By Our Reporters
For various reasons, incumbent MPs and Mayors in especially opposition-led Municipalities and Town Councils have gone onto a self-destruction mission whereby they are fighting each other like never before. And there can only be one winners in all this and is (or will be) the ruling NRM party that has always had difficulties winning seats in Municipalities. The following is what we have gathered so far about these politically very destructive wars:
THE DETAILS;
In Makindye Ssaabagabo Municipality, Mayor Gerald Lumbuye doesn’t see eye to eye with area MP Sempala Kigozi Ssajjalyabeene even when they both profess DP. Part of their beef relates to Busabala road for which each wants to claim credit. Kigozi has been close to Works Minister Monica Azuba demanding the grading of the road which has now been finally put on budget. Kigozi is fearful that Lumbuye wants his MP Seat come 2021 and this has only intensified the cold war between them. When the Municipal Council recently hosted Minister Tom Butime, it was decided the entourage doesn’t tour Busabala road fearing that the Kigozi camp might have planned chaos to humiliate the minister and belittle Mayor Lumbuye. Indeed as Butime toured the Municipality, MP Kigozi totally boycotted and was nowhere to be seen. On another occasion, when the UNRA team visited, Kigozi dominated the tour to total exclusion of the Municipal leaders.
NGANDA VS. MUTEBI;
In Kiira Municipality, Semujju Nganda worked very well with Julius Mutebi to become Mayor replacing Mamerito Mugerwa in 2016 but as per now, the two leaders don’t talk anymore. What exactly happened? Mutebi became unpopular with Boda riders and market groups denouncing him for poor performance. He expected Nganda to use his stature to defend him before angry voters and when that didn’t happen, Mutebi revenged by fraternizing with tycoon Jimmy Lukwago (Kiira Yanga FC Proprietor) who wants to run for the MP Seat. Mutebi these days has been using his office to market Lukwago as a better MP than Semujju for 2021. Semujju has also reciprocated this by marketing his fellow FDC member Hussein Lubega, who is a district councilor but with eyes on Kiira Mayorship. This is the reason the two aren’t talking anymore.
NANSANA BATTLES;
In Nansana Municipality, Mayor Regina Bakitte of DP doesn’t talk anymore with MP Nsereko Wakayima who is a fellow DP. Why? Bakitte has had issues with her deputy who she thinks wants her job in 2021 and sees Wakayima as being sympathetic to the ploy to oust her. She has resorted to paying him back by backing Enock Musoke, a DP veteran politician with eyes on the Nansana Municipality MP Seat come 2021. Consequently the two aren’t talking anymore. Ironically in 2016, an alliance of sorts existed enabling both of them to defeat NRM candidates.
AFAAYO VS. MPUUGA;
In Masaka Municipality, MP Mathias Mpuuga and Mayor Kayemba Afaayo worked well together previously but fell out to the extent that Afaayo has now openly declared interest in Mpuuga’s seat. Each time Afaayo gets a problem with his council or even the electorate, he blames Mpuuga and vice versa. But things have become even more complicated for Mpuuga because besides Afaayo, his DP Vice President Mukasa Mbidde has his eyes on the same seat and he has a lot of money he is splashing around. On average, Mbidde donates Shs5m per church each time he is invited for fundraising events. The war with Afaayo exposed weaknesses in Mpuuga’s camp and it’s one of the many factors that made Mbidde conclude it was after all possible to trounce Mpuuga.
ENTEBBE MUNICIPALITY;
In Entebbe Municipality, opposition voters consider DP’s Micheal Kakembo (former boxer) to be the People’s MP on grounds NRM’s Rosemary Tumusiime was a product of vote-rigging. But Kakembo doesn’t see eye to eye with fellow DP man De-Paul Kayanja who is the area Mayor. Kayanja wants the MP Seat come 2021 and yet Kakembo wants the same having lost in 2016 with only 100 votes. The two recently met in a function and Kakembo threw punches at Kayanja accusing him of disrespecting him. Kakembo said much as Kayanja used to be his boss as PA, it was time to show him enough was enough. Their differences have emboldened NRM to intensify mobilization not only to retain the MP Seat but to also capture Kayanja’s seat which will be the end of DP and the entire opposition in the Entebbe politics. These differences have prompted Abubaker Walusimbi, a strong DP leader in the area, to defect to Gen Muntu’s New Formation.
BALIMWEZO VS. KABAZIGURUKA;
In Nakawa Municipality in Kampala, SDP Mayor Ronald Balimwezo doesn’t see eye to eye with MP Mike Kabaziguruka. Balimwezo has never moved on from the fact that Kabaziguruka backed a disgruntled DP primaries loser who had just defected to FDC and nearly trounced him (Balimwezo) in 2016 elections. Balimwezo denies but Kabaziguruka camp members maintain that the man wants the MP job come 2021. They are such enemies that Kabaziguruka family members were shocked and couldn’t believe their eyes when Balimwezo checked on him in Kampala Hospital the morning he got an accident in Lugogo as he drove the ambulance.
In Kawempe, MP Mubarak Munyagwa isn’t on very good terms with Mayor Emmanuel Serunjogi who has lately been facing hostilities with voters especially taxi park operators. The two previously competed in 2011 for the Kawempe Mayorship and Besigye-leaning Munyagwa trounced Serunjogi who never moved on. He has actually been part of the group persuading Sam Lubega Mukaku to come and contest against Munyagwa in 2021 but it seems Mukaku isn’t prepared to take the risk. In Makindye Municipality, MP Ibrahim Kasozi isn’t on very good terms with Mayor Mulyanyama and its all to do with who should benefit more from the Bobi Wine momentum come 2021. Confusion is between Mike Mabikke and Kasozi who defeated him in 2016. Mabikke stands a higher chance to be backed by Mr. Wine because he has availed him with lots of connections abroad for the benefit of the People Power politics. Kasozi has plenty of money and is prepared to use it to prevail as the main People Power candidate.
BOBI’S BROTHER SPEAKS OUT;
In Kampala Central, the hitherto strong relationship between MP Mohammed Nsereko and Charles Musoke Serunjogi (who by the way sleeps with his sister Fatuma) has lately developed cracks because Serunjogi has seemingly leaned more towards Chairman Fred Nyanzi (Bobi’s brother) who confirmed to this news website that he indeed wants Nsereko’s MP Seat come 2021. “We are tired of leaders who are double dealers. They are with opposition and the people during the day and flock with Museveni at night. That is one of the major reasons why I’m coming. We can’t continue having leaders who publicly preach water but take wine once in the privacy of their homes,” Nyanzi told us in a recent interview. His supporters say he has waited for too long and this must be his time to join parliament and eat things also since Eddie Yawe previously failed to topple Mohammed Nsereko. People in Nyanzi’s camp believe that Nsereko isn’t very enthusiastic about their man Bobi Wine because of the political trauma his brother Yawe occasioned onto him in 2011 both in general elections and courts of law.
In Luwero, past misunderstandings (in the runner up to 2016) between MP Brenda Nabukenya and Mayor Charles Sebyala created confusion which cost both of them. Nabukenya, who was incumbent, lost to NRM’s Eng Lillian Nakate and Sebyala’s Mayoral seat was also grabbed by an NRM candidate. In Jinja, wars with sitting MPs partly cost long serving DP Mayor Mohammed Kezaala in 2016. In Kasangati Town Council, former MP Apollo Kantinti lost his seat partly because of the wars he had with area Mayor Tony Sempebwa.
NAMBOOZE’S MUKONO;
In Mukono, MP Betty Nambooze doesn’t see eye to eye with fellow DP Mayor George Fred Kagimu and there are fears they might in the end support each other’s political opponents in 2021. Kagimu accuses Nambooze of undermining him and vice versa. When Nambooze was hospitalized after being assaulted during the Togikwatako fracas, Kagimu teamed up with DP bosses to host a reunion event in Mukono which critics dismissed as being insensitive to the terrible condition Nambooze was in. For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
