By Mulengera Reporters
Knowledgeable NUP insiders have hinted on what Bobi Wine intends to do in case his barking dog Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro remains imprisoned up to the time of MP nominations and beyond.
The internal conversation in NUP has had key apex decision makers ponder all manner of options including defiantly having Waiswa nominated in absentia. They believe that can be one way to mount pressure on his jailers so that his name doesn’t stop being a talking point in case the government intends to lock him up for an indefinite period. Being on the Nakawa ballot, even without being present to campaign, can ensure that Waiswa doesn’t get forgotten and can also cause endless public scrutiny on the curious circumstances surrounding his detention.
Proponents of this view inside the Kyagulanyi orbit believe that Waiswa, whose election Mpuuga’s DF has vowed to fight, can make history going on to win the MP seat while in prison. This would be a great way to politically demystify NRM and PFF which have fronted their senior cadres for that same MP Seat.
The other option, which even Kyagulanyi is personally favoring, is to front flamboyant Kampala lawyer Kenneth Paul Kakande to carry the NUP flag in case Waisswa isn’t yet out of prison as at nominations time.
Bobi has prepared Kakande as the dangerous substitute for Nakawa East in case Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro remains incarcerated up to the nomination day. Kakande is liked by Bobi because he is charismatic, eloquent and loyal to the NUP cause notwithstanding his DP background. He also has a lot of history in the elective politics of Nakawa where he has been standing for the MP Seat since the year 2001.
In 2021, he expressed interest for Nakawa West but the NUP ticket was given to Joel Ssenyonyi, which prompted Kakande to come as an independent but never went anywhere to abuse the party like his UYD contemporaries Mike Mabikke and Lubega Mukaku did-and this is something for which Bobi thinks he deserves to be rewarded and consoled with the NUP flag this time round.
Kakande has been a Nakawa man for an eternity and first stood there in 2001 at a time Mufumbiro was still a little boy in lower secondary school. Bobi also believes that elevating Kakande to some lucrative MP position will demonstrate to the country that he doesn’t hate older politicians who the Mpuugas keep saying he wants to destroy especially in Buganda.
Busiro North, where KK has some farming activities, also remains a prospect for Kenneth Paul Kakande who Kyagulanyi is determined to get something for in this political season. “Consultations are internally ongoing and it will depend on what the majority are saying but the Principal remains a staunch admirer of Kakande’s eloquence, generosity, love for the foot soldiers and mobilization skills. He wants him deployed to command the struggle for change in one of the constituencies in either Kampala, Wakiso or even Mukono,” says a knowledgeable Kavule insider.
The other option on the NUP top decision making table for Kakande is fronting him for Makindye Ssabagabo whose underperforming incumbent Pastor David Sserukenya has only continued to remain an option simply because of lack of strong contenders expressing interest. It used to be Sempala Kigozi Sajjalyabeene who abdicated from the MP race and set his eyes on the Wakiso LC5 Seat, only to be disregarded by the NUP EMC in favour of Bobi’s friend Nasif Najja, who currently serves as Speaker for Wakiso district.
It’s being discussed that this Ssabagabo is one other constituency where Kakande can effectively be deployed and deliver a win for NUP whose President Mr. Wine is careful and deliberate not to lose any of the 55 MP Seats the nascent political party garnered in 2021. Kavule is convinced that the low profile Sserukenya is one politician the party can afford to disappoint, to create room for KK, without being in position to fight back and cause that much trouble for the principal. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
