A Ugandan journalist whose story was quoted by Cord leader Raila Odinga on Thursday to back his position in the ongoing sugar saga has disowned the report.
Nicholas Kalungi says he left Daily Monitor in 2013, hence he could not have written a story in 2015 in the same paper as alleged by the former Prime Minister.
“Why is Hon Raila Odinga dragging me in his political games with President Uhuru? For the record I left Daily Monitor in May 2013. There is no way I would have written an article dated August 12, 2015. An article published on his website is quoting me,” Kalungi wrote on his Facebook, attaching a screenshot of the statement by Cord.
At a press conference on Thursday, a statement issued by Cord quoted figures of Uganda’s current and projected sugar production, backing it with a story apparently written by Mr Kalugi.
“Writing in Uganda’s Daily Monitor on August 12, 2015, Nicholas Kalungi said the following: ‘Unless local (Uganda’s) sugar production capacity is increased, consumers will continue paying high prices for the commodity. This comes after the operational sugar companies such as Lugazi, Kakira and Kinyara–among others–failed to meet the 2012 sugar production forecast’” said the Cord brigade.
Cord has accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of entering into a deal with Uganda where the Kenyan market will be flooded with sugar from the neighbouring country, an allegation that the government refutes.
So what happened? Did Mr Odinga rely on dated figures?
A comment in Kalugi’s post appears to clear the air. Kato Chrysestom wrote: “I read Railas thing. Jama (presumably the Monitor news editor) used ur story about a sugar deal and dated it 2015.”
Be the judge.
