By Otim Nape
In a deal carefully mediated by property mogul Karim Hirji, the government of President Museveni has successfully extended an olive branch to the family of late Suleiman Kiggundu. At the time of his death in 2008, Kiggundu was the National Party chairman for FDC, a party he co-founded with others and it went on to become the leading challenger to Museveni’s government. Bitter that Museveni didn’t intervene to help him when his Greenland bank was closed and himself jailed in Luzira, Dr. Suleiman Kiggundu died a very bitter man and politically never forgave Museveni for what he called betrayal of the ideals for which many sacrificed. A political animal right from his days in Kings College Buddo, Kiggundu furiously joined the FDC party and vowed not to rest until Museveni was ousted. After the 2006 elections in which he chaired the campaign taskforce of his great friend Dr Kizza Besigye, Kiggundu didn’t relent. He actively financed and participated in the election petition Besigye filed to challenge Museveni victory.
When they lost Kiggundu, notwithstanding old age and apparent frail health, moved with Besigye to stage defiant demonstrations including one at City Square where the two were brutally arrested. The photograph of Kiggundu being manhandled by police graced the front page of Daily Monitor and there was a lot of anger especially among Muslims to whom he was a father figure.
In the weeks and months that followed, Kiggundu became frail and died in late 2008. He died cursing Museveni for being ungrateful for the support and much more that he, Prince Badru Kakungulu, Abu Mayanja and others rendered to him in the early years of NRM government. At a personal level, Kiggundu also personally helped Museveni relatives who lived in exile in Nairobi where he was a well paid economics Don at the American University of Nairobi. At the time of his death, the relationship with Museveni had clearly broken down to the extent that then Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi, who represented Museveni at the funeral prayers at Kibuli, was heckled by mourners led by Betty Nambooze and Tom Jurunga who made sure Nsibambi couldn’t read the President’s message. The relatives even refused to accept the Museveni condolence money Nsibambi had brought from Museveni.
But even in death, the Kiggundu family remained very influential in Uganda and more especially the Muslim business community. He left many properties and at least 2 official wives including Mai Kiggundu who was way much younger. She was the bubbly widow who exhibited lots of pro-Besigye militancy during mourning and during the funeral rites at Kibuli Mosque. In fact FDC youths became so excited and declared a campaign to get Mai succeed Nabillah Ngayi for the post of woma MP Kampala in 2011. She had way back in September 2005 exhibited unprecedented militancy when she provoked then commander military police Col Dick Bugingo to throw around punches and slaps that landed on Major Rubaramira Ruranga’s swollen face.
The FDC women, led by Mai Kiggundu, were protesting to show visiting South African President Thabo Mbeki that there was no democracy in Uganda because term limits had just been scrapped. When Bugingo came with military police and confronted the group, Mai Kiggundu argued they wanted to thank Mbeki for allowing Kizza Besigye to live in exile in South Africa for five years. After provoking all this chaos, Mai cheekily fled the scene leaving behind Maj Rubaramira Ruranga who was thoroughly thumped and slapped by Col Bugingo before media/TV cameras.
We are told that, with time, this subject of joining Parliament became boring and she relocated to the US. And sources say Mai is so very much used to luxury and couldn’t stand remaining a miserable widow. While in the US, life was hard for sometime and one of her friends got in touch with old family friend Karim Hirji who offered to link up with the President and abreast him with how the wife of his once political ally was struggling in the US. Museveni, as usual, was very magnanimous the moment he was approached by Karim and briefed about the possibility of Mai, who used to be very resentful of NRM, accepting his support.
The state acted very swiftly and drew up a list of Mai’s immediate requirements, the most important of all was urgently getting her a house where she would live and call home. With Karim still the mediator, a posh house was procured and Mai just moved in free charge. This new found freedom brought back youthful life and experience to Mai prompting her to even re-marry another man and they are expecting their first child. Reliable family sources said some of the relatives and friends to Dr. Suleiman Kiggundu are unhappy that Mai Kiggundu would enter such a deal purporting to represent the late Kiggundu’s estate.
There is also anger the Ugandan man she married was a close friend to her late husband. Kiggundu got and married off Mai as his 2nd official wife in the mid 1990s as his Greenland bank blossomed and he was almost every woman’s dream man in Kampala. Mai hailed from Kayunga (born to Rwandan parents) and was a junior staff in the bank when she seductively swept Dr. Kiggundu off his feet. Stung by the latest deal with government, some bitter relatives are angry speculating that perhaps Mai was always a double agent who is now being rewarded for her good work.
