugly confrontation. After the NRM day celebrations, Museveni travelled to Pakwach where he commissioned the Shs 11.7bn Andibo valley dam and an FM radio station belonging to Fred Omach, the minister of state for Finance.
Before he left, we have been told, Museveni assigned Kagingo to attend to some Arab visitors whom he was scheduled to meet in the evening of January 28 at Nakasero state lodge. Unaware of her apparent reinstatement, Nakalema allegedly threatened to arrest the soldiers on duty for letting a non-staff into state house, a source said.
Maj Nakalema is said to have calmed down after learning that the soldiers had cleared Kagingo upon getting instructions from Museveni. Asked to comment on her run-ins with Maj Nakalema, Kagingo again declined to comment.
Efforts to get a comment from Tamale Mirundi also failed, as he did not answer his phone when The Observer called yesterday. But when she featured on NTV's Sunday evening talk show, Fourth Estate, on February 8, Kagingo confirmed that she was back to her job, and that the president had advised her to ignore her detractors.ekiggundu@observer.ug
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