On Friday morning, May 13, the Minister of Science Technology and Innovation Dr Monica Musenero received an anonymous call.
The caller, according to a source requested to meet the Minister in the outskirts of Kampala.
“But as strict as she is, Musenero insisted on knowing who the caller was and why would she meet him,” a source said.
The anonymous caller responded that the meeting was in the Minister’s interest.
“This meeting is for your own good. It will save your from an imminent storm,” a source quotes the caller as having said.
Pressed on for more details, the caller later revealed that he was acting on behalf of a clique of legislators who will decide Musenero’s fate as Minister of Science.
“Do you want to go home and grow cassava? Or you still want your office,” a caller asked.
An impatient Musenero told the caller to go and hang if he didn’t want to disclose the subject of the conversation, and she calmly ended the call.
An hour later, her phone rang and it was the same person. She warned the caller that she would interest security.
Our source further said that the caller later proposed that if Musenero was uncomfortable meeting them, “You can send your PA.”
A source said Musenero consulted some of her staff and one of them agreed to meet the anonymous caller.
A meeting was scheduled same day in the evening at one of the eatery points in Lugogo.
“The staff arrived on time and found two gentlemen. He only knew one whom he later learnt is an MP from Western Uganda,” said a source.
Asked why the two gentlemen were bothering the Minister, the MP said that the select committee of Parliament probing his boss had finalized the report and it would present it “next week.”
The MP said that however, the report can be twisted to exonerate the Minister if only she complies by raising shs 100 million to facilitate 20 lawmakers.
It remains unclear if the 20 MPs are among the select committee of parliament which outed the report on Monday.
The emissary upon returning to Musenero delivered the demands.
“Why should I pay? For what? What crime did I do? I would rather lose office than pay anyone. Because I know I am clean,” she said, resolving to keep silent and watch the MP’s next move.
What has followed since Monday has been a tirade of outburst against the scientist with a section of MPs lambasting her in public saying she is a masquerader.
“This is all part of the plan since she refused to cough a single coin,” said a source.
The committee presented the report on the floor of Parliament which was debated on Tuesday.
Parliament resolved that the IGG should be invited to investigate the allegations leveled against the Minister and present a report in three months.
But a clique of wounded lawmakers have pushed for her interdiction and dissolving Presidential Scientific Initiative on Epidemics (PRESIDE).
This recommendation is contained in the report of the committee presented to Parliament on the utilisation of COVID research funds by Hon. Xavier Kyooma for the financial years 2019/20 to 2021/22.
Since last year, Musenero has been reporting to committee to respond to a wide range of issues linked to developing of Covid-19 drug of which the project is registering a significant progress.
President Yoweri Museveni has publicly exuded a vote of confidence in Dr Musenero warning all her perceived detractors that he would die with them should they continue attacking “his scientists.”
Museveni further cautioned that the unwarranted fights would derail the projects of developing numerous virus vaccines.
The President on many occasions has said that Uganda is likely to be the first African to develop a Covid-19 vaccine.
Previous Extortion Attempts
Without mentioning names, a source recounted three times when some MPs efforts to solicit bribe from the Minister fell flat.
For long, some MPs have approached Musenero through proxies asking for money so that they compile a good report on her.
“She told them to go to hell.”“They first used her friend who is out of the country to reach to her saying they would withdraw the petition at the IGG’s office. She refused.
Against that background the cartel decided to use all avenues to discredit, malign and soil her name so that they irrigate their proposal of impeachment.
Efforts to reach Dr Musenero for a comment were unsuccessful by press time.
This investigative website has established that the MPs started peddling threats of her censure because Musenero has exhibited no room for negotiations.
