By Wafula Malik
Samuel Walter Lubega Mukaku is optimistic to end the political drought he has endured all his entire political life and that is if the momentum Bobi Wine’s People Power Movement (PPM) has created can be sustained for the next more than 2 years leading to the 2021 general elections. Lubega, who is the national coordinator of PPM/UYD RE-UNION, has his eyes on Kawempe South MP Seat currently occupied by FDC strongman Mubarak Munyagwa. For those who may not know, Sam Lubega has stood for elections since 2001 but hasn’t been winning in. This is how his report card reads so far: 2001 stands in Kawempe North and loses to fellow DP member Latif Sebaggala. His supporters believed that Lubega, who was tortured for attempting armed insurrection against the NRM, deserved a sympathy vote but Kawempe voters, who are dominantly Muslim, found him too catholic for their liking. In the end he lost to Latif who was actively backed by both Kizza Besigye and Nasser Sebaggala who then was a crowd puller in Kampala. Fast forward: 2006 Lubega stood for Busiro East MP Seat and was miserably walloped by Besigye-backed Susan Nakawuki now of EALA. Lubega then retreated to UK for kyeyo from where he returned to run for Presidency in 2011. He was on independent ticket and ran against many candidates including Norbert Mao who was the DP official candidate. He badly trailed and in 2016, he stood for MP Seat in his native Mawokota South in Mpigi district but still badly trailed behind NRM’s JB Lubyayi and Kenneth Bbosa Kiyingi. There was also a DP candidate who got more votes than Lubega who many accused of running against a party candidate yet he professes DP. As of 2016, Lubega deputized Erias Lukwago in TJ Platform but disagreed with others in TJ who backed KB and he flocked with JPAM’s Go Forward platform which many feared was going to neutralize Besigye and render him politically irrelevant. Now the latest reaching us is that Lubega, whose newly found luck is credited to have delivered Bobi Wine, Asuman Basalirwa and Kassiano Wadri to Parliament, is relocating to tackle Mubarak Munyagwa the Kawempe South political giant. Though critics downplay Lubega’s contribution arguing the trio were strong candidates that would win with or without his support, his diehard supporters believe the PPM momentum is strong enough to finally deliver the long suffering Mukaku to the political promised land. We were unable to establish whether the political veteran has already established a powerful residence in Kawempe South but supporters down played having or not having home in the area by insisting that running on the PPM platform would be good enough to attract votes. To his credit, Lubega seems to rightly have realized that with FDC strong man Yusuf Nsibambi pitching camp, he stands no chance for Mawokota South which he previously considered for 2021.
OTHERS RIDING ON BOBI;
Besides Lubega Mukaku, there are other politicians hoping to ride on Bobi’s back to win electoral seats in the 12th parliament (2021-2026). They include Mike Mabikke who hopes once the thing picks very well he can either reclaim his Makindye East MP Seat or even defeat Erias Lukwago for City Lord Mayor. Mabikke was Makindye MP since 2001 when he rode on the Kizza Besigye momentum to defeat strong NRM man called Enos Tumusiime and Prof Semakula Kiwanuka. He won again in 2006 still maintaining political alliance with Besigye whose newly formed FDC had no candidate there. He defeated Sarah Kanyike (DP flag bearer) who was fronted by DP President Sebaana Kizito who desired to punish Mabikke for his decision to quit DP and found his own SDP. 2006 was yet a good political year for Mabikke because even his political mentor Nasser Sebaggala shrewdly rode on the Besigye brand and won as Kampala Mayor (FDC had no mayoral candidate). That year Mabikke and Seya walloped Hajji Dr. Takuba Kabuye who was DP Sebaana’s candidate for Mayorship. Takuba had deputized Sebaana at city hall. Mabikke’s political star only faded in 2011 when he miscalculated and ran against Erias Lukwago who as Kampala Central MP (2006-2011) had given his man Seya a lot of trouble by exposing his Kisekka, Owino and Nakasero market deals with Basajjabalaba. In 2016, riding on the JPAM brand, Mabikke tried to reclaim Makindye but was swept by FDC money man Ibrahim Kasozi. The 2021 Makindye East race could complicate things for Bobi putting him between a rock and hard place because Mabikke and Kasozi will both be counting on him. Kasozi has been there for him in many invisible ways including contributing campaign funding against his own party candidate Apollo Kantinti in the 2017 Kyaddondo East by-elections that delivered Bobi.
ELSEWHERE:
Dr. Abed Bwanika of PDP, who is also another PPM national coordinator along with Sam Lubega, wants to oust NRM strongman Muyanja Mbabali from Bukoto South MP Seat in Lwengo district. This traditionally was a DP constituency and the late SG Mathias Nsubuga represented it several times. This is the reason why many in DP especially at City Hall are sleepless seeing Bwanika riding both on Bobi and DP/UYD reunion to take what they considered to be their political inheritance. Demands are already being made that Abed must extinguish City Hall’s right to front some else by dissolving his PDP and defect to DP before it gets too late. Clearly having stood thrice and trailing in the presidential race, Bwanika (who some describe as a 5th columnist) rightly realizes it’s more realistic to drop to MP Seat. Derrick Mutema is keen to use the PPM platform to finally succeed in becoming the Mukono South MP having repeatedly stood since 2001. Janet Mukwaya used to defeat him. Then came Bakaluba Mukasa and more recently Nambooze-backed Jackson Muyanja Senyonga who defeated Mutema in 2016. Lulume Bayiga is conc sure with Bobi Wine he will reclaim Buikwe South though NRM’s David Mutebi won’t go without a fight. City lawyer Abdullah Kiwanuka (who was famously dragged along the tarmac as he served a court order to stop Lukwago impeachment proceedings) is optimistic with Bobi’s backing he can finally defeat water minister Ronald Kibule off the Mukono North MP Seat. Mabikke’s right hand man Henry Lubowa has his eyes on Moses Kasibante’s Rubaga North and is hopeful Bobi can make miracles for him. In 2011 Lubowa stood and lost before relocating to Rubaga Division Mayorship in 2016 which he lost to Joyce Sebugwawo. He was on JPAM’s platform. DP publicist Kenneth Kakande, who has been trying to get the Nakawa MP Seat since the days of Bidandi, is optimistic to finally reaching the political Promised Land with Bobi behind him. The risk here is that incumbent Nakawa Mayor Ronald Balimwezo (of SDP) too professes PPM and is rumored to be planning to upgrade to Nakawa MP Seat. In Nansana Municipality, Nsereko Wakayima hopes to use the Bobi magic to get back his MP Seat which the court gave to NRM’s Robert Kasule Sebunya. Eddie Yawe is brother to Bobi and has his eyes on Semujju Nganda’s Kiira Municipality MP Seat. He has been trying and losing badly: Kampala Central to Mohammed Nsereko in 2011 and Kiira to Semujju in 2016. Fred Nyanzi, who too is the national coordinator for PPM, is brother to Bobi Wine and wants to use him to upstage Kampala Central MP Mohammed Nsereko or even Charles Musoke Serunjogi the LC3 Chairman Central. Trouble is Serunjogi too professes PPM. Nyanzi will also have to explain to voters about his controversial decision to demonize DP whereafter he defected to NRM only a few years ago. To this day he still has a position in NRM and has never revoked his membership to the ruling party which he joined after acrimoniously falling out with DP bosses at City Hall. Critics also say Chairman Nyanzi is too money-minded even when he is Bobi Wine’s Chief political advisor. Emmanuel Serunjogi is the Kawempe Division Mayor and calls himself the PPM Coordinator there. He rode on Lukwago’s TJ to get that seat but stands accused of working with Beti Kamya to undermine the Lord Mayor. Serunjogi, who last week controversially praised Kamya and told Top Radio listeners that she is the one who actually founded People Power, says he is DP at heart but has always been standing on something else and never on the party ticket. Diehard DPs dismiss him as a political opportunist who always jumps on whatever sells in that particular political season. Others are Moses Katabu, Nasser Mudiobole, Obed Nasser, Tony Sempebwa of Nangabo, Moses Bigirwa of DP who wants to use Bobi to win Kamuli Municipality in 2021; Asuman Odaka of Tororo, Nansana’s Rajab Semalulu Keeya and Nkunyingi Muwadda. Unlike many other opportunists, Muwadda is well grounded in Kyaddondo East and voters are ready to elect him MP in case Bobi Wine goes for presidency and leaves the Kyaddondo Seat vacant in 2021. Brenda Nabukenya hopes with Bobi she can regain her Luwero Woman Seat just like Deo Kijjambu hopes to become Buikwe LC5 Chairman under PPM. Makindye LC3 Chairman Ali Kasirye Nganda Mulyanyama is certain to use Bobi to get reelected. Moses Katabu seeks to use Bobi’s PPM to keep his seat as KCCA Councilor for Kampala Central I just like Sebuwufu JM Kiyimba hopes to finally win the Buyamba MP Seat in Kooki as the PPM flag bearer. Abdul Karim Lukoda, another Seya era veteran close to Mabikke, has his eyes on Kawempe Division Mayorship which he unsuccessfully competed for in 2016 on the JPAM platform. Vincent Mayanja wants to capture Kato Lubwama’s Rubaga South using the PPM. For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
