On the strong recommendation of leading Busoga power broker Rebecca Kadaga, President Museveni appointed Hellen Namutamba to replace Moreen Walube Kyalya in State House as Presidential Advisor on poverty alleviation in Busoga sub region. As we speak, bubbly Namutamba already enjoys office at State House Nakasero in the Byabagaire annex where giants like Moses Byaruhanga sit.
Kyalya cheerfully first took this post as a pioneer occupant of the office in 2012 only weeks after acrimoniously falling out with her FDC party for a new political marriage with NRM. However, as we now know, she badly fell out with the Museveni establishment and on realizing there were no results to show, Kyalya who had promised to move mountains (of poverty) in Busoga quit the State House job saying the pro-Kadaga intrigue was too much amongst Mzee’s staff. In fact she spent most of her time fighting Kadaga-denouncing her on radio stations and during public meetings-and this greatly impaired her capacity to have any significant impact in the populous sub region. Kyalya took on the Presidency and was the only female candidate against Museveni in 2016. Since her departure, the post, like many others in Museveni’s State House, remained unfilled until recently when Speaker Rebecca Kadaga reached out urging Museveni to accept the Hellen Namutamba replacement.
In his usual magnanimity, the big man from Rwakitura readily accepted the proposed candidate and ordered for Namutamba’s posting to be regularized and the rest is history. To avoid being disagreeable like her predecessor Kyalya, Namutamba has carefully been undergoing orientation the very reason why she these days is very much introverted and less interactive with journalists than before. Prior to her new posting, the otherwise very combative and outgoing Namutamba served as the Tourism Minister in the government of Kyabazinga William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope. She still holds this Busoga portfolio and the thinking is that her new State House connection would bring in powerful contacts that could fund tourism and other development activities in Busoga. For comments, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755!
