KAMPALA, Uganda — Tycoon Ben Kavuya has denied reports that State Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (Industry) David Bahati is facing severe financial difficulties and owes him a substantial amount of money.
Kavuya’s statement directly refutes claims of Bahati’s financial distress. Kavuya denied the minister owes him 800 million Ugandan shillings (about $210,000) allegedly borrowed for Bahati’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) campaigns.
Reports had depicted Bahati, a member of Parliament for Kabale district in southwestern Uganda since 2006, as “choked on debts” by various lenders. These claims included threats from local money lenders in Kabale town to seize his property, and outstanding loans with DFCU Bank and the Parliament Sacco. LALA Finances, a Kampala-based money lender, was also mentioned as demanding payment.
Bahati dismissed the allegations as “false information” spread by political rivals. He also rejected claims circulating online that he evicted NRM offices from his building in Kabale town and intends to resign as the ruling party’s district chairman.
Bahati, who has served as the NRM party chairman for Kabale District for two decades, labeled the information “misleading, baseless, and unfounded,” stating it “shouldn’t deserve the attention of any sober person.”
“I have no time for such dim-witted fake news purveyors and their moron sponsors,” Bahati said. “Two weeks ago, they also concocted that I had evicted NRM party from my building in Kabale town, yet I have never been a landlord to NRM party anywhere in Uganda. The fake news about me has become a trend that the public should be aware of.”
He added, “My enemies are shameless and blockheaded individuals who find nothing wrong in telling a lie that can easily be proven and are convinced that they can use blackmail and false propaganda against me but won’t manage.”
Bahati said he is not bothered by social media articles, describing them as “not news, but just opinions from individuals with twisted minds and zero regard for the truth and decency.” He urged the public to “always treat such information from those individuals with the contempt it deserves.”
Bahati also refuted any intention to resign as the NRM chairman for Kabale District.
