By Our Reporters
On Tuesday, some of the elected DP leaders (now professing People Power) met with Mukono Mayor George Kagimu who continues to be the proxy through whom People Power bosses are fighting incumbent Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze whom they resent for refusing to join them in fighting Dr. Kizza Besigye. The meeting was at UNRA offices in Kyambogo near Face Technologies. Many of them consider the opposition icon KB to be an obstacle to the realization of their personal political ambition which is retaining or capturing local council and MP positions in the Greater Kampala area (basically Mukono, Wakiso & Kampala districts). A renowned wealthy DP diehard, Kagimu has been Mukono Mayor since 2016 when he rode on the Nambooze popularity to defeat the NRM candidate and replaced (now Mukono South MP) Muyanja Senyonga, another Nambooze ally. Kagimu himself admits working with Nambooze initially but the two fell out for reasons he says related to Nambooze’s desire to dominate everybody and to always being consulted before other elected Mukono leaders make any decision. Kagimu says his refusal to be under Nambooze’s armpits angered the eloquent legislator and that’s how war between them started. Whereas it’s a local war that has been on for a while now, on learning about it the People Power bosses in Kampala desired to turn Kagimu, a well-solidified politician, into their proxy against Nambooze. As they organized a DP-UYD reunion event for Greater Mukono, which took place as bed-ridden Nambooze nursed torture wounds inflicted on her by the military during the Togikwatako fracas, the DP guys (now operating as People Power) used Kagimu to do what Nambooze considered being stabbed in the back. The reunion went ahead prompting the likes of Medard Segona and Muwanga Kivumbi to stay away on grounds it was inconsiderate holding such political celebration and fanfare in Mukono at a time the Municipality MP was almost in coma. This act by Kagimu deepened the wedge between his and Nambooze camp. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Kagimu last week held a party to which he invited People Power pressure group owners like Lulume Bayiga (another Nambooze foe), Abed Bwanika and Moses Katabu who used the event to demonize Nambooze like she was the worst person God ever created. Bobi Wine, who is never excited about wars amongst opposition colleagues, was also stampeded to attend but was as usual reluctant to direct any hostilities to area MP Betty Nambooze. However, the Kagimu camp used photos of his attendance of the party to create an impression Bobi has endorsed war against Nambooze who lately has been insisting the attack on KB last Saturday at CBS was planned and rehearsed in Kamwokya which is the cradle for Bobi Wine who is expected on the same CBS show this Saturday. The People Power co-owners have since intensified campaigns against Nambooze in her Mukono constituency while telling voters that Bobi Wine has opened war on her.
KYAMBOGO MEETING
At the Kyambogo meeting, the People Power adherents converged around George Kagimu treating him as a hero of sorts. Present was Kawempe Mayor Emmanuel Serunjogi, Makindye Ssaabagabo MP Sempala Kigozi, Entebbe Mayor DePaul Kayanja, Kampala Central Mayor Charles Musoke Serunjogi and George Kagimu himself. The discussion for much of the time was Nambooze and why she was betraying Buganda and DP by sticking to Besigye as if there are no credible politicians from Buganda. Sempala Kigozi spoke loudest while encouraging Kagimu to “help us and overcome that woman.” Sempala narrated how he one time appeared with Nambooze on Med Nsereko’s CBS Parliament Yaffe program one Saturday morning. “I spoke my things and I challenged her when she said Mao has no moral authority to lead DP because there are no elected DP leaders in Acholi. She was very bitter with me and shouted saying I was part of the group trying to manipulate her family to deny her. She claimed a group of us had raised Shs40m for that mission to ensure the story appears in Bukedde newspaper. I challenged her for proof. There was chaos in the studio and Med called for break and since that time I was never invited to Med’s show. I only appear on Dr. Kazibwe’s shows. Since that day I realized who that woman is but [Kagimu] don’t be afraid. We are all behind you and you are going to succeed in challenging her,” Sempala Kigozi encouraged wealthy George Kagimu who nodded in approval. Kayanja cautiously offered some words of encouragement saying he too had never appreciated nor understood Nambooze’s brand of politics. These were private discussions something that gave the participants confidence to speak their mind and indeed many not very good things were said about Nambooze with George Kagimu assuring fellow DP members he wasn’t going to back off. “I was initially reluctant but when she became more vicious in fighting me, I decided it was time for gloves to come off and we go bare knuckles. I have been urged by so many people to take her on for the MP Seat and I have come to the conclusion I’m prepared. Let the games begin,” Kagimu told the fellow DPs in Luganda. Indeed to strengthen his bid in the hope such might scare Nambooze to begin doing what they want (attacking KB), the People Power pressure group owners led by Mike Mabikke and Sam Lubega Mukaku and little known John Sebuwufu earlier this week held a meeting at Makerere where the anti-Nambooze strategy was comprehensively discussed. Kampala Lord Mayor the indomitable Erias Lukwago was equally discussed and it was agreed the best person to politically destroy him would be Abed Bwanika and not Latif Sebaggala the group had previously fronted. Latif had tactfully been offered Kampala Mayorship in order to get him away from his Kawempe North MP Seat for which Suleiman Kidandala (a former Deputy Lord Mayor to Lukwago) says he has been fronted by Bobi Wine.
