{UAH} Leopardess Kataha felt very offended with Stella's finger up her unmentionable

How Dr Stella Nyanzi got Janet Museveni talking

• April 7, 2017
• Written by Edris Kiggundu

Stung and angered by Dr Stella Nyanzi's offensive social media tirade against her, First Lady Janet Kataha Museveni on Wednesday, March 29, met with a group of her informal advisors at State Lodge, Nakasero.

The afternoon meeting had been convened at short notice. The circle of advisors comprised of her allies, political mobilisers, friends and relatives. Also in attendance were a couple of personal aides and assistants.

A precarious situation was unfolding and Janet needed advice on how to handle it. Dr Stella Nyanzi, a researcher at Makerere University, had upped her harsh criticism of her on social media and there were no signs of a let-up. According to sources, Janet, the minister of  Education and Sports, was very angry and felt very offended by some of Nyanzi's posts given their vulgarity.

The Nyanzi Facebook tirades against Janet Museveni started in late February when the minister for education told parliament that there was no money in next financial year's budget to buy sanitary pads for girls in schools. Nyanzi accused President Museveni of reneging on his campaign promise and attacked Janet for being an accomplice in the matter yet she is a woman and a mother.

"Janet knows the shaming, name-calling, teasing, isolation, stigma and discrimination girls face at school and in communities if their menstrual blood leaks into public view," she posted on March 5.

Dr Stella Nyanzi

Two days later she appeared before the Criminal Investigations directorate (CID). She was interrogated about the vulgarity of her posts and her attacks on public officials, notably the first lady.

Yet the most brutal and vicious of attack on Janet from Nyanzi, which triggered the Nakasero meeting, had come on, March 29. Using profanities, Nyanzi accused the first lady of being out of touch with reality when she recommended that parents should use cars, not boda bodas, to take their children to school.

Janet had made the remarks at a press conference on March 27.

"She [Janet] was disoriented [by the post] because she has never seen anyone abuse her in such a manner," said our source.

So, in the hastily organized Nakasero meeting, Janet sought to seek ideas from her advisors on how she should handle the situation. According to our sources, most of the people advised her to ignore Nyanzi. They said it would not be wise for the first lady to engage in a verbal attack with a "mad person." Some were of the view that she issues a press statement, rebuking the coarse language that Nyanzi used to attack her.

Makerere University, where Nyanzi works, was also brought into the picture with one of the advisors wondering why it could not take disciplinary action against Nyanzi not only for attacking the first lady but also for using unbecoming language on social media. One of the aides said he will follow up on this (Makerere has already suspended Nyanzi).

Sources told us that the first lady listened attentively to all the suggestions and when it was her turn to speak, she flatly rejected the idea that "she should do nothing."

According to our sources, she told the meeting that ignoring Nyanzi would mean that it is permissible to "abuse" her.

TV INTERVIEW

Our sources said that it is at this point that one of her aides suggested that she gives a television interview to answer some of the criticism leveled against her by Nyanzi in general terms. The idea was quickly bought.

According to sources, the interview would not necessarily focus on Nyanzi's attacks but would attempt to address some of the researcher's claims that Janet is out of touch with the ordinary people.

The interview also had to be broadened to include other issues related to education so that it doesn't appear like a panicked response to Nyanzi. The aide said since NTV had been trying to interview the first lady, March 29 was the opportune time.

Our sources said that the aide suggested the name of the interviewer (Sheila Nduhukire) whom Janet knew. Janet in fact said that Nduhukire had two days earlier (after the press conference) requested for an appointment for the interview.

It was also agreed in the meeting that the aides come up with the interview questions because the first lady did not want to be ambushed. The first lady gave the plan a thumps-up and one of her aides immediately contacted NTV and said the first lady would be available for an interview within the next one hour.

Interviewed for a comment on Wednesday, April 5, Maurice Mugisha, the NTV news manager, rejected the notion that they had been tapped by Janet's handlers to do the interview. Mugisha said they had unsuccessfully pursued an interview with the first lady for over a year.

"We wrote a letter last year in which we expressed our intention of interviewing the first lady. They told us that they [would] get back to us," he said, adding that they have also done the same for other prominent personalities like President Museveni.

But Mugisha admitted that the television was notified on short notice although this does not mean they were ill-prepared.

"We were informed on short notice by one of her aides but we were ready because we had already had a template of questions which we have always wanted to ask her about the education sector, about her political ambitions," he said, denying that the questions had been drafted by Janet's team.

Mugisha also affirmed that in his capacity as news manager, he is the one who chose Nduhukire to do the interview, not State Lodge.

Meanwhile, Isaac Ssekamadde, the lawyer for Dr Nyanzi, has written to Makerere University urging them to drop disciplinary proceedings against his client.

In an April 5 letter to Mary Tizikara, the human resource director, Makerere University, Ssekamadde argues that the charges brought against Nyanzi are inconsistent with the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution of Uganda.

"We urge you once more to immediately terminate those so-called disciplinary proceedings and make the necessary arrangements to give our client sufficient reparations for inconvenience and injury so far caused to her," the letter reads in part.

It adds, "Let it be stated once more that the charges framed against our client relating to her alleged social media comments are inconsistent with her right to freedom of expression and other constitutional imperatives, including academic freedom in the 2001 Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions act."

--

Gwokto La'Kitgum

----------------------------------------------------------------

"Even a small dog can piss on a tall building" Jim Hightower

--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com