By John V Sserwaniko
President Museveni is weighing the prospects of giving the NPA top job of being the executive chairman to renowned economics professor Augustus Nuwagaba formerly of Makerere University. The proprietor of eminent research think tank called Reev Consult, highly intelligent and independent-minded Nuwagaba has been in private sector since scaling down on his Makerere CHUSS engagements a few years ago. In the research world, he has mentored many now working in numerous private organizations including ACCORD and other non-state agencies. Even when he is independent-minded, Nuwagaba’s thought-provoking views are politically acceptable to President Museveni who has always called him to Kyankwanzi to address NRM MPs whenever there is a retreat. Museveni famously uses such retreats to influence the ideological thinking of his MPs whose numerical strength has always influenced the legislative agenda in Rebecca Kadaga’s parliament. Nuwagaba is respectfully critical of certain things that government stands for when it comes to economic policy formulation, a thing that enhances his credentials as a suitable chairperson at National Planning Authority (NPA) which is charged with long term development planning and specifically the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP II) in order achieve the transformation articulated in Uganda Vision 2040. That means the NPA head must be someone thick-skinned enough to write regular controversial reports that are critical of the government MDAs and the respective accounting officers just like Kisamba Mugerwa has been doing. We are reliably informed by credible State House bosses that the vetting report that was tendered to the President a couple of months ago and Prof Nuwagaba, renowned for being very outspoken on poverty matters, was rated favorably as someone with enough clout to replace highly prolific Kisamba Mugerwa who left a last month. He had served as NPA boss for 10 years (2008-2018) and had very cordial relations with President Museveni and other cabinet members even when he was very critical of floppy government bosses that he perceived as derailing realization of Uganda Vision 2040. Hailing from Kabale where he previously unsuccessfully stood for MP elections, Nuwagaba can be as assertive or even more. He currently does lucrative consultancies for WB, EAC, government ministries and other international agencies. Yet even when he is a prolific contender, Prof Nuwagaba will have to overcome other personalities that have equally been vetted for the same job (they were all recommended to Museveni by intelligence agencies) including Godfrey Bahiga who previously worked on the Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA) when Kisamba was still minister for agriculture.
Described by State House sources as “technically well qualified” for the NPA job, Bahiga has previously worked on the UN project in the Horn of Africa and currently works as a key policy research person at AU-secretariat in Addis Ababa. He is said to possess more technical and exposure capabilities than even Nuwagaba but the Kabale Professor beats him on politically being more suitable. Museveni always prefers appointing to such sensitive positions (NPA is the government think tank for dev’t planning) persons he politically knows and can trust. One of his influential State House aides often calls it “being possessed with a political line that is correct and amenable to Mzee’s liking.” That’s where Godfrey Bahiga has a bit of a problem and matters are complicated further by the fact that Museveni, who politically doesn’t know him that much, also isn’t yet aware of any godfathers from whom additional verificational reference can be obtained. Bahiga is purely a professional guy and never adequately invested in political connections, a thing that is now putting him at a slight disadvantage in the ongoing NPA clandestine recruitment process. Being the strategist we know, Museveni might opt to have both Bahiga and Nuwagaba by making one chairman and the other Vice Chairman NPA because they are both vacant. And here is how; whereas Kisamba retired having declined to take up any extension of tenure, Dr. Abel Rwandeire who had deputized him for 10 years died just months to ending his contract. The current NPA ED, the highly capable and assertive Dr. Joseph Muvawala is also eligible and sources say even when his contract has just been renewed as ED, he is someone Museveni is still considering as good potential for the position of NPA chairman.
He is experienced, calm and well-possessed with the institutional memory having served as NPA Executive Director for some good years. He is also a talented mobilizer and politically correct making him one Museveni and other power brokers like Gen Salim Saleh and Rebecca Kadaga would be comfortable doing business with at NPA which ideally is at the apex of long term planning for Uganda. Kisamba Mugerwa’s impactful performance raised the NPA profile to the extent that whoever finally becomes the new Authority executive Chairman will be sitting in cabinet as an ex-officio just like Kisamba did for the last 10 years (2008-2018). On the vice chairman slot, there is also ex-Usuk MP Charles Olweny (now of Uganda Chamber of Commerce) who is seriously being considered for posting at NPA to replace Rwandeire but as past practice has shown, Museveni will eventually have the last word as Matia Kasaija who finally signs the instrument of appointment can only do as directed by the President. As the Museveni final decision is being awaited, anxiety is growing at the Finance Ministry whose technocrats rightly believe that prolonged leadership vacuum isn’t good at NPA given the entity’s strategic importance. For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
