By Mulengera Reporters
During the burial of Kibuli Muslim boss and patron Prince Kassim Nakibinge’s mother, not very long ago, Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa came into close contact with his former political ally Bobi Wine.
Though he didn’t confront him directly, Basalirwa saw this as an opportunity to whine about some of his Kyagulanyi-related grievances.
In the presence of ex-Makindye East MP Ibrahim Kasozi, Basalirwa fiercely confronted one of Kyagulanyi’s very close confidants and told him point blank: “We are unhappy and very uncomfortable because your man [Mr. Wine] selfishly wants to finish off all of us the seasoned politicians one by one. He already destroyed the politics of my friend here Ibrahim Kasozi and now he is focussing on my other brother Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda. Why on earth is he doing that? What exactly does he want in this world?”
Basalirwa, who no longer sees eye to eye with Mr. Wine, is a close political ally of Ssemujju Nganda and is also the one who chairs the Muslim Caucus at Parliament to which Kawempe South MP Kazibwe Bashir, another Kyagulangi target for 2026, actively belongs.
It emerged during that same interaction that Kyagulanyi actually never destroyed Ibrahim Kasozi out of the Makindye East MP Seat as Basalirwa thought.
Here’s the truth: Grateful for the role Kasozi had played in his Kyadondo East by-election of August 2017, Kyagulanyi became respectful of and unwilling to politically offend Kasozi who had also opportunistically funded his plunging into Arua by-elections campaigns of August 2018 as a way of propping him up to counter and diminish the influence of the Kizza Besigye squad comprising of veterans like Betty Nambooze, Erias Lukwago, Semujju Nganda, Moses Kasibante and others.
So, when People Power Movement picked momentum and evolved into NUP, Kyagulanyi as a matter of priority reached out and offered Kasozi the party flag which he declined on grounds that he wasn’t prepared to quit his FDC party.
Kasozi, who demanded Wine’s endorsement without quiting his party, assured Kyagulanyi that he would defeat anyone the new party fronted for his Makindye East MP slot. In the end, the NUP umbrella symbol picked and Derrick Nyeko, who he despised all along, forced Kasozi into the political Taiwan.
So, it was indicated to Basalirwa that it’s not true that Bobi Wine used Kasozi and subsequently threw him under the bus. It was also indicated to him that Bobi Wine became cautious and kept his distance after Kasozi repeatedly suggested to take him for secret night meetings with some senior leaders in the NRM government including Gen YK Museveni’s family members and close relatives.(For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
