By Mulengera Reporters
Tired of fighting alone, as other elected leaders cowardize and go underground, Kampala Central Mayor Salim Uhuru has appealed to the NUP party leadership to whip their MPs, Lord Councilors and others elected in the Capital City into becoming public-spirited and beginning to become outspoken on the grievances of the ordinary people.
Uhuru on Tuesday was platformed by Kabaka’s CBS radio which he used to make the rallying call. He said that, much as Kampala has many elected leaders who won their respective races in January with majority of them being NUP, he was increasingly getting fatigued with being the lone voice to fight for the urban poor. With Erias Lukwago de-platformed by voters during the 17th January elections in favor of NUP’s Ronald Balimwezo, Uhuru (who is also the NRM CEC representative for Kampala Special region) says he is now the only one standing up for the ordinary poor.
On CBS, Uhuru specifically addressed himself on the ongoing hostilities facing traders operating on Owino market, a section of which was over the weekend demolished by yet-to-be identified individuals. Even KCCA, which is mandated with managing the city and all the public land therein, has no idea who exactly did this.
Outgoing Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who Zahara Luyulika recently blamed for not doing enough to fight for batembeyis, says that the actors behind that controversial demolition are too powerful to the extent that Sharifah Buzaki, the poor lady currently serving as the ED, can’t do anything to stop them. The impacted traders are now on their own after their calls upon the NUP elected leaders to come to their rescue went unheeded. It’s this state of affairs that Salim Uhuru addressed during his Tuesday morning appearance on Kabaka’s CBS radio.
Uhuru explained that, much as he is also an elected leader, there is very little he can do since he is merely an LC3 chairperson. He added that MPs have a greater platform and greater voice than his because they sit in the national assembly. The CBS news crew members, who have been inciting the public to demand more from their elected leaders especially those from NUP, seemed to agree with Uhuru in asserting the fact that NUP elected leaders ought to become more outspoken and to generally do more since its them that majority Kampalans elected to office.
Uhuru called upon them to understand the responsibility and duty-bearing that comes with being the elected leaders of the people. He called on them to begin addressing the ‘elephant in the room’ as opposed to going into peripheral issues of blaming Lukwago, while beating around the bush. Outgoing Makindye West MP Allan Sewanyana, who Zahara Luyulika replaced in the 15th January elections, agreed with Uhuru asserting that the elected leaders have the mandate to give leadership in crises like this while amplifying the voices of the ordinary people. Sewanyana said voters are partly to blame because they became excited and just voted the symbols instead of looking out for substance and individual candidates’ capability to effectively lead.
“We warned voters that what was coming required leaders who are genuine and who could fight for them genuinely as opposed to merely hiding under party symbols. Now this is where we are and Kampala is clearly going to be without effective pro-people leadership for the next five years,” Sewanyana said adding that himself, Erias Lukwago and other public-spirited leaders are going to take advantage of this clear vacuum and offer their people leadership of some sort.
Zahara Luyulika, who is the only NUP elected leader who accepted to speak to CBS on record, feigned ignorance saying she wasn’t fully aware of what exactly happened with the Owino market structure that was razed to the ground. She agreed there is a lot elected leaders like MPs and Councilors can do to help placate the interests of the people.
Other elected MP-level leaders in Kampala who CBS called upon to demonstrate leadership include Euginia Nassolo (Rubaga South), Rubaga North’s Abubaker Kawalya the quiet legislator from NUP, the loud-talking Ali Nganda Mulyanyama of Makindye East (talks a lot on radio but can never lead any demo because he fears to be arrested), LoP Joel Ssenyonyi of Nakawa West, Erias Luyimbazi Nalukoola of NUP for Kawempe North and Kawempe South’s Madina Nsereko who is on the NRM ticket.
Nsereko ought to understand better than many of these fellow elected leaders because she has been an elected leader in Kampala for an eternity. There is also Minsa Kabanda the MP-elect for Kampala Central who is also the Minister for Kampala. Salim Uhuru put a lot of blame on Minister Kabanda and her deputy Kabuye Kyofa Togabye. He said there is a lot they can do to help the urban poor but they have clearly sided with the wealthy.
Some of the voters CBS talked to and had their voices replicated rejected NUP claims that there isn’t much the NUP party can do since their Ronald Balimwezo hasn’t yet assumed the office of Kampala Lord Mayor. There are fears NRM could ride on the indolence of NUP elected leaders in Kampala to begin on gradual mobilization that will see them fully win and galvanize Kampala five years from now.
A few days ago, journalist Ddamba Ismail who is also a former KCCA Lord Councilor for Rubaga South appeared on Dream TV and made wild allegations against the incoming NUP leaders for especially KCCA councilor positions. Ddamba, who has good sources given his closeness to some powerbrokers inside the Kampala Minister Minsa Kabanda universe, asserted that the incoming Lord Mayor was recently softened when he made several requests which the central government accepted. These allegedly included a request to have his office staff remunerated better and increased from the mere 6 Erias Lukwago has been having to 12.
This, according to Ddamba, was accepted by the Kampala Minister in consultation with State House. Ddamba added that all the elected Councilors and Mayors are going to have their remuneration and work facilitation significantly enhanced even when theirs isn’t supposed to be a full time job. He said this too had been endorsed by the President on condition that NUP Councilors and other elected leaders in Kampala keep away from ‘Erias Lukwago-like chaos’ of inciting ordinary people to demonstrate on any social justice concerns that might keep cropping up from time to time.
Ddamba appeared with Minister Minsa Kabanda’s PA Eng Panadol Katumba who corroborated each and every allegation that the controversial journalist made against the elected NUP leaders in Kampala. Ddamba made it clear that the urban poor and ordinary voters in Kampala are going to be on their own for the next five years and it’s advisable for each one of them to caution themselves and not expect much from the NUP leaders they have just elected. Ddamba says that the voters should expect plenty of Bashir Kazibwe-like betrayal going forward because none of the elected NUP leaders is going to take any Erias Lukwago-like risks to meaningfully and sustainably fight for the interests of the ordinary poor. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
