Renowned political analyst Tamale Mirundi has warned NRM supporters and their leader YK Museveni against being excited while anticipating political dividends from Museveni’s recent visit to Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi’s Kireka palace. During the visit, Museveni announced Shs70bn payment to the Kabaka as arrears for the money previously owed. Museveni carried his blue eyed girl Evelyn Anite along and introduced her to the Buganda king as the liaisons minister who will be following up (on behalf of the finance ministry) to ensure everything is 100% paid up on time without any further delay because the king has already waited for too long. Museveni also told Kabaka he had carried the young minister along in order to signal his intention to ensure institutional memory and continuity of the relationship between his central government and Uganda’s most influential and pace-setting kingdom. Museveni also rebuked central and local government entities whose lack of cooperation continued to frustrate implementation of the 2013 MoU the two Principals signed obliging the central government to return all Buganda’s things (Ebyaffe), a matter that had for decades complicated relations between him and Kabaka’s government. Museveni vowed to crack the whip if such frustration didn’t stop. The two men took and released to the public photos showing how cordially the Kireka meeting was conducted.
MIRUNDI IMPLICATIONS
At the end of the meeting, an impression was created Museveni would more easily retain political upper hand in the populous Buganda region in 2021 elections because of the Banda gesture. Tamale Mirundi, an experienced media analyst that has previously made precise predictions on major political events, says there is nothing for Museveni and his supporters to be politically excited about. Appearing on Capt Francis Babu’s Metro fm radio where he endured tough questioning by the thick-skinned moderator, Mirundi said the millions of young people who enthusiastically support People Power Supremo Bobi Wine Kyagulanyi Sentamu don’t depend on Mengo or even the Kabaka to make political decisions. He referred to the 2016 elections when Kizza Besigye successfully campaigned against the NRM candidate and got unprecedentedly high number of votes without making much reference to Buganda’s Federo issue. In any case Bobi Wine won to become Kyaddondo East MP in 2017 at a time he was at loggerheads with Mengo over the Busabala land on which his One Love beach sits. Mirundi said the 2016 Besigye electoral experience was proof it’s possible for Museveni’s political opponents to perform impressively during general elections even without closely working with Mengo. In Bobi Wine’s case he said what awaits Museveni in 2021 is a much more complicated challenge than even what Mengo-indifferent Besigye offered in 2016. “Let nobody deceive the President that giving Shs70bn to the Kabaka is going to weaken Bobi Wine or soften anyone in Buganda. Those young people are up against him [M7] not because it’s Mayiga or Kabaka who told them. They have their own grievances which have nothing to do with Mayiga or the Kabaka,” Mirundi said adding: “I know the Kabaka very well having previously worked with him very closely. He is full of surprising tactics yet you can’t force him to return the money. He can decide to dissolve the Katikkiroship and the Lukiiko sine die and takes a flight to London and remain inaccessible until elections are over. What then will the President do to him? It’s foolhardy for anyone to expect he will be making solidarity statements endorsing any of the NRM candidates. The best he can do is remain neutral and totally keep quiet.” Mirundi said in the same way the Shs9bn Kampala Archbishop Kizito Lwanga is demanding from Museveni to host the Pope won’t yield any political dividend for the NRM ahead of 2021 elections. He added that, contrary to what aides make Museveni think, Cyprian Kizito Lwanga isn’t the most influential Catholic cleric in Uganda today. To him, Kiyinda-Mityana’s Bishop Joseph Anthony Zziwa has more influence than Lwanga because he carries the clout of chairing the Uganda Episcopal Conference uniting all Bishops. “What we are seeing is a president all these smart people at Mengo and in the Catholic Church see as very scared because of Bobi Wine and they will be targeting to extort money from him,” concluded Mirundi who also claimed the President was now a hostage of some powerful people and deeply entrenched interest groups operating within his own government. For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
