Mr Faruk Kirunda, President Museveni’s deputy press secretary, confirmed the arrest this week, but refused to give further details.

“Mr Ayeranga is being detained for questioning, but I do not have all the details of what he is accused of. You will have to contact the police to get those details,” Mr Kirunda said in a telephone interview.

Mr. Kituuma Rusoke, spokesperson for the Ugandan police, had not returned at the time of going to press. Monitor with details of the cause of the arrest.

However, sources close to the presidency revealed that the five men were arrested as part of an investigation into the leak of official documents, forgery of the presidential signature and extortion initiated at the behest of President Museveni.

Sources within the leadership of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary group revealed that the President told his members during a meeting held at State House on October 4 that he would crack down hard on corruption among the employees of the two State Houses. and the presidency.

“I have to fight corruption in my office. I even arrest my own people inside here,” Mr Museveni reportedly told caucus members.

It now appears that by the time the president addressed the caucus, the five men had already been arrested.

Sources close to the presidency said Monitor that the five accused were arrested at different locations in Kampala and Entebbe, in an operation which began on Thursday last week with the arrest of administrative staff and ended on Friday with the arrest of M .Ayeranga.

Sources close to the investigation revealed that it was precipitated by the publication on social media of a letter in which the president appointed Mr. Ayeranga as presidential assistant in charge of the Bunyoro sub-region.

Mr Museveni appointed Mr Ayeranga on September 23, three days after he visited Youth Minister Balaam Barugahare’s hotel and addressed a youth empowerment rally in Masindi on September 20.

The appointment was prompted by Minister Barugahare’s presentation of a memorandum in which National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders in the sub-region demanded jobs for long-serving NRM cadres, including former Minister of Bunyoro Affairs, Mr. Ernest Kizza, as well as two former legislators, Mr. Edgar Kaahwa Amooti and Karuhanga Amooti.

“As soon as you share President Museveni’s letter, people wonder who shared the letter. When the administrative staff was questioned, it was established that they gave him the letter and it was his own copy that was leaked,” the source revealed.

According to our sources, at the time questions about the leaked letter were raised, complaints that some of those arrested had extorted money from people seeking to meet with the president were ongoing.

It is not clear whether Mr Ayeranga had anything to do with these allegations, but this is not the first time there have been allegations that people wishing to meet or communicate with the president would be asked to pay money to do this arise.

In April last year, Dr. Kennth Omona, who was the principal private secretary to the president, issued a statement in which he stressed that no one was required to pay to meet the president.

The statement on X, formerly Twitter, followed an earlier post on the same platform, in which Mr Simon Kaggwa Njala sought to know who the official organizers of such meetings were.

“Simon @SimonKaggwaNjal we’ve always said you don’t need money or a broker to come to @StateHouseUg, all you need is the reason to do so, weighed against availability and the president’s priority. We do not have a staff member called @DaudiKabanda,” Dr Omona posted.

The clarification comes as a former candidate in the Busiro South parliamentary race claims a lawmaker defrauded him of Sh50 million in the name of helping him meet the president.

According to our sources, the five accused are also questioned about a certain number of documents which were allegedly transmitted by the President.

Of late, Chiefs of Staff as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have received numerous blue letters in which the President is said to have issued directives on a wide range of issues.

These include awarding contracts for construction projects such as roads and jobs to certain people.

The instructions suggest that the President issued directives in defiance of procurement and recruitment guidelines.

In one case, the Ministry of Works and Transport was allegedly ordered to award a Sh124 billion contract for the construction of a ministerial complex in Bwebajja to a foreign company.

In another case, a letter dated February 27, 2023, addressed to the then Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochora, reportedly ordered the extension of the Intelligent Telecommunications Surveillance and Security Surveillance Systems for another five years. data.

Besides questions about the veracity of the signature, there were questions about why the president would choose to write to the inspector general of police and not the interior minister who oversees the police, or to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

Another question regarding the letter was how the President allegedly wrote the name of General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, which was allegedly copied. The name is written “Kaine-rugaba”. General Muhoozi’s names on all official documents are written as “Muhoozi Kainerugaba”. It is inconceivable that Mr Museveni could cut his son’s name, our source suggested.

Another questionable letter was one in which the President allegedly asked the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission to “assess the suitability” of a person to be appointed as Secretary of the Lands Commission.

Mr Ayeranga’s arrest has meanwhile sparked angry reactions in the Bunyoro sub-region where a group calling itself “Set Ayeranga Free” is demanding his immediate release.

The group led by Mr Matia Kajura Amooti called a press conference at the Kolping Hotel in Hoima last week. At the press conference, they accused security agents of holding him incommunicado. Mr. Ayeranga was reportedly denied access to legal representation and his family.

MonitorHowever, it is understood that Mr. Ayeranga was taken to his home in Hoima on Tuesday where he was allowed access to his home. The house was also searched for documents and firearms. A firearm and six cartridges were recovered.

Mr. Ayeranga’s supporters nevertheless accuse security agents of having detained him without bringing him before a competent court beyond the 48-hour period authorized by the Constitution.

“We are united as the people of Bunyoro and we will not tolerate any violation of the rights of any of our citizens. We demand that the Government of Uganda and all relevant authorities take immediate action to correct this grave injustice,” the press release they issued reads in part.

The group also made a direct appeal to Minister Barugahare to intervene. Mr Barugahare said Monitor that he would raise the issue with President Museveni.

“If Mr Ayeranga has not been released by Monday, I will definitely take up the matter with President Museveni after the Cabinet meeting,” Mr Barugahare told this newspaper.