OTHERS:
The other potential deployments the big man is closely studying as part of his cabinet reshuffle include: senior Minister Sam Kutesa (has been MP without break since 1980) who is being considered for the Energy Ministry docket currently being held by his good friend Irene Muloni. At the foreign affairs ministry, Kutesa (who controversially missed this year’s UN General Assembly in NY) is to be replaced by equally prolific Crispus Kiyonga who he currently supervises as Ambassador to China. Museveni likes Kiyonga for historical reasons but he is also ideologically well-grounded having flocked with NRM/UPM since 1980. Until 2016 when an FDC man ousted him, Dr. Kiyonga had been one of the longest serving MPs in the house since 1980. Information Minister (ICT) Frank Tumwebaze is to be replaced by Chris Baryomunsi who has been often acting whenever he is away. Current PPS Molly Nuwe Kamukama is slated to become SG NRM party replacing her archrival Kasule Lumumba. Some people have been lobbying the big man to make Molly SG on grounds that in 2014-2016 she did a good job as a Museveni PA who managed the secretive campaign office in Mbuya. Molly is well appreciated by people who matter in the first family and her track record of high mobilization performance makes her suitable for the SG position because of the way the Mr. Wine threat has made it necessary for Museveni to begin early campaigns in order to keep his seat in 2021. However, some big hurdles stand in Molly’s way including having to go through two levels of approval. One is the CEC and the other is the NRM Movement Conference where some radicals might object to her appointment because of where she comes from. With Museveni being both President and NRM Chairman, there is widespread perception in the NRM party that his native western region is already eating enough. Otherwise the SG post is going to be juicy because a lot of mobilization cash will begin to be released to intensify activities aimed at neutralizing the Besigye-Bobi Wine duo. There is an influential MP from Busoga, who happens to be close to Speaker Kadaga and he is the one Museveni is currently considering to replace cracking Ester Mbayo as Minister for Presidency. There is also NRM youth league chairman Nasur Gaddafi (also CEC member) who is being considered for the position of youth affairs minister as Nakiwala Kiyingi hasn’t lived up to what was expected of her.
SEKANDI GIVING WAY;
As for Sekandi, he already wrote to the President begging him not to reappoint him as VP. This is something that remains a puzzle for the President. There is pressure on him by his strategists to give that VP post to Rebecca Kadaga and put a more predictable and less assertive politician in the office of Speaker but it’s unlikely Kadaga can accept such treatment. Some are suggesting that Nankabirwa becomes Speaker, VP or PM. There is also Bamunanika MP JC Muyingo who is being marketed by a powerful first family lobby for the position of VP. He is being sold as one who possesses all the Sekandi credentials and much more. He is Catholic and a Muganda just like Sekandi. He exceeds Sekandi’s credentials because he is has deeper connections in Buganda kingdom (personal friend & business partner to both Kabaka & Nabagereka) than Sekandi. At Rubaga he is a personal friend to Archbishop Lwanga and doesn’t need appointment to meet the Cardinal. He is also wealthy with a lot of personal old money. He is also calm, well collected, reserved and not politically very ambitious. Its simply not advisable for a president to be deputized by a flamboyant character that can easily overshadow him. Muyingo perfectly fits into that description because he is calm and yet well connected within government and private sector.
BOBI MAKES BUGANDA SPECIAL;
Museveni needs more political empowerment for Buganda region in order to adequately counter Bobi Wine who is the most promising politician Buganda has produced since the days of Ben Kiwanuka and PK Semogerere. To decisively overcome him you must politically invest in Buganda region mobilization like never before. This explains why Buganda could end up taking both VP and PM or even Speakership. Beti Kamya is another candidate closely trailing behind Nankabirwa. Gen Muhoozi could become State Minister for Defence. JC Muyingo also stands high chance of becoming full cabinet minister for education in case the Maama Janet is moved elsewhere or opts out on her own. Gen Katumba Wamala, who is completing his palatial residence in Najjera-Bulabira, is destined to become full cabinet minister for Works & Transport. He too will be part of the effort to counter the Bobi Wine Kyagulanyi effect in the politically very significant Buganda region. We are told the deployment of Frank Tumwebaze as GCW is meant to enable the President benefit from his eloquence as there will be need to counter the opposition (pro-Bobi) propaganda in Parliament led by an independent-minded Speaker whose loyalty sometimes can’t be taken for granted. Museveni would wish to make Kadaga VP and get a more subservient politician to become Speaker but there are fears the Kamuli woman MP won’t accept such compromise. Besides the energy docket, its being proposed that Sam Kutesa is also made 3rd Deputy Prime Minister. Others destined to eat big include Beatrice Anywar, Raphael Magyezi, James Kakooza and Bukedea Woman MP Anita Among who is also increasingly distinguishing herself as an influential kingmaker at the Museveni palace. For Mityana’s case, a serious race is between Judith Nabakooba and Godfrey Kiwanda who has excelled and gained national visibility as State Minister for tourism. There is need for one of them to eat big because Mityana is increasingly slipping away to the opposition partly because of the Francis Zzake effect. Its also a rapidly urbanizing district with Mr. Wine ‘s People Power gospel spreading like a bush fire.
MBAYO GOOZE COOKED;
Even before she actually gets fired or redeployed, Esther Mbayo must already have realized all isn’t well. The very RDC reshuffle list which she dissed & dismissed as fake some months ago is the one the President released to the public as authentic a few days ago. In order to revenge on PPS Molly Kamukama, who favored this list, Mbayo as Presidency minister had come up with her own list of RDCs and the big man, who is understood not to be very amused with her performance, trashed the whole of it. Yet that wasn’t all. Unlike her predecessors who were always able to propose names which the H/E would endorse, in Mbayo’s case things have gone terribly wrong. Even her closest political allies in Busoga weren’t spared the knife. These are Steven Bewaayo & Richard Gulume who have been using the RDC position to obliterate would-be political trouble causers in her home turf of Luuka district which she represents as woman MP. The officers her camp resented were instead retained including Eric Sakwa. The others her camp members didn’t like were James Tweheyo, Major Martha Asiimwe and the Catholic nun who the President retained as heads of the RDCs Secretariat. Mbayo’s sympathizers have always perceived this Secretariat as undermining her powers. Instead Museveni has made the Secretariat to have even more clout because now all the RDCs will be reporting to this Secretariat and not to the Presidency minister anymore. The President rightly considers that addressing the reporters at Media Center announcing national days and ceremonies is already too much work for the inept minister from Luuka or whoever will replace her in that docket. For comments, call/text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
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