Embattled UNAA president fires all board members

The President of Ugandans in North America Association, Mr Monday Atigo says he has retired all members of the Association’s Board of Trustees (BOT).
In a press statement Friday morning, Mr Atigo said that the decision is effective immediately. He accuses the board of undermining the confidence in the organization.

“The acrimonious stance of the UNAA Board of Trustees has been unbecoming thereby causing upheavals and undermining the confidence in the organization, especially when the situation involves the organization's most recognizable face of the association, hitherto, the UNAA Elected President/Chief Executive Officer. I must emphasize that UNAA's success is tied to the zeal of its primary representative: The President/CEO and thus the UNAA Executive will no longer tolerate undue interference, we have a fiduciary and legal duty to manage the day-to-day affairs of the organisation on behalf of UNAA's Supreme organ who are the members,” reads part of the statement.

“In light of the above, the UNAA Board of Trustees, as currently constituted, is hereby disbanded effective immediately. It has been, but a painful overdue decision, done to ensure that the organization can effectively carry out its mission,” the statement continues.
Mr Atigo adds that a new Board will be constituted at the earliest opportunity.

“A new BOT will be nominated according to the Constitutional requirement of one having been a member in good standing for five consecutive years preceding their appointment. Unlike the disbanded group which had people who didn't qualify such as Mr Martin Musinguzi, Dr Joseph Buwembo, and Dr Michael Kisembo,” Atigo said.

This comes a month after Mr Atigo vowed to terminate the contract of the Board members after their chairman Dr Joseph Buwembo called for his resignation.
“Their term of office ends next march. They have demonstrated a lack of understanding on the goals and objectives of UNAA. We can’t have such individuals as leaders. None of them will return to office, they also know it and that’s why they are fighting so hard to see me out,” Atigo said in December.

However, Mr Buwembo says Mr Atigo has no authority to disband the UNAA board because he is not constitutionally recognised as the association’s president.
In a January 19 letter to Mr Atigo shortly after he announced that he had disbanded the board, Mr Buwembo said: “The current UNAABOT members' term of office expires in April 2018. A UNAA president has no constitutional powers or right to summarily disband the BOT. I also need to remind you, Mr Atigo, that constitutionally you are not the President and CEO of UNAA at this time, instead you are a presidential candidate.

UNAA recognizes Mr John Julius Muwulya as the interim president until the by-election occurs, at which time the elected individual will be sworn in as the president of UNAA.”

He said the BOT members will continue to do their work till their term expires or if they choose to step down on their own.
“The current crisis in UNAA as you know was brought about because of an illicit act of stuffing the UNAA voters register with 110(one hundred and ten) names of persons who did not qualify to be UNAA members in good standing, and proceeded to vote in the September 3rd 2017 Miami election, whereas, as per UNAA constitution, such persons ought not to have voted.

The BOT concluded that illicit voters influenced the results of the competed for positions, which were the president's and the council representative for South Pacific II region; especially considering the fact that the winners exceeded by 23 and 3 votes respectively,” Mr Buwembo’s letter to Atigo reads further.

It all started when the group disagreed over elections held during their convention in Miami. The allegedly fraudulent election was won by Monday Atigo who beat his rival Daniel Kawuma with a difference of 23 votes.
However, the UNAA Board of Trustees (BoT) sat and annulled the election saying it was sham. The same meeting asked Atigo to vacate his position as vice president and that his deputy Julius Muwulya takes over on interim basis.

After back and forth exchanges between the top management, the association’s EC settled to hold the repeat of elections during their annual convention in Seattle in September 2018.
This did not go well with the BOT members, who retaliated with terminating the contract of the EC secretary, Peter Simbi who issued the communication stating that the election had been pushed to September, albeit by consensus.

In their reason for sacking Dr Simbi, the BOT cited “unbecoming and detrimental conduct”. Mr Atigo again reminding the BOT of their lack of mandate said he would not allow the termination of Simbi.
Atigo instead revealed that the five members of the BOT had no qualification to sit on the bench. “They were sneaked in by a recent regime; the majority did not meet requirements to sit on the Board.”
With the exception of Miss Rossette Serumaga and Mr Edward Nantamu the other five members did not meet the UNAA constitution requirement. All members of the Board of Trustees are required to have been UNAA members for five consecutive years.
Constitutionally, the President and CEO of UNAA reserves the right to renew or not, the term of contracts for Board Members.