By Our Reporters
The Shs300m President Museveni is alleged to have released to the NRM Secretariat for the Jinja by-election campaigns has escalated the feuding between Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba and NRM EC chairman Tanga Odoi. In an interview with this news website last evening, Tanga sounded broken and depressed but said “I won’t be intimidated or cowed by the Secretary General because I don’t take orders or get vote protection money from her.” Our impeccable sources within NRM Jinja campaign had revealed to us that on Tuesday, Tanga was in Jinja to see Lumumba demanding his share of more than Shs100m meant for vote protection on the polling day which is the mandate of Tanga Odoi as NRM EC chief. However, Tanga denied this saying “but why would I go to her when I’m supposed to be given my own money for my activities as EC including vote protection?” Vote protection is one area which all parties, including opposition, don’t underestimate and they always save some good money to facilitate agents and auxiliary groups’ movement on polling day and the eve.
Reliable sources say that before driving to Jinja, Tanga had spoken to people in the office of Gen Proscovia Nalweyiso (the president’s assistant on cash matters) who assured him there was no more money for them beyond what had been released earlier to the Secretary General. Tanga, who didn’t expect the SG to pick EC’s money, then reached out to Lumumba who furiously told him off and wondered whether he needs her permission to plunge into Jinja by-elections to do his mandate. On learning of plans by Lumumba’s supporters (mostly NRM youth district chairpersons) to harm him, Tanga moved incognito and left Jinja back for Kampala to re-enforce and come back. Its alleged Tanga will also be having his own kanyamas/bouncers to counter any threat of physical violence from home girl Kasule Lumumba’s supporters. Lumumba’s fans, who insist that Tanga can’t torment their lady on her home turf and get away with it, have in the meantime changed tactic which is now to attack and humiliate Tanga before the President on the Jinja campaign trail next week when the big man is expected to campaign for Igeme Nabeta who faces FDC’s Paul Mwiru in Jinja East. Sources close to him say that Tanga’s plan now is to meet the President and report to him everything including cash denial before the big man plunges in the Jinja by-election campaigns. It has emerged Tanga isn’t the only NRM official operating without campaign cash. Even candidate Igeme has no money. He was reportedly advanced Shs100m which got finished and his campaigners have since resorted to benching at generous Moses Balyeku’s DAXI Hotel for daily facilitation.
In fact this explains why the opposition figures while campaigning for Mwiru have lately intensified attacks on Balyeku accusing him of commercializing the campaign. It’s all because Balyeku, who was only given Shs10m by State House, is the only one so far who has been generously facilitating pro-Nabeta campaign work. Tanga said he can do without direct facilitation from Lumumba “because that Shs300m is money for her activities; I will have mine and that is why I’m now here in my house [Kampala] engrossed in a very serious campaign planning exercise.” The much anticipating physical confrontation between Tanga and Lumumba supporters could result into bloodshed on the streets of Jinja and thereby cause candidate Igeme’s chances to plummet even further yet this is a race that is too close to call. And yet the arrival of leaders from outside the constituency has sparked fears in the local NRM mobilizers who now think the presence of big wigs means for them won’t access any groceries in this campaign. Watch this space for more updates on this Jinja by-election story. For comments, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755!
