By Mulengera Reporters
On Monday, President Museveni prematurely left the Cabinet meeting after getting disgusted with what sources termed ‘a very angering submission’ by Hon Vincent Sempijja his Minister for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry. Impeccable State House sources say that, on realizing the indifference with which Gen Museveni reacted to his submission, Sempijja raised his voice saying “Your Excellency I’m addressing this very important matter of you and the rest of the members.”
Sources say Museveni always turns a page in his yellow writing pad to jot down important points as he prepares his response but he didn’t act that way on this occasion. Neither did he maintain any eye contact with Sempijja as he made his submission. And this perhaps is the reason the veteran politician from Kalungu tried to plead for some attention. “Instead of responding as requested, the HE just picked his writing pad and stormed out of the meeting room while signalling the Prime Minister to chair the rest of the session.”
The substance of Sempijja’s submission was a call on Cabinet to throw its weight behind his Ministry’s need to urgently get the Shs16bn they require to fight off the latest invasion of the locusts, a subject about which there has been a lot of public scepticism. The absence of Museveni galvanized majority of the Ministers to make cynical whispers and mockery as their colleague from Buddu submitted.
Beatrice Anywar (representing the Water & Environment sector) was among those who furiously showed resentment towards Sempijja’s submission. “Hon colleague let’s be frank. We are tired of that song and you can even see for yourself the scepticism among members. Which new locusts invasion are you talking about? Where is the accountability for the previous funding? We can’t vote with you on
this one because we now have COVID and it’s the priority everyone is
focussing on,” Anywar submitted attracting applause from some Ministers who kept saying “telling him for us because we are tired of that locusts story.”
Anywar said Ugandans will perceive Cabinet as being insensitive and unserious if they ever support urgent allocation of Shs16bn towards solving a problem the populace thinks has been exaggerated instead of procuring relief food assistance for the economically vulnerable who are struggling through this COVID period to get life’s basics such as a meal for their families.
The former opposition diehard went as far as dismissing Sempijja as not being serious “otherwise how do you come here asking for so much money to fight those very old locusts which are going to die a natural death anyway; in fact in my place, our people are prepared to eat them and overcoming Coronavirus is all they are thinking about right now.”
In his usual courteous way Rugunda encouraged Sempijja consoling him that this is a matter members will continue to reflect upon. As if to galvanize the public opinion, Sempijja subsequently drove to Media Center where he offered what he considered a more comprehensive explanation regarding the need for the Shs16bn to obliterate the locusts.
(For comments on this story, call, text or whatsapp us on 0705579994, 0779411734, 0200900416 or email us at mulengera2040@gmail.com).