By Our Reporters
This news website has obtained comprehensive information revealing how some MPs got and others lost shadow cabinet positions. Some of the incumbents who lost out or were not reappointed include Mike Kabaziguruka, Gilbert Olanya, Herbert Ariko, Lucy Akello and Franco Centenary. Kyaddondo East MP Bobi Wine also missed out and this was because in the different meetings he had with FDC leaders (Aol and POA), he politely declined appointment on grounds that he is too busy with mobilization work within Uganda and abroad meaning he wouldn’t be effective in executing duties assigned to him.
SHADOW CABINET LIST;
Those on the list include LoP Betty Aol Ocan, OCW Ibrahim Semujju Nganda, Deputy OCW Mugume Kaginda Roland, AG Wilfred Niwagaba, Cooperatives Ongiertho Emmanuel Jor, Mohammed Nsereko (Security), Godfrey Katushabe Atkins (Foreign Affairs), Peter Okot (Fisheries/Agric), Bamukwatsa Betty Muzanira (Local govt), Anthony Akol (Finance), Joshua Anywarach (Human Rights), Julius Ochan (Health), Mathias Mpuuga (Education), Jonathan Odur (Public Service & Presidency), Lucy Achiro (Gender/Labor), Anna Adeke (Youths), William Nzoghu (Works), Ibrahim Kasozi (Physical Planning), Lutamaguzi Semakula (Lands), Charles Angiro Gutmoi (Tourism), Florence Namayanja (Water & Environment), Simon Oyet (Energy/Minerals), Oguzu Lee Denis (Science, Innovations & ICT), Sizomu Gershom Rabi (Rehabilitation, Relief & Disaster Mgt), Joy Atim Ongom (Special Regions Affairs), Medard Lubega Segona (Justice & Constitutional Affairs), Bernard Atiku (Defense and Veterans Affairs), Muwanga Kivumbi (Internal Affairs), Fred Turyamuhweza (Trade & Industry), Allan Sewanyana (Sports & Creative Arts), Francis Zzake (EAC), Betty Nambooze (KCCA & Information/Spokesperson), Francis Gonahasa Barnabas (Agriculture) and Paul Kato Lubwama (Culture & Performing Arts).
THE INSIDE STORY;
Arriving at this list and finally releasing it to the public as final on Thursday evening wasn’t easy for especially Aol and her 2nd in command Semujju Ibrahim Nganda. We have established that about a month ago, Aol drove to Najjanankumbi for the FDC Working Committee meeting and during that meeting, she tendered the list of names of people she wanted to be made shadow ministers. Before even entertaining any discussion on the same, the party top honchos tasked her for proof that she had spoken to all those people and got their consent. It was agreed the matter be revisited in the next WC meeting. Whereas as Aol told this news website last weekend that the party president and NEC have a lot of say, Najjanankumbi insisted she had to do much of the work as the LoP. She was told this was important because she had to find people she is comfortable doing business with in Parliament. Aol had to start the whole thing almost afresh after members (fearing a scenario where appointees distance themselves and denounce the list) insisted that she once again speaks to even those she believed had consented (in case they changed their mind). “This was her moment to prove her worth having been roundly dismissed as a weakling by the Winnie Kiiza proxies on social media and radio talk shows. I can tell you it wasn’t a simple task,” says a knowledgeable insider. “The timing was difficult. You had People Power everywhere and yet Gen Muntu also unveiled his New Formation in the same period. That is why Semujju Nganda offered to do much more helping her reach out to these people in his capacity as Opposition Chief Whip. Wasswa Birigwa [the FDC party chairman] also offered to get involved reaching out to some people.” Indeed it was Semujju who influenced the inclusion of people like Medard Segona and Muwanga Kivumbi. “He personally likes these two guys and appreciates their potential to contribute to the struggle. Kivumbi had said he was done and Semujju had to persuade him to change his mind and serve again because he has built a lot of clout and contacts in security which are very important for the broader opposition to continue leveraging upon. Kivumbi accepted and we were all surprised on realizing how deeply connected he was to Semujju Nganda,” says a source close to the process. Mohammed Nsereko and Kato Lubwama were reached out to largely for political calculation reasons. Nsereko has been MP Central Division for nearly 10 years (two terms now) and doesn’t have much political challenge apart from FDC Deputy SG Harold Kaija. “His inclusion was largely influenced by Mubarak Munyagwa because they are strong political allies as MPs who represent areas with a large ghetto community and they are both ghetto-bred,” said a source adding that Munyagwa also backed the Kivumbi retention. “There is one big man in the party who personally didn’t like Kivumbi in the Working Committee and NEC meetings but was quietened when Munyagwa joined Semujju Nganda in arguing the time now isn’t about liking but generally galvanizing the struggle. The big man, who believes a lot in Munyagwa’s calculations when it comes to mobilizing the ghetto, conceded and let go.” Sources add that the other Aol calculation was to have as many Muslims as she could (including Makindye East’ Ibrahim Kasozi) in order to upstage Museveni who Muslims accuse of not adequately deploying them in cabinet and other juicy government positions. Kato Lubwama, who has lately been politically insecure because of a new challenger who claims to be the People Power candidate for 2021, was considered as a reconciliatory gesture and also as a strategy to diminish political fronts against the FDC party which is already facing hostilities from the New Formation and sections of Mr. Wine’s supporters. Specifically referring to Mohammed Nsereko, this is what a party official said when asked about the implications of non-FDC members being posted to the shadow cabinet: “It simply means if he [Nsereko] works well with us as a team of opposition in shadow cabinet, the Party will be obliged to ensure no FDC candidate is fielded against him come 2021. On such matters, Dr. Besigye is one we are counting on because he has previously gone out of his way to ensure FDC flag bearers don’t antagonize our political allies. He did it in Butambala when he reimbursed Kasule [RIP] with Shs18m to get him out for Muwanga Kivumbi in the 2012 by-elections. He did it with Bakubi in Mukono for Betty Nambooze and he will equally be willing to ensure colleagues who work with us well in shadow cabinet aren’t antagonized in 2021.” The same party official also gave the example of how considerately KB treated Rubaga North’s Kasibante Moses in 2016 when he faced a one Kitooke, a proxy Beti Kamya candidate, who pretended to be the FDC flag bearer against Kasibante whose TJ was a major component in his own 2016 presidential bid. Truth is some of these guys are increasingly becoming threatened by candidates purporting to be flag bearers for People Power in 2021. Even Mohammed Nsereko faces a prospect of either Eddie Yawe or Fred Nyanzi (both Bobi’s brothers) challenging him in 2021. So whereas it works for FDC to mend fences and create more allies using the opposition cabinet leadership in Parliament, it also works for Nsereko because securing the FDC partnership diminishes trouble for him regarding the 2021 reelection bid. The possibility of the FDC backing Nsereko’s reelection in 2021 perhaps explains the anger with which Deputy Secretary General Harold Kaija protested his inclusion in the shadow cabinet. Kaija (who critics say previously practiced politics of calculations when he ensured Ken Lukyamuzi didn’t face an FDC candidate in 2016 by refusing to endorse a man who had won party primaries) says his party has stabbed him in the back by giving such leverage to Mohammed Nsereko whom he says is an ally of President Museveni. “He [Nsereko] may not be a saint but what we are seeking now is a broader coalition of a harmonious opposition where everybody is galvanized to move together and that is what the LoP was tasked to do using her office and discretion as party leader at that level,” said a source close to the process. Kaija had the opportunity to register his reservations during NEC and Working Committee meetings but he didn’t because he was absent the day Aol’s list was discussed and decided upon. As for Nakaseke MP, the outspoken Lutamaguzi Semakula (who was previously contemptuous of shadow positions) he was cajoled by Wasswa Birigwa who is one of those he greatly respects. Other party officials, including Aol and POA, had looked for Luta and failed to reach him and it was Birigwa who got his nod. It couldn’t be Semujju Nganda because the two aren’t best friends even in Parliament after they clashed during a Buganda caucus meeting. Semujju wasn’t very enthusiastic about Mukono South MP Muyanja Senyonga (NRM) becoming caucus chair yet he is the one Lutamaguzi vehemently supported hoping he would gradually become a fully-fledged opposition cadre which he has since become.
THE NAMBOOZE-BESIGYE LINK;
It has been revealed that Betty Nambooze was made KCCA Minister largely for three reasons. One is her character of being consistent and combative enough to take on Beti Kamya whose pledge to deliver 80% Kampala votes to Museveni the opposition wants to disapprove at the next elections. “Nambooze is a high commitment person and is a fighter who won’t be ashamed of doing anything as long as it advances the anti-Museveni struggle. With Musisi out of the way, you need such a person to finally overcome Kamya and make it risky for her to freely move around marketing her candidate Museveni,” explained a source. But how did Nambooze, who has previously excelled as shadow minister for local government, manage to get exactly what she asked for? Sources say whereas KB remains totally underground on matters like these, fearing to be seen influencing Amuriat and Aol decisions, he is the one Nambooze initially went to as she went about lobbying for the all-important KCCA posting. “Those two are strong political allies and they have always been there for each other. Nambooze has never abandoned KB and her resilience partly explains why KB managed to overcome the new Mao wave in 2011 and the JPAM wave in 2016. Even when he preferred to be low profile in these matters, KB immediately liked Nambooze’s readiness to use the KCCA platform to galvanize and consolidate opposition support in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono,” says a source. KB marketed the idea to Amuriat and Aol who too had no objection to Nambooze who has been a consistent ally of the FDC mainstream. The source says the 3rd reason why Aol easily gave the post to Nambooze was her willingness to accept the additional responsibility of serving as the overall spokesperson of the opposition leadership in Parliament. “We have always had a gap there in that docket. It was given to Nabillah Nagayi for two years and there was no vibrancy. It was later given to Apollo Kantinti who also passed unnoticed and left no legacy in that office. It’s hoped Nambooze, who is a key influencer for the 2021 presidential race, will use those two positions to increase her visibility and influence on the national scene which is good for her stature as a national politician. KB likes her for not only being eloquent but also for her good sense of judgment and knowing what to be said where and when,” said a source familiar with the matter. All said and done, the fact that none of the people named on the list has so far come out to contradict Aol is indicative of how quickly she has (using the reconciliatory approach) gone about establishing her leadership and it leaves those that had hitherto quickly written her off profoundly disarmed. We are told she prioritized none FDCs more in the shadow cabinet because her party members already took a lion’s share on the earlier postings-in the four accountability committees, regional parliaments and Parliamentary Commission perks. Consensus is that reorganizing staff in the LoP office will be next and it’s expected to occur in a few weeks-time. “Ochan is an elder and takes things slowly yet she is firm and strong-willed. She hasn’t touched anybody in her own office and these are guys Winnie Kiiza had recruited and given contracts for 5 years. She will make adjustments at that level in a manner that doesn’t ferment any chaos,” concluded one of the top sources we spoke to for this article. It’s very likely all the incumbent office holders could be removed with exception of longest-serving Asaph Ntanda whose experience and institutional memory (since Latigo’s days) Aol will need to carry on with her mandate. One of the newly appointed shadow ministers told this news website: “We were boiling iniatially but that lady [Aol] disarmed us with her humility and ability to remain graceful even in the midst of great hostility. She has acted decently by ensuring she distinguishes the LoP office from family unlike some of her predecessors who saw the office as an avenue to create opportunities for their spouses and cronies.” For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
