MBABAZI PLOTTING AGAINST NRM – M7

Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi is plotting a deadly mission against NRM, President Yoweri Museveni has said.
Museveni told a meeting of Buganda leaders at State House last Thursday that the NRM secretary general was planning to fail the party if he is relieved of his duties and that the move would be disastrous if he succeeded.
During their meeting with President Museveni at Entebbe State House, NRM leaders from Buganda region made very radical demands to Museveni.
The Buganda leaders bashed Amama Mbabazi and identified his allies as Robert Kabushenga and Paul Kihika.
The leaders told Museveni to be careful adding that Mbabazi was serious about ousting him in 2016 and that the two media personalities are using their respective state media organizations to prepare the population to accept candidate Mbabazi in 2016.
Among those who were very vocal was Sebina Sekitoleko, who until a few months ago was a senior personal assistant to Mbabazi.
Sebina was vehemently supported by Mubende ex-LCV chairman Maj. Joseph Kakooza and historical, Gertrude Njuba and Capt Oliver Zizinga.
They told Museveni to stop treating Mbabazi leniently adding that their perceived close relationship was being used to tell NRM supporters in villages that Museveni had secretly endorsed Mbabazi’s bid.
Sources say Museveni angrily reacted to this telling Kakooza to stop accusing Mbabazi falsely.
Big name NRM leaders such as Abdul Nadduli, Amelia Kyambadde, Ruth Nankabirwa, Nyombi Thembo and others were all in attendance but didn’t speak out as much against Mbabazi. However, Sebina’s outbursts can easily be construed to be Nadduli’s because the two hail from Luwero and are very close political associates.
In a rare show of courage, the Sebinas told Museveni it’s high time NRM produces a secretary general who is a Muganda. This they argued would bolster mobilisation in the hostile region. They then proposed four names of potential secretary generals Museveni should appoint. Museveni clarified to them saying whereas he was determined to purge Mbabazi out of Kyaddondo-based NRM secretariat there was need to tread carefully. He told them Mbabazi has prepared a team of lawyers to sue NRM should anyone force him out without going through the delegates conference which ushered him in. “That is why I’m careful. I will appoint someone but won’t be referred to as secretary general though will be doing the same work as the SG,” Museveni counseled before the Sebinas proposed their names.

THE LIST
The Buganda delegation fronted before Museveni four names of potential appointees for the job. These included Nyombi Thembo who is ICT minister besides being long serving Kasanda MP. The other was Ruth Nankabirwa who is the fisheries minister and long serving Kiboga woman MP. The other is Janet Mukwaya a former minister and MP from Mukono in Kyaggwe. In case he is unable to appoint someone from Buganda, the group proposed the name of senior presidential political strategist Moses Byaruhanga for the job.

Nankabirwa: As Museveni widely smiled, the group marketed Nankabirwa by revealing that she has lately been using personal money to buy bicycles and motorbikes for NRM chairmen to ease mobility and mobilization in all parishes and sub counties in Kiboga district. They also claimed Nankabirwa was energetic, not involved in intrigue and not a lukewarm supporter of the Party. Without declaring any support for her as yet, Museveni admitted these are credentials he also sees in Nankabirwa who has been his minister and MP since 1994. We are told the gracefully ageing Nankabirwa is terribly interested in the job and has lately been quietly marketing herself for it.

Nyombi Thembo: The Kasanda MP has been an active NRM activist since leaving DP in Rubaga where he was a councilor in KCC under both Sebaana Kizito and his predecessor Seya. Thembo even one time pondered running on ticket for Rubaga North MP Seat but chickened out and went for Kasanda. The Kasanda thing was initially a by-election (incumbent had left) which saw Thembo resign his KCC job as a councilor to join parliament. He had previously served as RDC Busia and once in parliament, Thembo easily caught Museveni’s attention and became minister initially at education where he was overseeing UPE. At some point, he was also minister Luwero triangle. He is vibrant, outgoing and accessible and that is exactly how mobilizers marketed him to Museveni who gave no immediate responses. All he did was to tell them he was fascinated by the discussion “which we must carry forward in December at Kyankwanzi when we have more time.”

Mukwaya: She is wife to Abbey Mukwaya who heads political desk in State House. The couple has history with NRA war having taken part in it and worked with Museveni very closely. Until 2011 when she bowed out, Mukwaya had been MP and minister since 1986. She is currently doing commercial farming both in Mukono and Wakiso along Hoima road. In the 2011 campaigns, she was deputizing Specioza Kazibwe as head of Museveni special taskforce which operated at a small house near Kati-Kati bar and restaurant in Kololo. While there, she several times clashed with Mbabazi’s wife over who should control campaign logistics and at some point, she drew a pistol at her saying she had no reason crowding the office with mobilizers from Kigezi. In the end, Mbabazi’s wife left the office and began operating from home. It’s that fearless character NRM leaders told Museveni must be harnessed by fronting Mukwaya for the job.Moses Byaruhanga: He is the senior political strategist for Museveni and has worked with him for over 15 years, his younger age notwithstanding. He has spearheaded mobilization almost in all parts of Uganda and delivered beautiful results wherever he has been deployed. He was the invisible hand behind NRM’s unexpected great performance in northern Uganda and Teso regions in last year’s elections. He is calm, well collected and calculative in his approach to political issues. He isn’t an intriguer and rarely engages in petty fights against fellow party leaders yet he has unlimited access to the big man. The Baganda mobilizers told Museveni it will take a mobilizer of the Byaruhanga type to revive NRM’s plummeting fortunes as manifested in the recently held by-elections.