Gen Caleb Akandwanaho, better known as Salim Saleh, has threatened to sue opposition legislator Hon Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda for defamation following allegations of misappropriation of public funds.
Hon Nganda, a vocal critic of President Yoweri Museveni’s government, recently accused Gen Saleh, who is also the president’s brother, of siphoning billions of shillings from the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS).
During a televised interview, Nganda claimed that upon taking over Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Gen Saleh redirected UGX 97 billion from NAADS’ UGX 450 billion budget to purchase vehicles for coordinators.
“The first thing that Saleh did after the creation of OWC was to remove UGX 97 billion to buy pick-ups for the so-called coordinators,” Nganda alleged.
The opposition MP further criticised the government’s decision to pass the controversial National Coffee Amendment Bill under pressure from President Museveni.
He questioned the justification for disbanding the Uganda Coffee Development Agency (UCDA), pointing out its UGX 45 billion annual budget was far smaller than the UGX 150 billion allocated to presidential donations.
Nganda also accused Museveni of using similar tactics to dismantle NAADS, claiming that the president repeatedly criticised the agency’s inefficiency before handing control to Gen Saleh.
In a terse statement issued last night, Gen Saleh denied the accusations and warned Nganda to desist from making defamatory remarks.
“Hon Ibrahim Nganda, if you want to know who ate NAADS money, please check the NAADS suppliers’ database at PPDA,” the general wrote. “Stop tarnishing my name, otherwise I will sue you.”
Hon Nganda had yet to respond to the general’s threat at the time of publication.
The controversy highlights long-standing disputes over the management of public funds and the influence of powerful individuals within Uganda’s agricultural sector.
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