President Museveni is back to the drawing board trying to come up with a new cabinet. It’s revealed by sources close to him that, having gone through a difficult period passing the Magyezi Bill, Museveni now has a new line up of those he considers to be true/genuine and pretentious allies both in party and government. This is why heads must roll whereby some people considered to be lukewarm in their support to him will have to be relieved of their duties and others relocated to less lucrative dockets than what they currently hold. All indicators show that, whereas she has herself remained reluctant being made a minister, Bukedea MP Anita Among is one fast rising power broker that greatly is going to influence the composition of the new cabinet.
Reliable sources say her influence at Museveni’s palace is growing by the day and many fellow MPs these days are opportunistically getting close to her every other day. “I have been MP for 15 years and for all that period I have been pleading and writing letters seeking for a one on one meeting with the President but all in vain. I tried when Amelia was PPS and I failed. The same happened when Maj Edith Nakalema was running the show. But as the campaign to pass Magyezi’s Bill intensified, Anita Among, whom I all along thought was FDC, approached me asking for the yes vote. I told her that was okay but I raised my concern as to why I should vote for the President who has denied me audience for 15 years even when I’m loyally a member of his NRM party. I was surprised Anita took me to Museveni two days later,” an NRM MP said of Anita Among who doesn’t even require PPS Molly Kamukama’s authorization to meet Mzee or deliver delegations to him.
Back to Ogwang:
Reliable sources have revealed that despite being very close to power broker Anita Among, the Usuk County MP’s chances to join cabinet still hang in balance. And it has nothing to do with Museveni having reservations but with Ogwang’s failure to get on along with Speaker Rebecca Kadaga with whom they serve in the Parliamentary Commission. It has been revealed that Museveni rightly believes there is a ministerial gap in Katakwi following the fall of ex-Education Minister Jessica Alupo and he considers Ogwang (whose charitable projects he launched last week) more suitable for the ministerial posting than the less experienced woman MP Violet Akurut. “There are credible fears that Speaker Kadaga chairs the Appointments Committee of Parliament and she doesn’t easily forget her foes. Ogwang has been pulling ropes disagreeing with her on a number of things during the meetings of Parliamentary Commission.
There is a track record of her not forgiving such foes if the experience of Saleh Kamba is anything to go by. So Mzee rightly fears that Kadaga, who is already scrutinizing Ogwang’s academic qualifications, might stand in his way by mobilizing other members to object to his nomination. Mzee doesn’t like this embarrassment and confrontation with Kadaga anymore and for purposes of harmony, he might give Akurut and leave Ogwang out,” said very reliable sources privy to the ongoing construction of the new cabinet list. It will be recalled that after Abdul Katuntu’s unexpected triumph against Kivejinja in the Bugweri County by-election of December 2008, Saleh Kamba (then Kibuku MP) spoke in the caucus meeting that discussed the poll that Kivejinja lost because of Kadaga’s intrigue that saw her support Katuntu (these were all Kamba’s words). Kadaga was then Deputy Speaker under Edward Sekandi but when the opportunity came, Kamba had to pay when the Appointments Committee blocked his nomination to Cabinet by Museveni.
CONSOLING OGWANG:
Perhaps Ogwang will be consoled by the fact that his best Hamson Obua of Ajuri County has already won himself a permanent slot in Museveni’s upcoming new cabinet. Obua isn’t only senior, this being his 3rd term, but he is also coming in to be used to create an impression that people of Alebtong are also back to the eating table having lost Rebecca Otengo in the May 2016 cabinet reshuffle. Obua’s entry means that one of the Ministers currently Lango has won’t be safe. It will most likely not be hard for Museveni to drop one creating space for Obua because currently all Lango ministers hail from Oyam district. These are Betty Amongin, Jane Ruth Aceng and Charles Okello Engola. It’s such a coincidence. Obua’s other selling point is that he voted wisely despite clear opposition from his voters regarding the Magyezi bill. He voted a pregnant YES, something that greatly angered his voters and Museveni believes getting a ministerial posting will embolden him to re-mobilize not just Alebtong but also the nearby Amolatar district which lost out the moment their daughter Caroline Okao was booted from cabinet in May 2016.
