The probe Committee put in place by former Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) President Roger Hans Ddungu has today released the report recommending the resignation of the current UOC members, William Blick and Penninah Kabenge.
While releasing the report at Shangai Restaurant in Nakasero, Kampala, the committee chairman Professor George William Kanyeihamba, said they were surprised that none of the concerned parties including Ddungu was attending the function.
The other members of the committee present were Secretary Col. Stephen Kwiringira and Counsel Peruth Nshemereirwe. The committee said the absence of the Blick and Ddungu factions clearly shows the caliber of leaders UOC has.
The probe recommended that Kabenge, the UOC Secretary General, resigns or be removed forcefully because of her failure to make public the documents she submitted to the US and for which she won an award. This, Kanyeihamba said was unconstitutional.
In February this year, Kabenge won the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Women and Sport Award in California. The then UOC president Ddungu, however, suspended Kabenge claiming that she forged his signature to win the award.
Kanyeihamba, a retired Supreme Court judge, now describes Kabenge’s decisions and actions as illegal and that this disqualifies her from remaining in or standing for office in UOC.
The report further states that since Uganda Rugby Union where Blick is the chairman is not a member of UOC and will not qualify to join as a member till 2016, Blick is not qualified to be an official of the UOC and should resign or be forced out.
Interestingly the probe said Ddungu and his Assistant Secretary General Nicholas P’Minga should still be recognized as the constitutionally elected leaders of UOC.
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On May 19, the UOC Extra Ordinary Assembly banned Ddungu accusing him of abrogating the UOC constitution and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter by taking his executive members to court. P’Minga was also suspended over the same.
The ban means he cannot even represent Uganda Taekwondo Association as their Chairman and can never be voted again to lead UOC or even represent any Olympic recognized sport in Uganda. Ironically, the UOC members also picked issues with the appointment of the Kanyeihamba-led probe without acceptance by the Executive. The probe committee had been appointed to among others investigate Kabenge, but the Assembly cleared her of any wrong-doing.
Kanyeihamba’s probe team also revealed that UOC is handicapped by endemic historical factors, failure to act in accordance with the IOC charter and UOC constitution, existence of serious structural weaknesses, and lack of effective communication between the organs and the IOC.
They also noted the mismanagement of UOC affairs, interference of Ministry of Education and Sports and National Council of Sports in UOC matters and unqualified personnel in the National Olympic body.
According to the probe committee Secretary Kwiringira, there is no way IOC can recognize the Blick faction which overthrew the elected President.
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According to the terms of reference designed by UOC under Ddungu, the probe chairman is supposed to be paid over 14.7 million shillings while the Secretary is to earn 7.1 million shillings. The Legal Counsel is expected to earn 3.5 million shillings. But Kanyeihamba said although Ddungu paid them part of the money at the start, they have used personal resources to accomplish the work and have the report ready.
When contacted, UOC Vice President Dennis Galabuzi told URN on phone that they don’t recognize the Kanyeihamba report and that they wrote to the retired judge on Monday telling him not to use UOC name in any way.
