Musenero alleges that extortionists bay for her blood
Dr Musenero Monica, the Science, Innovations and Technology minister is sad and blue; he is having sleepless nights.
“I have learnt that the move is co-funded purposely to fight me until they see that I have been removed from that position,” Dr Musenero said, adding that former staff of the Science and Technology ministry “are working tooth and nail” to engineer her downfall.
Hon. Yona Musinguzi (Ntungamo Municipality), who last November tabled a string of documents he claimed implicated Dr Musenero, once worked at the Ministry as an assistant commissioner.
Dr. Musenero alleges that she has found herself having to ward off extortionists.
One of them whom she identified as a former ISO operative—reportedly demanded for a sh100m bribe. Dr Musenero says she has substantial evidence to prove her case.
The minister also claims she was ambushed and even survived an assassination in Kaderuna Sub-county, Budaka District.
“This matter of assassination was reported to police and Internal Security Organisation took over the investigations,” she revealed, adding that her “security has been raised to level three.”
Among the recommendations of the select committee report is the disbandment of the Presidential Scientific Initiative on Epidemics (PRESIDE). Dr Musenero—who says she has dedicated herself to fighting pandemics and other dangerous disease outbreaks, believes such a recommendation is unfortunate.
The embattled minister says President Museveni directed then prime minister Ruhakana Rugunda to establish the think tank to fast track research and development of essential response tools.
The initiative was to create an environment for scientists and researchers that would ultimately lead to the containment of the pandemic.
A memorandum of understanding between PRESIDE and the Science, Innovations and Technology ministry was submitted to the solicitor General for clearance on August 24, 2020. Clearance came on September 1, 2020.
Dr Musenero further explained that sh31.03b in the FY 2020/21 for scientists under PRESIDE was earmarked. Of this, sh15.787b was ring-fenced for procurement of equipment. sh15.245b was for project operational costs.
The support for the PRESIDE secretariat was budgeted under State House at the tune of sh3.35 billion, she concluded.
Dr Musenero also says the Science, Innovations and Technology ministry released sh13.1b out of sh15.2b to scientists. This, she goes on to reveal, left a balance of sh2b.