Dear President Museveni, I greet you.

As I write this letter, I reflect on the words of Martin Luther King Jr: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Your Excellency, my first close interaction with you was in 2006 at the Russell Square at a public debate in London. When I stood up then and made a contribution in support of your counsel and developmental ideas of having a transformed Uganda and East African Community, I caught your eye. You applauded my contribution and urged Ugandans in the diaspora to emulate my good example.

This led to my subsequent employment in Uganda, first as a senior consultant and advisor to the minister for microfinance. Your Excellency, I gave selfless and honest service to my beloved country for the most needed economic transformation which culminated in rapid growth of microfinance institutions and savings and credit cooperative societies (Saccos) in Uganda.

I worked in this position for four years and seven months but I was paid for one year, leaving a balance of 43 unpaid months’ salary to date. I brought this to your attention, and in a May 23, 2013 letter, you directed the ministry of finance to pay all my outstanding arrears. Mr President, this has never happened.

A vacancy arose in the ministry of finance for position of commissioner, finance and planning in 2012. I applied, sat an interview, passed, and got an appointment letter from the public service permanent secretary on December 2, 2012.

I took office on March 1, 2013. In this position, my salary started coming without any consideration being made on the unpaid salary arrears. As a commissioner, I worked with a dedicated team and within a short period, we were able to achieve many things such as the Tier 4 Microfinance Bill, which gained approval from cabinet and later parliament and the president.

I also authored, with the support of the line minister, Caroline Okao, the concept of financial inclusion for rural areas. I presented this concept and later proposal to various forums. This gained approval from the president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome with huge financial support to the financial sector in Uganda.

I served as commissioner microfinance department from March 1, 2013 until February 25, 2014 when I was arrested from my office in the ministry of finance, Kampala.

My arrest came soon after I had come back from Rome, Italy, where I went to defend the Project for Financial Inclusion for Rural Areas in Uganda (Profira) before the president of IFAD. This meeting was successful and IFAD approved funding for a seven-year project for financial inclusion for rural areas in Uganda.

I never stayed in office to implement and see the progress of the project I initiated. Mr President, my heart bleeds for unfairness, malicious actions and intrigue against me that led to the dubious charges of human trafficking followed by arbitrary arrest and unwarranted incarceration.

Mr President, I have written several letters to you seeking audience but I have not heard from you. I suspect you did not get my letters. On February 25, 2014, I was arrested from office without being summoned to police and I was given the summons as I was being driven to Kireka Special Investigations Division (SID).

The summons mentioned that I should report to Kireka SID on February 26, 2014 at 2pm without fail. When I asked the arresting officer why they arrested me at 2pm of February 25, 2014, and yet I am supposed to report on February 26, 2014 at 2pm, he told me that I worked where there is a lot of money; so, I should give him money to save me.

I got confused and I told him that I was a civil servant and I did not have such money to give him. The officer told me that a sheep only realizes danger when it is about to die. To cut the story short, I was granted bail from the War Crimes court at Kololo on December 8, 2015 (almost two years under unlawful incarceration on remand) and I consistently report to the same court.

The damages caused to me as a result of this detention and unlawful incarceration were enormous:

Twenty of my relatives were arrested and arbitrarily detained. Psychological torture to my family, in-laws and friends globally. My shop in Kampala was devastated.

My cows, sheep, goats, ducks, chicken, fish and beehives were looted from my farm due to my incarceration at Luzira. My children and dependants are not in school.

Mr President, I know that you are a man of peace and faith who attempts to put his Christian principles and values into practice in public life. I, therefore, appeal for the following, Mr President: intervene and these criminal charges are removed from me. My salary arrears from the ministry of finance should be paid so that I may restock my farm.

As a Christian, I have forgiven all those who planned and implemented my arrest and subsequent psychological, material, financial and social losses I incurred in all these.

And I do not need any compensation whatsoever from the government of Uganda and the persons who did this to me, if only my people and my mind can be freed of this case.

drmaxwelladea@yahoo.com

The author is a former commissioner for microfinance at the ministry of finance, planning and economic development.