By Otim Nape
The ruling NRM Northern region Vice Chairman Sam Engora has been manhandled and violently blocked while trying to force his way into a meeting with President YoweriMuseveni who is also the NRM Chairman.
The very humiliating incident sparked fury prompting Engora to cry out loudly to Museveni’s SFG guards threatening to resign from the party unless the President apologizes to him in a befitting manner.
The incident happened a few weeks ago when Sam Engora, who has since 1986 always risked to carry the NRM flag in Lango including at a time many considered it too risky, led 107 NRM chairpersons from Sub Counties and districts that make up Lango sub region.
He led them to Barilege State Lodge in Otuke district where a very exhausted Museveni had retreated for a night after his very exhaustive radio talk shows on the land acquisition sensitization.
Prompted by lands minister Betty Amongin, Museveni reluctantly agreed to meet 30 most influential cadres who specialize in defending the party on radios in the Lango sub region.
These guys had done a lot of work enduring hostile public opinion to defend and market Museveni’s otherwise not very popular proposal to amend land acquisition provisions of the law to enable government acquire land more easily for public works and infrastructure projects like the SGR, roads and power projects.
Reliable State House sources say that during the Barilege meeting, Museveni who had already received intelligence reports about the good works of this media volunteers group was told about existence of a SACCO formed by these very members. Without being prompted by anyone, Museveni instantly donated Shs30m to this SACCO, spontaneously sparking off scenes of jubilation inside Barilege State Lodge.
ENGORA BLOCKED:
As Museveni entertained his 30 supporters, delivered by Amongin with active support and collaboration of PPS Molly Kamukama, Sam Engora also arrived with his 107 NRM lower level chairpersons who travelled in three coasters. On arrival at the main entrance gate, Engora surged forward and introduced himself to the SFC guards manning the place.
They informed him they had express written instructions not to let in anybody apart from the 30 cadres delivered by Amongin. “We even have their names and as far as we are concerned, they are already in and the President won’t be seeing anyone else because he is tired and has a tight schedule,” the SFC guards were quoted as boldly telling Engora.
It was getting late in the evening and threatening to rain but the SFC guys still didn’t bulge or give in to any of the pleas Engora was making. As the argument intensified, prompting some NRM chairpersons to caution Engora to go slow lest he provokes fire from the SFCs, information reached PPS Molly that there was chaos at the gate regarding Engora’s squad.
An assistant was dispatched to go and assure Engora the big man wouldn’t meet his group. “But there is a program that the same PPS’ office sent and I was copied in showing meeting my group would be part of the President’s program and I’m here to ensure he meets these people of his,” Engora argued.
In the end it was agreed that the most senior members of the Engora delegation (not more than 10 of them) are let in-not for the meeting but just to say hi to the President and take photo with him. Once inside, Engora imploded wondering to the President why his workaholic PPS Molly hates him to such an extent.
“But that program was amended and that part of your meeting was omitted. How come you ignored that information?” one of Molly’s subordinates said in a bid to shut up Engorainfront of the President.
Copies of the updated message that was electronically sent out to the concerned Lango leaders were produced and it turned out there was an omission and Engora was somehow not copied. At this point, Engora chest-thumped loudly saying “see your excellence this lady hates me and she must be working with my political adversaries in Lango like Betty Amongin.”
He was then reminded that by the way, Molly wasn’t under obligation to copy him in since this land sensitization visit wasn’t something that directly concerned him. Engora became even more enraged wondering to Museveni why he should continue being Lango sub region’s biggest man in NRM yet the party seemingly doesn’t like him.
“Your excellence I’m so humiliated before my NRM Lango region chairpersons that I think the best I can do to save my face is to resign from this position since it seems your people don’t like me,” Engora said prompting an evidently fatigued Museveni to offer an apology on behalf of his office staff. Before finally seeing them off, Museveni directed his assistants to arrange transport refund and give Shs300,000 to each of Engora’s lower level chairpersons including those who were left outside waiting in the rain.
Even when they received the transport refund, some of the chairpersons remained angry that this was too little given the role they play in marketing Museveni in Lango sub region.
We spoke to PPS Molly Kamukama via telephone link and she confirmed the Barilege bust up involving Engora but disputed some of the things our sources told us. “It was not our problem but theirs because the President was very clear from the very onset regarding which engagements he was going to have besides the radio program.
And it’s not true that anyone was apologized to because there was no reason to apologize to people who thought they would force their way into the President’s pre-arranged schedule while in Lango sub region,” she said.
She also categorically denied being used by Lands Minister Betty Amongin to gain undue advantage over her local political adversaries like Engora. “I thought they are all working to serve the same government of President Museveni. I’m not aware of what you call intrigue and whether they have their political differences as leaders from the same region. This was the president’s program and not anybody else’s.”
BETTY AMONGIN ATTACKED:
Insider sources say that a visibly enraged Engora made more points including telling Museveni how the long serving NRM cadres were unhappy seeing him treat recent UPC defectors more generously with both political positions and financial resources. It’s understood that one of the points the 107 chairpersons intended to make to Museveni was to protest the gifting of UPCs like Betty Amongin with cabinet position.
In fact Engora said before the big man: “Your Excellence this is a point of great concern. These people think it’s the reason you have been avoiding them. Can you imagine you have never met them since the campaigns were concluded yet there are many outstanding issues to discuss pertaining mobilization in Lango?” Engora further reflected on the prior NRM NEC meeting that was held in Entebbe State House to popularize the Magyezi bill on age limits turning it into a party position.
“Many of them intended to raise this matter of our friends from the UPC taking all the positions but your people like David Mafabi manipulated the day to ensure they got no chance to say anything because that would spoil the meeting,” Engora further said prompting Museveni to further apologize saying he acknowledges his meeting with NRM chairpersons in Lango was long overdue.
Reliable sources say that Amongin uneasily turned in her seat as Engora made his point against UPC defectors. “It really unfair many of these people have risked to be with NRM for many years and instead of rewarding them, you give UPC people who have been mocking us for years,” an unusually very combative Engora was quoted as saying.
The Engora group also intended to protest to Museveni why all the three Lango region Ministers are from one district of Oyam district where kingmaker Betty Amongin hails from.
These are State Defense Minister Col OkelloEngora and Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng who hails from Minakur Sub County just like Betty Amongin. Sources say that up to now, Sam Engora who in 2016 invested heavily but still lost his Seat to UPC-leaning Jonathan Odur remains angry and feels betrayed by Museveni in favor of UPC defectors.
Reliable sources have disclosed to us he is also unhappy his wife Betty Engora hasn’t received enough State House support for her community programs as woman MP Apac district.
Consequently, disgruntled Engora has since retreated to his farm in Akokoro where he these days spends most of his time as he strategizes to become pioneer MP for the soon-to-be created Apac Municipality.
His disgruntlement has sunk downwards amongst other NRM lower level leaders who are so demoralized and no one is mobilizing or defending Mzee or NRM party anymore. Because of the sense of too much betrayal he feels inside him, Engora will be competing on the independent ticket and not Museveni’s NRM anymore. To comment on this & other mulengera news stories, email us on mulengeranews@gmail.com
