By Mulengera Reporters
For some reason, the exiled NUP President Bobi Wine believes the Deputy Kampala Lord Mayor has to be a Muslim and a lady directly serving under Eng Ronald Balimwezo who is a staunch Born Again Christian. Balimwezo is expected to be unquestioningly loyal because there is no way he was going to ever overcome the indomitable Erias Lukwago without the active help of Mr. Wine.
Unverified reports show that Bobi Wine believes he has an obligation to please the Kibuli-based titular head of Islamic faith in Uganda, Dr. Prince Kassim Nakibinge. And he believes that making a practicing Muslim Deputy Lord Mayor gives him an opportunity to reciprocate the good will Nakibinge has demonstrated by being fearless and very outspoken when it comes to calling out Gen MK, while criticizing abductions and state brutality against opposition supporters.
The three NUP babes being vetted by Kavule to enable Balimwezo make the most appropriate choice include KCCA old timers namely Nasser Ssebaggala’s widow Nusfa Nakato, veteran Rubaga South Lord Councilor Faridah Nakabugo (has been in the job since 2016) and the very eloquent and vibe-filled Dr. Shamim Nambasa, the newly elected female Lord Councilor for Kawempe South.
NUP has 19 KCCA Lord Councillors against NRM’s 17. The difference is of only 2 Lord Councillors (implying that NRM could complicate things and make the Balimwezo agenda impossible to implement). This means that, out of necessity and to be able to survive the Lukwago-like impeachment at City Hall, Balimwezo will have to walk across the political aisle and repeatedly find common ground with the NRM Lord Councillors.
Being elderly and long-serving diminishes Nakato’s chances and the very combative Nakabugo who are seen as vibe-deficient by majority of the foot soldiers in a party, which, by design, prefers to be synonymous with vibe. They are also much less educated than the much-favored Dr. Nambasa who is a recent medicine graduate from Makerere’s prestigious College of Health Sciences.
There is also need to consolidate Nambasa’s home ground of Kawempe Division where Balimwezo unexpectedly won after the area being accepted as one of Erias Lukwago’s clearest strongholds for more than 15 years. Personally, Balimwezo feels obliged to reward Kawempe in a special way by giving the job to their either Nambasa or Nakato.
Nusfa Nakato’s other problem is being modestly educated besides being very quarrelsome, which causes many at Kavule to write her off as this elderly foot soldier who failed to become sophisticated and politically grow up.
A former Makerere Guild President, Dr. Nambasa retains clear upper hand over the other two NUP babes because she so far has secured the highest number of endorsements from influential Muslim groups who see her as a leader of the future as opposed to the other two who are clearly in the evening of their political careers.
She is also a non-mercurial politician, unlike the other two volatile babes who potentially could quickly fallout with Balimwezo and begin to publicly go blowing him up as not being good enough.
Because her political career is merely dawning, Nambasa is expected to restrain herself and act very cautiously in order to avoid negative career-bruising goofs, unlike the other two elderly Lord Councillors who don’t have much to lose anymore.
Nakabugo, who came from FDC, will be doing her 3rd term as Lord Councilor and Nusfa Nakato her second, having first come to City Hall on the NUP ticket in the year 2021. She originally belonged to DP where her man Seya was a kingmaker for decades. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
