By Mulengera Reporters
After the photo session with newly posted acting judges, President Museveni recently grabbed a private moment with Karoli Ssemogerere, one of them and briefly chated with him.
Karoli, son to late veteran opposition DP leader PK Semogerere also a long time Museveni opponent who departed in 2023, has been writing a weekly column running on Thursdays in the Monitor newspaper, for the last 19 years.
He began in 2006 at the instigation of his old friend Andrew Mwenda whose suggestion was promptly accepted by Charles Onyango-Obbo, who was then a big man and founder at the same newspaper. Titled “Talking Point,” Karoli’s column is the 2nd oldest in Monitor newspaper after Onyango-Obbo’s Ear to the Ground which runs every Wednesday.
Karoli’s appointment as Ag Judge took many by surprise as a lot of people expected Gen Museveni to be resentful of him because his dad PK Semogerere was a consistent opponent of the NRM which has ruled Uganda for nearly 40 years under one President. Karoli has written many things in those 19 years and a lot of it has been anti-establishment. Last Thursday 6th March, he delivered his last article with a promise to help Monitor newspaper bosses to find a perfect replacement. He thanked his readers and Daily Monitor to availing him a platform for all that period during which he never attracted any defamation suit as a result of what and who he wrote about.
As they took group photos at the State House balcony, Gen Museveni (who never misses newspapers) turned to face Karoli. He demanded to know if he was the man who writes the weekly column, to which the newly designated Ag Judge responded yes. Museveni then demanded to know whether he is a journalist or not to which Karoli clarified no. He explained to the President he is an IT person who also likes writing too. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
