By Our Reporters
Months to the 2021 general elections, former FDC strongman and Rwenzori region kingmaker clearly cut the figure of a man who had fallen on hard times. His misconceived decision to abandon his very safe MP Seat to run for the position of Kasese LC5 Chairman had ended in utter failure as had his efforts to challenge the NRM winner through courts of law.
Kibazanga had many financial costs and obligations to meet yet he no longer had any stable income stream. After the 2012 FDC elections that brought in Gen Mugisha Muntu as party president (after overcoming Nandala Mafabi), Kibazanga reached out to Gen Muntu begging him for a job at Party headquarters in Najjanankumbi. But being the extremely principled character he is, Gen Muntu politely said no. “Christopher you are a politician yet for me I’m looking for a deliberate bureaucrat to head the administration at the Party headquarters because I want a professionally-run head office for our party,” Gen Muntu emphatically told Kibazanga.
In the end Ms Nassanga (now deceased) was made Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the Party headquarters through rigorous interview process. It was fairly a good job for someone like Kibazanga who had lost his political clout in Kasese and was regretting his casual decision to abandon an MP Seat he would still win without much hassle. Salary was around Shs5m and it also came with numerous other perks including frequent benchmarking trips abroad and being the contact person for the party to the donor community.
Knowledgeable sources say the Muntu snubbing left Kibazanga in a very awkward situation-financially speaking. This increased his vulnerability to the NRM scouts who, on learning of his difficult circumstances, reached out and offered to take him to President Museveni. For the H.E. this was a god sent opportunity because his NRM had continued suffering thorough beatings each time it stood for elections in Kasese where Kibazanga, riding on his royal family membership, was always the main architect and strategist for the FDC whose indefatigable Presidential candidate Kizza Besigye had very easily been thumping Museveni in the ballot box since 2001. Pundits had christened Kasese the oasis in the desert for the FDC party as it was the only place where the Najjanankumbi party would easily dwarf the NRM in the Greater Western region.
But Museveni isn’t a joke either. On meeting up with Kibazanga (seemingly disinterested), Museveni showed rare indifference clearly indicating he wasn’t desperate to get Kibazanga on board as he had already become a spent force. Now the State Minister for Agriculture, Kibazanga seemed ready to do anything giving whatever concessions he could to get Museveni into a deal.
Without being asked, Kibazanga (who is a brother to King Mumbere) offered to apologize (literally on his knees) as the powerful man from Rwakitura sarcastically laughed at him. Saying mere verbal apology didn’t manifest adequate remorse, Museveni (otherwise renowned for being magnanimous to repentant foes) humiliatingly demanded that Kibazanga swears by the NRM Constitution that he will never engage in antagonistic politics against the President or his NRM party. The once very influential Kasese giant, having run out of options, clearly ate a humble pie and accepted whatever he was asked.
It was anticipated the Kibazanga defection would deliver Kasese back to NRM which never happened and even in Bundibugyo where he relocated, ill-fated Kibazanga has so far not impacted mobilization for the NRM in a manner Mr. Museveni expected and those in the know won’t be surprised if scandal-riddled Kibazanga is dropped from cabinet or relegated to a less significant docket in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle. (For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755 or email us at mulengera2040@gmail.com).
