By John V Sserwaniko
Since joining politics in 2006, Suzan Nakawuki has always come off as politically very lucky. In that year 2006, she cleverly took advantage of the euphoria Col Kizza Besigye’s (FDC) key symbol had created and trounced big man Mike Sebalu (of NRM) to become the Busiro East MP. She at that time was a fresher at Makerere law school-and was barely 23. In a race that had Sam Lubega Mukaku, the eloquent and experienced Mike Sebalu, Nakawuki (then funded by FDC real estate tycoon Emmanuel Matovu Magoola) won with a landslide. She went on to join the 8th Parliament where she performed extremely well often coming off as bold, informed and too knowledgeable for her age. Her close friend Christine Abia was another shining star in that Parliament from the FDC party. In 2011, Nakawuki who subsequently suffered a difficult marriage with Matovu abandoned Busiro East (voters had become so disgruntled) and relocated to Masaka Municipality (as an NRM-leaning independent) but was badly bruised by Mathias Mpuuga who ran on the Ssuubi Group platform. Mpuuga is eloquent, allied with Besigye and had just quit his cabinet job at Mengo where he served as youth Minister. Nakawuki (now 35) struggled for a while until then powerful ICT Minister Alintuma Nsambu (now Ambassador to Algiers) sold her the idea of Masaka Municipality. Flamboyant Alintuma, to whom she is now formally married, was then Bukoto East MP (2006-2011) and the impact of his money (he used to fly a chopper there) was continuing to be felt in much of greater Masaka.
GOING TO MUSEVENI;
After failing in Masaka (where Alintuma was also defeated by DP’s Florence Nakiwala), Nakawuki reached out to President Museveni whose eye she initially caught as a cheeky young opposition FDC legislator leading other hecklers to tease him on budget speech day or State of the Nation address. Museveni received her with open hands and threw his weight behind her bid for the EALA MP slot. Having been a vocal FDC legislator prior, many NRM MPs were initially very lukewarm towards Nakawuki but Museveni called her to the NRM caucus meeting where he marketed her saying “she is now my reformed daughter.” The NRM MPs grumblingly voted her having broadly calculated that this would weaken FDC which, despite having the majority opposition seats, got nothing as DP’s Mukasa Mbidde and UPC’s Chris Opoka took the two opposition slots for EALA. The independent slot, which Jacob Oulanyah had years earlier fought so much to preserve, went to Nakawuki. At EALA, Nakawuki will as of 2022 have done two terms and won’t be eligible for reelection. There is good money in Arusha where she even has a residence besides two other matrimonial homes she has in Najjera and Naalya. She also has another plush home at Katonga (Kitufu village) along Masaka road where she introduced Alintuma Nsambu for their traditional marriage a few years ago. It’s in the Katonga home where she is now basing to launch a powerful political comeback into the local politics (as in 2022, she will be out of the Arusha job and available for redeployment back home).
CONFIRMS MAWOKOTA BID;
In a phone chat today Monday evening, Nakawuki (now 35) confirmed to this news website that she has already commenced campaigns for Mawokota South MP Seat. Nakawuki, who partly grew up in Bbira Watoto Children’s village, qualifies to run in Mawokota because the Katonga-Kitufu house where her traditional marriage to Alintuma was celebrated is located in Mawokota South along Masaka road. She told this news website that: “I have been getting requests from [Mawokota] voters for close to 10 years now until I decided to go for it. I’m on the ground trying to do some homework and I’m sure it’s now the right time for me to take the bull by its horns.” She didn’t disclose the bull she was referring to but this could be any of the three men so far eyeing the same seat. These are FDC strongman Yusuf Nsibambi, the incumbent John Bosco Lubyayi Seguya and Kenneth Bossa Kiyingi whom he replaced. The brief political history of this hitherto NRM stronghold constituency is that old man Mutebi Kityo (RIP) reigned up to 2006 when wealthy man Lubyayi (who had just returned from kyeyo in Germany) ousted him. Lubyayi served for one term from 2006 to 2011 when he was trounced by Kikubo orbit tycoon’s son Kenneth Bossa Kiyingi who was still a student at Nkozi University. In 2016, Lubyayi returned and trounced Kiyingi who recently declared readiness to return in 2021. Before the advent of NRM, Mawokota whose population is 90% Catholics was always a DP stronghold and it was part of the greater Mpigi district which was split to yield Wakiso, Butambala and Gomba districts. Nakawuki, whose EALA money will ably rival the candidature of equally wealthy Yusuf Nsibambi, says she hasn’t yet decided whether to run on the ticket of NRM or not. She says that hasn’t yet been decided but unequivocally confirms that it will have to be “either NRM or independent.” She is currently conducting regular meetings with area opinion leaders and those who have been to her consultative meetings, mostly held at her Katonga-Kitufu home, say money isn’t going to be a problem for her. Why? At EALA she earns a monthly net pay of Shs50m which is accompanied by many lucrative trips for benchmarking and other allowances. She is different from MPs in the local parliament because there are no voters menacingly looking at her Shs50m salary by way of demanding contributions for school fees, medical bills or even funeral arrangements. Her husband Alintuma is equally wealthy and generous when it comes to funding political work. This won’t be good news for city lawyer Yusuf Nsibambi who so far has been the most generous and most voters’ reliable source of material assistance in time of need. Some supporters say Nakawuki has capacity and intends to triple every penny Nsibambi invests in the constituency between now and voting day.
NRM CAMP BITTER;
But some NRM leaders in Mawokota have reacted nervously to Nakawuki’s entry into the area politics. Some have already met GCW Ruth Nankabirwa threatening to defect to Bobi Wine’s People Power candidate (who is Yusuf Nsibambi) should the NRM party entertain the thought of Nakawuki becoming their flag bearer in 2021. We spoke to a couple of NRM leaders who unfortunately weren’t comfortable speaking on record. “We won’t allow being taken for granted. Yes Lubyayi has his own problems and it doesn’t have to be him facing off with Nsibambi for the NRM. We can get someone else but not Nakawuki who has no history in Mawokota. She has been to Wakiso where she didn’t perform well as MP for Busiro East. She went to Masaka and voters rejected her. She now thinks NRM people in Mawokota are naïve and can be dominated. We won’t accept that imposition of candidates on us by Museveni or any other person in the party from Kampala. We shall join [Woman MP] Sarah Nakawunde in People Power should party leaders in Kampala fail to handle this matter very well,” ranted one of the long serving NRM leaders in Mawokota. Another leader said being wife to Alintuma Nsambu, who Masaka voters rejected for allegedly disrespecting the Kabaka, will politically cost Nakawuki and make her hard brand to sell to voters in Mawokota who are renowned for their conservative support for Mengo and Kabakaship. But it would be premature for anyone to write off Nakawuki this early because those who know her well say she has always moved mountains and politically excelled at moments when critics are already writing her off. “She is charismatic, youthful and knows how to charm the urbane young people who these days dominate opinion in all major townships dotting Mawokota South Constituency,” says one of her long term political ally. “It’s true the NRM support has greatly waned in Mawokota because of increased urbanization and growing youth population but the multiplicity of opposition candidates eyeing this same seat could create a loophole Nakawuki can exploit to run as an NRM-leaning independent candidate and carry the day.” She is the 2nd serving EALA MP to declare interest for MP seats in the local parliament come 2021. DP big man Mukasa Mbidde declared earlier for the Masaka Municipality MP Seat prompting supporters of incumbent MP Mathias Mpuuga to direct hostilities at him. They attacked him during the DP re-union event in Masaka and the resultant fracas prompted DP President Norbert Mao to halt the re-union caravan up to this day. For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
