By Our Reporters
State Lands Minister Persis Namuganza has spoken out clearly explaining why her expulsion from Busoga Parliamentary Group (BPG) doesn’t in anyway diminish her political relevancy and clout in Busoga. Appearing on Dunstan Busuulwa’s Saturday morning Talk Show (Negwozadde), Namuganza has just told her supporters not to lose sleep over her expulsion. The Bukoono County MP was expelled during the BPG meeting on Friday whereafter Bukooli County MP Gastar Kyawa Mugoya defended her expulsion as long overdue. The belligerent minister was accused of many things including inciting violence against the person of Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and Gabula the Kyabazinga.
She also stands accused of making public utterances belittling the two great leaders of Busoga. While on the Busuulwa show on which she is hosted very regularly, Namuganza accused Vice Chairman Moses Balyeku and other BPG leaders of being idle and operating without proper direction. In her usual style of taking no prisoners, Namuganza said: “I don’t even know what they [BPG] stand for. They say the Group is for mobilizing development for Busoga but the practice is different. That is why I have never actively participated in their activities yet my money has monthly been deducted to contribute to BPG.”
She said she has written to clerk to Parliament Jane Kibirige demanding a refund of the monthly deductions that have previously been made on her emoluments as MP. “It’s angering us that our money taken monthly is what these people are using to call these useless meetings to expel Namuganza who has even never been their member,” said Namuganza who sounded unusually calm and composed. “I want the clerk to refund all my money with 100% interest.” In what many will liken to crossing the red line, Namuganza said much as she is a princess from Bukoono, she is now convinced Basoga can do without the cultural institution of Kyabazingaship.
Describing herself as an adherent of revolutionary politics, Namuganza said she was ready to lead a movement of young people to rid Busoga of politics of intrigue which she said had for decades frustrated the otherwise well-intentioned President Museveni. “We grew up hearing of the wars between Kadaga and Kirunda Kivejinja and as young people we don’t want that anymore in Busoga because it doesn’t take us anywhere. The President has been very generous in his determination to politically and economically transform Busoga. He has given us number two [Specioza Wandira Kazibwe] who was Vice President, we now have number three [Speaker Rebecca Kadaga]. We have KK the 2nd Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda and my uncle Wako Wambuzi was the super Chief Justice all under President Museveni.
We have had our sons like Hon Migereko serving in many lucrative ministries but poverty remains highest in Busoga. Why? Those are the things they [BPG] should be discussing,” she argued. Taking the battle directly to Rebecca Kadaga, a long standing leader many in Busoga take to be infallible, Namuganza added: “I have always wondered why Kamuli district is at the very bottom when districts are ranked in Youth Livelihood performance. Isn’t that proof that the youths aren’t benefiting from the current leadership of Busoga? This is what they [BPG] should be discussing if they really have the agenda of economic transformation.” Specifically about the suitability and relevancy of the Kyabazingaship cultural institution, Namuganza said: “Now we have number three using the position to fight us. As for me I don’t have a side [regarding Bukoono royal fights] but I’m on the procedure being wrong. In fact I’m less concerned because our problem isn’t kingship…Ankole people were right to reject kingship because you can see the divisions we are having in Busoga now over what looks a simple matter.”
She maintained that the Busoga MPs caucus that voted to expel her “lack the legal mandate, they have no work & lack what to do apart from perpetrating the Busoga PHD syndrome.” Namuganza explained the PHD to be synonymous with Pull Him/Her Down and maintained she was a victim of the same. She attributed the current kingship wrangles to Chief Munulo Luba who she said manipulated the minutes of the meeting resulting into Gabula’s procedurally improper enthronement almost five years ago. She didn’t explain why she considers Gabula’s enthronement procedurally improper.
She then run through things that she considers to have awry gone wrong under the current Kyabazinga with Dr. Joseph Muvawala as the Katukiro (Prime Minister) for the cultural institution. She enumerated these to include the fraudulent disposal of land at Bugembe imploring Justice Catherine Bamugemereire to intervene and reprimand kingdom officials responsible for these improper transactions. She also spoke of what previously was Bugembe Cathedral land and compound that has since ceased to exist as so. “They have dubiously sold off the playground and it’s now a bar. They almost excavated the grave for Bishop Bamwoze’s wife who is buried at Bugembe. I have proof for all these things because I’m the lands minister and I’m in charge,” she said implying she hadn’t ruled out the possibility of causing perpetrators to be prosecuted. For comments, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755!
