By John V Sserwaniko
Having correctly concluded that politics is the surest way to gainfully get employed in Museveni’s Uganda, a number of politically ambitious Ugandans are already having their eyes on 2021 and actively scheming on how to upstage the incumbent legislators whose performance so far hasn’t met the expectations of their electors. In our part I of 2021 UPDATES, a political feature that will be regularly running on this news website, we profile some of these political actors who are menacingly looking at several MPs’ constituencies with a view to retire them in public interest come 2021.
THE LISTING:
Pamela Watuwa; The former CBS Evening Cruise (showbiz/entertainment) presenter for 14 years plunged into politics in 2013 when she cheerfully accepted President Museveni’s appointment to serve as deputy RDC for her native Mbale district. She took this as an opportunity to reciprocate the NRM inspiration by serving the local community in her native Elgon The 40 year old experienced communicator and NRM cadre (mentored by UBC’s Owen Kibenge) hails from Manafwa district where her ancestry is but politically qualifies to stand for woman MP Mbale district because it’s where her late father Maj David Douglas Watuwa gave birth to her, built his personal house and established a family and businesses as he served as an officer in Obote II’s army. As Deputy RDC Mbale, youth-friendly Watuwa (she once proclaimed they own her) had easily mingled with the ordinary people whose problems she always attended to. This, combined with humility, versatile personality and the very successful Wimpe Restaurant (family business left by her father), made her very popular with the grass root people to the extent of beginning developing political interests in becoming the area female legislator in the 11th Parliament. Indeed the NRM enthusiast hasn’t been shy about her 2021 political ambitions which she has disclosed to a few trusted stalwarts. Born on 18th January 1978, Pamela Watuwa is the 2nd born among 9 siblings birthed by late Maj. Watuwa and Constance Watuwa, a Munyankole businesswoman in Mbale town. Watuwa attended Nkoyoyo Boarding P/S Matale, St Joseph Nsambya (for O’level) and Tororo Girls School (for A’level). She graduated from Makerere University with a degree in Development Studies. Despite being linked to a sports philanthropist who is also a Zambia-based investor in roads construction, Watuwa officially maintains to be married to an absentee husband with whom she has two children. She met this guy while working at CBS. One of the senior and long term presenters is a great friend of this philanthropist and it’s through him that Watuwa is understood to have met the father of her two children to whom she isn’t officially married. Back to Mbale DWR ambitions; Watuwa’s supporters felt even more emboldened when the incumbent Connie Galiwango obeyed what she called voters’ wishes and voted no to the lifting of age limits last December. The Watuwa supporters believe this will boost their efforts to demonize Connie before the NRM leadership in Kampala and use that to justify future NRM electoral violence against her. It seems Watuwa’s supporters underestimated the Galiwangos’ capability to occasion mischief. Within no time after it became public that Pamela Watuwa was developing political ambitions, the Galiwangos struck in a manner that left Watuwa politically crippled. An announcement came unexpectedly requiring Watuwa to hand over the Mbale office (she first occupied in 2013) and prepare to relocate to new Kyotera district to start out a new life as the pioneer RDC there. This clearly took her away from Mbale and erased all the momentum she was beginning to ferment in the community to oust Connie Galiwango in 2021. Ester Mbayo is the Presidency Minister directly in charge of the RDCs and their deployment. Watuwa’s jittery supporters to this day claim that the Galiwangos’ (one of whose mothers is from Busoga) might have pleaded with Mbayo to come to their rescue and help them overcome Watuwa that way. But being a very determined prayerful lady with a lot of State House backing, Watuwa hasn’t given up her dream. Sources say that, assured of support of great friends like SC Villa’s wealthy Ben Misaga, Watuwa is determined to keep her political dream alive and believes it will be her to accomplish what Lydia Wanyoto failed in 2016 by being the super political lady to eventually see off Connie Galiwango who is currently considered to be politically much more weakened than was the case 2-3 years ago when she trounced Lydia Wanyoto.
Mohammad Kateregga: The JEEMA stalwart has done very well as Bukomansimbi LC5 Chairman and after 10 years in that position, he believes 2021 is the time for him to move on and serve at the national level. The truth is Kateregga, whose transformative leadership has inspired many young people, is increasingly being urged by supporters to run for Bukomansimbi MP North seat currently held by not so very popular Ruth Katushabe of the NRM party. He is a record maker because he was the first openly opposition politician to win an LC5 Seat in rural Buganda as early as 2011. The Jude Mbabalis of DP have come much later joining Wakiso’s Matia Lwanga Bwanika and Kampala’s Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago. When he finally runs for the MP Seat for his JEEMA party, Kateregga will give the Katushabes a run for their money because his track record as LC5 chairman has demonstrated to people the extent to which he can be very effective in lobbying for development. Using his connections in the Muslim world, Kateregga has brought lots of tangible development and transformation to Bukomansimbi especially in the fields of health and education service delivery. He has also done a lot in the roads sector to the extent that many wonder how an opposition LC5 chairman can cause so much transformation when even his NRM counterparts in the surrounding districts can’t achieve even a fraction for their people.
Wilberforce Seryazi; The flamboyant city lawyer was recruited into the FDC party by his role model Salaam Musumba some years ago and he immediately embarked on a grand plan to upstage then Entebbe Municipality NMP Mohammed Kawuma and grab his seat. Someone challenged Kawuma’s election and a by-election was held somewhere between 2011 & 2016. Insisting that Kawuma was a mole who had long been compromised by NRM and State House, Seryazi offered himself in the by-election but was disappointed when the popular FDC politicians like Col Kizza Besigye and Semujju Nganda, upon whom he had always looked for inspiration, shunned him by either staying away (in KB’s case) or openly backing Kawuma (in Semujju’s case). This irked Seryazi to the point of regretting why he chose FDC of all parties. But instead of quitting (he believes winners don’t quit), Seryazi stayed on but bitterly de-camped from KB’s camp and actively joined Gen Muntu whose people like Nabillah Nagayi stuck to him through the Entebbe bye-lection humiliation. He remains an FDC man but one who is sour grapping and not part of the POA administration. All this notwithstanding, Seryazi’s dream to ever represent Entebbe Municipality as its MP hasn’t died. There is hope that with Kawuma’s DP in disarray and voters dissatisfied with the way the incumbent Rose Tumusiime (of NRM) voted on Togikwatako, Seryazi could turn out the electors’ much-awaited savior come 2021. In the meantime he is practicing law as he forges alliances and accumulates resources that will be required to propel him to victory come 2021.
David Kabanda; Superrich Minister Sam Kutesa’s long serving PA David Kabanda has his eyes on Kasambya County MP Seat currently held by the very outspoken Gafa Mbwatekamwa, a leading rebel MP in the NRM whose stalwarts regret giving him their ticket in 2016. A former radio presenter in Mubende, Gafa has increasingly distinguished himself as a leading voice in the Theodore Sekikubo’s rebel MPs’ camp in the 10th Parliament. His anti-establishment rhetoric partly explains the growing anti-Museveni sentiments not only in Kasambya but in the entire Mubende district where the young people are increasingly becoming impatient with the political status quo. Having realized the likes of Simeo Nsubuga and Benny Namugwanya lack what it takes to effectively counter Gafa, the Museveni State House has resorted to grooming David Kabanda to do the needful which is politically overcoming Gafa in the ballot box in 2021. Kabanda, for whom Museveni sometime back bought a TX through his loyal servant Proscovia Nalweyiso, is these days camping in Kasambya every weekend to ferment what Gafa calls confusion among the young people. Beyond Kutesa, Kabanda is vastly connected to many power brokers both in politics and security circles. His regular appearances on TV and radio talk shows have helped portray him as parliamentary material and this is part of the broader strategy to demystify equally popular Gafa Mbwatekamwa who has several times been chased from NRM Caucus meetings after GCW Ruth Nankabirwa merely suspected he will do or say something belittling the big man during the meeting. Kabanda, who closely worked with then defacto PPS Edith Nakalema to counter many of JPAM’s political agents, is among the pioneer panelists who made NBS TV’s weekend political program (The Eagle) popular and its ratings diminished when people like himself and Frank Gashumba were sidelined from the program.
Adolf Mwesige; The long serving Bunyangabu County MP is ordinarily supposed to be exiting politics on the account of ill health but the timing of his exit will depend on number of factors including how his health will be and how the Constitutional Court rules on the age limit case. If he is to run, he won’t be returning to Bunyangabu the way we know it. He will be presenting himself as the pioneer MP for the soon to be created Bunyangabu Municipality which his great friend Tom Butime the local government minister is determined to have in place just to appease an old friend. Sources say it’s payback time for Butime who benefited in the splitting of his Mwenge constituency a few years ago when Adolf was the local government minister. We recently stumbled on Adolf Mwesige at Hotel Africana and asked him about this and he said there was nothing outrageous about Butime reciprocating by creating a Municipality in Bunyangabu if that will elevate development and bring services nearer to the people. Adolf’s other option is to retire and rest because he is after all not a poor man. He owns vast properties in Nsambya near the US Embassy and apartments in Mawanda road Kamwokya and his children study in very expensive schools like Toure School in Kenya where they each pay $5,000 (almost Shs20m) per term in school fees. He is also said to be emboldened and excited by the fact that home political adversaries (woman MP Peace Mutuuzo and LC5 James Ategeka), who recently humiliated him by defeating his anointed candidates when Bunyangabu became a district, are unlikely to be reelected because of the way voters are angry with them. For Mutuuzo she entered a war with some in the area Catholic Church whose leaders recently wrote to the President demanding that he considers someone else for cabinet in case Bunyangabu must have a minister who is a woman. This is how Mutuuzo’s war started; during the Togikwatako hysteria December last year, she took a stand which the Catholic Church didn’t like. In what appeared reminiscent of what ex-Kabale woman MP Hope Mwesigye told Fr. Gaetano Batanyenda during the 2011 election fever, Mutuuzo (the former M7 secretary) proudly told off the clergy advising them to concentrate on looking after their dubiously sired children than wasting time fighting a politically very successful lady minister (of culture) like her. To the contrary, her arch rival Adolf Mwesige is a proudly loved Catholic by the same clerics and he is understood to be the biggest political beneficiary from her spat with the clergy in the district. But before Adolf can secure reelection, in case he chooses the unexpected path and seek to run again, he will have to first overcome Col Robert Mugabe, an influential wealthy UPDF officer who is highly popular with people in Bunyangabu. Mugabe has supported Bunyangabu children’s education a lot by ever bringing them to schools in Kampala and this empowerment is something voters are determined to reciprocate by killing him with votes in 2021. Adolf, who is popular (for bringing power and CAIP roads) but faulted for being clandestinely very antagonistic, stands accused of working hard to prevent Mugabe from leaving the army since the days of Crispus Kiyonga. Mugabe is hopeful that he will be able to retire once Adolf ceases to be the Defense Minister and once he gets his freedom (Bujenje’s Patrick Kasumba style who floored Kabakumba Matsiko), Adolf will be finished because he suffers the natural fatigue that comes with prolonged incumbency.
Ibrahim Kitata; His father Abdul Kitata is the outgoing MP Bukoto West Constituency in Lwengo district. Ibra, as he is fondly known, is very reflective young man who knows when to strike and when to wait. He is currently underground with cards close to his chest as he concentrates to finish his law degree at Makerere University. He is currently a member of the NYC executive and his boss is Lillian Aber. Kitata is no doubt interested in replacing his frail dad for the MP Seat come 2021. A number of youth mobilizational activities like constituency-wide sporting tournaments are being undertaken in his name on top of bore holes being dug in the dry Lwengo villages and named after him. Like Kabanda, Kitata is thickly connected to the President and his controller was Edith Nakalema who is no more in the picture but that doesn’t mean the end of access to the Principal. The duo of Kitata and Kabanda still access Sevo through their surviving powerful kingmaker Proscovia Nalweyiso who keeps custody of the big man’s classified cash meant to facilitate secretive political operations. Highly learned Kitata has a background in Financial Management and Accountancy and is a well-known youth leader in the whole country. He is a controversial daring character as seen in the way he fought Ronald Kibule out of the youth ministry. In the absence of Andrew Felix Kaweesi who was eyeing the same seat, the growing clear consensus in Lwengo is that the younger Kitata has what it takes to replace his father since the would be other alternative Semujju Nganda is clearly committed to serving from the Kampala side.
Joseph Luzige; The Mityana LC5 chairman has since 2001 been trying to join Parliament as MP Busujju County but was always being overcome by then Museveni minister Vincent Nyanzi. At some point the race between the two became so bloody, people lost lives on being shot by some of the Minister’s stalwarts. Luzige, who is understood to have built some clout using the LC5 platform, is having his eyes on the new Busujju Constituency going to result from the splitting of the current Busujju now represented by David Lukyamuzi Kalwanga, a controversial figure who eventually defeated Nyanzi in 2016. Nyanzi too is back to the trenches and claims he is the one who lobbied and persuaded Museveni to grant the new constituency in Busujju. In case he doesn’t go after Nyanzi directly, Luzige who hails from Malangala Sub County could as well face off with Kalwanga who has clearly been weakened by the activities of a DP group led by Mukambwe Lukonge. This group has been obtaining recordings of Kalwanga, who falsely claims to be opposition-leaning, attending and cheerfully contributing during the ruling NRM strategy meetings convened by Mityana North’s Godfrey Kiwanda who too faces a resurging Gordon Sematiko. In the recordings, Kalwanga is clearly hard bragging about being in secret talks with President Museveni and thanks Kiwanda for connecting him to the big man. Luzige will also have to overcome Woman MP Judith Nabakooba who has lately been fighting him openly even when they both profess to be NRM diehards. Nabakooba argues that Luzige should never be elected again because he has been overtaxing voters and the poor landlords in Mityana. Luzige in return accuses Nabakooba of riding on his programs to seek new relevancy and acceptance after voters cursed her for voting yes to lifting age limit when they had clearly instructed her to vote no. This feuding in the NRM camp could favor the rapidly rising opposition to wipe the bus candidates out in 2021.
Joy Bagala; The corporate babe from the Ntatwa family has never abandoned Mityana voters even after officially losing to Judith Nabakooba. The vibrant TV and radio journalist maintains that she won the Mityana district woman MP seat on the opposition DP ticket but was unable to take office because the NRM machinery rigged for Nabakooba whom she dismisses as the illegitimate legislator who has roundly been rejected by voters. Using the additional capabilities resulting from her gainful employment at NBS TV where she was recently elevated to heading the news section, Bagala is these days visiting the constituency and interacting with voters every weekend. This has prompted the residents to christen her “The People’s MP” epitomizing the defiance views of Col Kizza Besigye who is famously called “The People’s President.” There is general consensus that the rigging notwithstanding, 2021 is Joy Bagala’s magic year to finally overcome Nabakooba and take the Mityana woman MP Seat. Her entry to Parliament in 2021 has also been acquiesced to by Sylivia Namabidde the very influential former Woman MP who too accuses Nabakooba of electoral impropriety.
Richard Lumu; The flamboyant City Lawyer who is DP-leaning still has his eyes on Mityana South MP Seat whose residents he says have continued to be hostage to the insufficient legislative representation by NRM’s Kamya Makumbi whom he dismisses as illegitimate even after failing to convince court as much. Lumu, who has invested in ceaseless mobilization, believes 2021 is going to be his magic year to finally become MP having failed many times before.
Simon Muyanga; The last weekend events that saw poor voters raise millions of shillings to rescue him from Kirinya Prison where he had been confined as a judgment debtor by his archrival Kenneth Lubogo proved how highly the Bulamogi voters rate this TV journalist who likes calling himself the legitimate MP. Taking advantage of over-enthusiastic Gen Kale Kayihura’s absence in the IGP office, the Bulamogi voters held long processions celebrating the eventual release of their son who was accompanied by a powerful FDC entourage comprising of Salaam Musumba, POA and SG Nandala Mafabi. Muyanga, who tried but failed to remove Lubogo through courts of law, is so popular that even State House feared backlash that would result from the anger with which sympathetic voters would respond to his mistreatment. He is finally free and remains convinced that in 2021, he will get to represent his people, even if he doesn’t campaign or print any campaign posters. Over the weekend, Balamogi avenged his humiliation by enmassely defecting from NRM to the FDC as a protest act. As if its NRM that caged their man in Kirinya, hundreds of old women and youths queued up before Nandala Mafabi to hand in their NRM cards and T-shirts and demanded recruitment into the FDC.
Asuman Odaka; This JEEMA man hails from Tororo and has relentlessly been fighting to become the Municipality MP without success. He believes that with the NRM camp in disarray (Sanjay Tana fighting with Apollo Yeri and Sarah Opondi versing Odoi Tanga), a political miracle might finally come his way in 2021. He recently championed the founding of a pressure group uniting leaders who have for long been standing but have never won the Parliamentary seat. Its objectives are reminiscent of what was epitomized by PoP (Parliament outside Parliament) that Mary Mutesi had founded in the run up to 2016.
Mutesi too hasn’t totally given up her dream to represent Kamuli district as the DWR. But all her plans are contingent on how soon Rebecca Kadaga chooses to bow out of the Seat she has held for close to 30 years. Gratefully Mutesi, who in April held a pompous wedding presided over by SG Kasule Lumumba, has vastly networked including in the Defense sector at whose Mbuya headquarters she currently works.
Stephen Sekigozi; He is the son to late Patrick Musisi who in early 2000s died in office as the MP for Busiro South now being held by Peter Sematimba who Sekigozi insists calling “vote thief.” Having fought hard to get the DP ticket against the likes of Simon Njala Kaggwa, TJ-backed Sekigozi went in the general elections 2016 very confident that the position was for him to win after all the constituency had always been DP’s since the days of PK Semogerere. However, he narrowly lost to NRM’s Peter Sematimba who exploited a divided opposition to carry the day (you had multiple opposition candidates). He successfully challenged Sematimba’s election in the High Court but the showbiz MP trounced him in the Court of Appeal which many lawyers expected to uphold the lower court’s decision. A furious Sekigozi and his other disgruntled siblings stumbled on Justice Stephen Kavuma (who had headed the COA panel) in Mityana during fallen ex-DCJ Letitia Kikonyogo’s vigil and shouted at him while attempting to wrestle him to the ground until burial committee chair Justice Kituuma intervened and restrained them. In an interview with this news website, Sekigozi confirmed attempting to beat up Justice Kavuma whom he dismissed as “total traitor.” He says “despite all the costly injustices and financial exploitation I have endured in this process, I won’t give up my dream to represent my people” and this simply means he has his eyes on 2021 when he insists “Busiro South will have to be liberated from this political impostor called Peter Sematimba.”
Nkunyingi Muwadda; The young city lawyer has vast connections with the Turkish Embassy and business community in Kampala. He is their lawyer and it’s a relationship from which he has reaped many tangible benefits for the good of his voters in Kyaddondo East now represented by Bobi Wine. He has built schools and vastly supported the needy youths and elderly in the constituency, prompting some to christen him “the good MP Kyaddondo East never had.” Having conceded defeat to Bobi Wine, Muwadda immediately moved on and surrendered all his good ideas to Wine whom he says has so far done very well. In a recent interview, Muwadda told this writer: “I’m so far satisfied with Bobi Wine and what he has done and the way he has represented us so far. And to that end, I have no plans to stand against him but should be heed calls on him to go for presidency and abandon Kyaddondo East, you can be sure as night falls day that Seat will then naturally become mine.” Muwadda says whereas he appreciates the fight Wine and others put up to defend the Constitution during the Magyezi Age limit debate in December last year, there is much more he would physically have done if he was in the house as MP. “You can be sure that day I was going to be the biggest hero. I would have done much more than you guys saw and my aim would be to ensure there is no Parliamentary sitting that day at all. My way was to either win or they lose and I can tell you I was going to make it risky for any speaker to chair that session. My target was going to be whoever sat in the Speaker’s chair.” This plea is consistent with the political militancy with which Muwadda has been associated since his days at Law School and in the guild race that he participated in on the opposition ticket.
Richard Kamagu; He has cultivated vast following as a radio presenter of Simbula which has clearly distinguished itself as Kampala’s best morning talk show on 89.6 fm Top Radio. It’s not very clear where he stands between NRM and opposition but he says he will be running for Mukono Municipality Seat whose incumbent Betty Nambooze has reason to worry. The taxi drivers from Mukono have already shown enthusiasm by pasting Kamagu’s posters on their Kampala-bound vehicles clearly christening him as “MP to be.”
Davis Rwamuhumbu; His political camp is confident that given the way the State House rumor has demonized the incumbent Alex Rubunda, Rwamuhumbu stands a chance to become the new Fort Portal Municipality MP come 2021. The rumor is that sometime back Alex Rubunda, whose fiery mobilization had initially been blamed for the rising anti-Museveni sentiments in Kabarole district whose woman MP Sylvia Rwabwogo surprised many voting no to scrapping age limit last December, was subsequently herded to State House for a meeting with President Museveni who threatened and forced him to apologize over his political hostilities. That Rubunda, who was accompanied by his relative who is equally a very outspoken Councilor, cracked and repented his sins in return for Museveni’s protection against NRM stalwarts in politics and intelligence who were vowing to cripple him financially by going after his private business to ensure he doesn’t win any new contracts. It’s alleged that the councilor bought a new car (Premio) and softened his criticisms on return from the secretive meeting in State House. This rumor remains unclarified and the resultant polarisis is what Rwamuhumbu is riding on to popularize himself as a viable alternative to long-serving Rubunda. Rwamuhumbu is a liberal-minded NRM supporter and stood in 2016 but was easily floored by Rubunda along with other contestants. In his own right, Rwamuhumbu is a well-connected fellow because of his influence and the marketing consultancy services he offers to several radios in Toro and Bunyoro sub regions. He is a friend to many leading tycoons in the two regions because they hire and consult him each time they want to expand and grow their radio/media influence in the surrounding districts. He is a power broker of sorts ever linking radio personalities and proprietors to cash-making opportunities in Kampala where he operates a private liaisons office on Kampala road near King Fahd building.
Harold Kaija; The FDC Deputy Secretary General, who stood against Kampala Central MP Mohammed Nsereko and made him sweat in the 2016 elections, believes in politics of gradualism whereby one’s political support keeps growing incrementary. The first time he contested, Nsereko was still very powerful and Kaija himself had politically not yet grown his stature to the levels we see today. Courteousy of the many radio and TV stations to which he is invited for talk shows, partly because of his mentor Joyce Sebugwawo’s networking efforts and Semujju Nganda’s endorsements, Kaija is these days well known and has name recognition which he lacked in 2016. He believes with Nsereko, who by 2021 have served 10 straight years, becoming cracked because of the natural fatigue that comes with prolonged incumbency, 2021 will be time for the FDC to produce an MP for Kampala Central having had its candidates fail since 2001. In 2001, they had Annie Mugisha, Jethrow Nuwagaba in 2011 and Kaija in 2016. Kaija is also now more travelled than he was as of 2016 and his closeness to Dr. KB and Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago is another factor he is leveraging on to Move Mountains against Nsereko come 2021.
Habib Buwembo; The radical Muslim activist is a nonsense man who never compromises on his beliefs and convictions. This is how he has come to be known. When it comes to defending Muslim properties against Mubaje, Buwembo is always on the frontline spitting fire on TV. He does the same when it comes to condemning the police raid on Nakasero Mosque. In Natete he is equally visible on both Muslim and opposition FDC political issues. In FDC (on whose NEC he serves as Secretary for labor) Buwembo is always clear as to where he belongs between Gen Muntu and POA. As a POA supporter, Buwembo shocked many when he took the wealthy and much feared Bukedea woman MP Anita Among who many were whispering about being the invisible hand behind the money in the Muntu camp. Buwembo openly took on Among and dealt with the consequences later. Buwembo is also the man who took the risk to drag Rubaga South MP Kato Lubwama to court disputing the authenticity of his academic qualifications. The matter remains undecided and Buwembo’s stature has grown greatly in Rubaga since this Kato Lubwama dispute began. In taking all this risk and investing his hard earned money, Buwembo isn’t a naturally good man just fighting to clear the way for Ken Lukyamuzi the former MP. No. He wants the trophy himself and this is the reason thousands of his supporters, stung by Kato Lubwama’s lukewarmness on many governance matters, are convinced that Habib Buwembo is destined to become the next MP for Rubaga South. Buwembo himself confirms not being an exception to the old saying that man is a political animal. He is also a member of the Muslim Brotherhood that is famous for its street fights with police.
Sam Engola: The NRM northern region chairman was until 2016 the Erute County MP and having been uprooted, he these days has his eyes on the Apac Municipality MP Seat. Whereas he has no plans to run there in the July 2018 elections, when Obote’s son Eddie Engena Maitum is expected to win, Engola is understood to be having his eyes on representing the same area in 2021. This is the reason he is working hard to establish a very successful livestock farm in the Municipality so that by 2021, his impact will have been felt by all. However, his bid could escalate his differences with area kingmaker Betty Amongin whose supporters have never forgiven Engola for storming Barilege State Lodge in Otuke late last year where he attacked Museveni protesting what he called over-pampering of defectors like Amongin at the expense of long serving cadres. To illustrate his point, Engola came with close to 200 NRM leaders in the area whom he said had come to show Museveni their displeasure regarding the pampering of Amongin and other UPC leaders. Museveni ignored Engora and his men prompting him to threaten to resign his post as party chairman for northern region.
Isha Otto; The former Oyam MP is perceived by many in Lango sub region to be the UPC shadow president because of his resilience in exposing the shamness manifested in Akena’s opposition to Museveni’s NRM. Otto is the man the united opposition is hoping to front for MP Lira Municipality Seat in 2016 to have the long serving Jimmy Akena retire in public interest. Otto remains a very outspoken Museveni critic and inspires many young people opposed to Museveni in Lango sub region and more so Lira Municipality. He recently told this news website that he was leading a movement to politically annihilate those hiding behind Obote’s name to prolong Museveni’s stay in power by duping peasants in Lango that whoever stands up to Akena is disrespectful of the Obote legacy.
Sarah Nkonge; Besides being a vastly propertied city tycoon and an active Rotarian, spontaneously sociable Dr. Nkonge works in State House in the land directorate headed by Mrs. Gertrude Njuba. She has her eyes on Lwengo woman MP Seat which she controversially lost to Cissy Namujju in 2016. Nkonge’s supporters took Namujju to court on grounds of forgery their argument being that she was operating on clearly forged academic documents which is an offence under the Penal Code. Namujju got a political breather when DPP Mike Chibita controversially withdrew the charges on grounds the State had lost interest in the case. Nkonge got so bitter that at some point stumbled on Chibita at one of the President’s functions and attacked him using words we can’t even repeat here. A humiliated Chibita just looked at her and walked away. Its widely believed that the moment highly qualified Nkonge accomplishes the mission of becoming Lwengo woman MP, as long as Museveni is still President, she will be assured of scooping a juicy cabinet slot most likely that of Vice President which Museveni is always pleased to give to a Muganda Catholic from Masaka. Watch out for part 2 because 2021 UPDATES will be a regular political feature on this news website.
Olive Namazzi; She is currently the female councilor representing the Kyambogo institutions at Erias Lukwago’s KCCA. Namazzi, who is politically very ambitious, belongs to the FDC party and wants to oust long-serving Kampala Woman MP Nabillah Nagayi. A former Kyambogo guild president, Namazzi has always been part of the group mobilizing the students’ community to always elect FDC Guild Presidents and wants to widen those excellent mobilization skills to the rest of Kampala to deepen the FDC popularity. For comments, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755!
