A few years ago I had a rare glimpse into the dirt that was gaining momentum in Uganda. I had a chance to look into the rush for Uganda's natural resource wealth.

I'm yet to disclose the entire saga because I'm still piecing together some information. But I would love if Radio Katwe looked into some of this information and provide us a little bit of glimpse into the natural-resource slavery scenario we facing as a nation.

The gold prospecting in Karamoja in the 1990s was being carried out by a company called Branch Energy. Its MD in Uganda was a certain Brian Westwood, a South African.

Branch Energy was owned 40% by General Salim Saleh, the brother of General Yoseri Tuhaburwa aka Yoweri Museveni.

During its tenure in the prospecting of gold in Kaabong, Branch Energy employed a chief geologist who by default happened to be the young brother of Henry Kajura, then minister in-charge of natural resources.

In their camp in Kaabong where Branch Energy invested close to $40m, (at least according to Mr. Westwood), the group set up an airfield that had little control by the Ugandan aviation authorities.

They also set up a state of the art laboratory that information I pieced together indicated had ability to handle simple purification procedures for gold.

In late 1990s Westwood said that they would be pulling out of Kaabong because there had been no substantial amount of gold discovered fitting for full exploitation. He also indicated that the machinery (worth over $20m) would remain with the Ugandan government!

My first question then was: Here are prospectors who discover no minerals worth exploiting; who've invested a massive amount of money into the project; pull out having apparently gained nothing but are willing to give all their machinery to the Ugandan government? Are they donors or just business goons?

Then more revelations occurred: There were reports of secret flights direct from the Branch Energy airfield in Kaabong to Nairobi's Wilson Airport. These flights, according to my informants had secret cargo originating from the Branch Energy laboratory inside their camp. These flights ran all through the time of prospecting.

As I pieced my investigation together, I learnt that actually Brian Westwood is a former Colonel in South African forces under the Apartheid regime. And more importantly to this piece, Brian Westwood is a serving officer in Executive Outcomes, that mercenary outfit that has been involved in a series of violent military activities in Africa.

And that is not all, as it begins to sound like some work of fiction; the secret flights from the Kaabong airstrip enjoyed special status from both the government of Uganda and Kenya. This was courtesy of protection from the Moi family in Kenya and Museveni's in Uganda.

The link is that within these families are leading Executive Outcome's shareholders. In Uganda Salim Saleh, aka Caleb Akandanwaho, is its senior representative while in Kenya, Moi's son, Raymond Moi, is the representative.

So while the flights took their secret cargo from Kaabong it was received by Raymond's handlers in Nairobi where it found its way to the international market.

And that explained the reason why it would have been possible for Branch Energy to offer its machinery to the 'Ugandan government'. All through the exercise the fellows were making money without paying any taxes. It was robbery of our resources!

And while at Branch Energy and gold prospecting, I also found intriguing the existence of its connection to as far away as Mrs. Linda Chalker. I guess some of you will recall the near air crash this abrasive lady with her host Museveni encountered while heading to Karamoja in 1994. The plane was piloted by a one Capt. Mike Mukula.

A few years later Mukula rises in the Ugandan political hierarchy.

It also brought to mind the Abayitababiri air crash that killed Henry Kajura's bright and beautiful daughter Jean Kajura. The destination was again the gold fields of Karamoja.

The intention of this piece is not to provide details because these linkages form units of my research into the chaos that has rained bloodshed in this region. I will therefore provide titbits to jerk up your mind, and if RK finds it interesting they can one day do their masterpiece as always. I have full respect and trust in their ability to do this.

So exit Branch Energy and enter Heritage Oil and Gas. And the story is being replayed: Heritage Oil and Gas' boss in Uganda is none other than the one and only, Col. Brian Westwood!

And the next stop is to prospect Uganda's oil prospects. Already the 'seismic' studies indicate good oil prospects. But again, we already knew this. As early as Obote's first government, Uganda with the help of the Indian government did a detailed study of the resource levels in Uganda. While discussing this with the late President Obote at his exile house in Lusaka, he affirmed that indeed oil presence was discovered then.

And I guess it is not surprising that Museveni is actively involved in this prospecting. During that study of the 60s, a certain young man then 'simply a destitute Tutsi refugee' (description given by Dr. Obote in Lusaka then) was employed as a research assistant in the office of the president. This young man may have, in the course of his duties, gotten access to the detailed information regarding this study. Years later that young man rises to the helm of Ugandan political power. It appears however, that this young man never at any time did forget of that wealth.

And lets get back to our EO: According to information both Branch Energy and Heritage Oil and Gas are subsidiaries of Executive Outcomes said to be largely owned by Tony Buckingham, that sly UK millionaire. I'm currently working on the rumour that Tullow, another company involved in helping poor Ugandans get 'rich' from their oil, is also owned by Executive Outcomes. Any help on this investigation will be appreciated.

But more interesting; Salim Saleh is a major shareholder in Heritage Oil and Gas Uganda, and of course by link - you know who else.

And let's build the Web further:

Does Saracen ring a bell? Its that well armed private security group.

Just peeping into Saracen you'll discover that in Uganda its key shareholder is Salim Saleh. Brian Westwood is another of its shareholders. But it goes beyond that, Internationally Saracen is known as a security group belonging to Executive Outcomes.

As Museveni and ilk went on an orgy of raping D.R. Congo, Saracen was a crucial player; recruiting, training and arming Congolese rebels. They were also the unit that trained Congolese child-soldiers for Jean-Pierre Bemba now on trial by the ICC in The Hague. It has continued with its activities. Last year it is the group based in an island on Lake Mobutu (Albert) that had a clash with Congolese troops.

Saracen is the main supplier of fuel that adds fuel to the Congolese crisis and is currently involved in the supply of military wares to 'General' Laurent Nkunda.

I'll leave the reader to connect the gaps, i.e. Heritage Oil and Gas and Saracen's activities in the western borders of Uganda.

And as you try to make linkages, lets stroll down memory lane and see if we can remember when in late 90s a Ugandan paper reported that then President Daniel arap Moi was set to buy the then Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB). Later this news died out as the saga of Salim Saleh's 'botched' purchase overtook that information.

What was not known to the media was that it wasn't Moi the president who was involved in the UCB deal; it was Raymond Moi the son. And it wasn't an individual's deal, it involved Westmont, a Malaysian registered company that in reality belongs to Executive Outcomes.

So even as the news of Moi died out it emerged that Westmont was attempting to purchase UCB as a front for Saleh. Of course the blowing of the whistle halted the crooks but never stopped for ever their schemes. Later they successfully did steal UCB.

The story about the ruthless and rogue robbery of resources of the Great Lakes region is not just heart rending; the intrigue involved is so scary and real bloody. I won't be surprised if we are already serfs in our own country. By the time ruthless reality awakens us from our deep slumber it may be too late to recover. The repercussion will reverberate for generations.

And it is not just Uganda; it cuts across the Great Lakes region. The plot also lies beneath prominent deaths in the region including the death of Laurent Kabila, of John Garang, etc.

 02 Oct 2008