Tamale Mirundi has intriguingly revealed why he hates Odrek Rwabwogo, the President’s very eloquent son-in-law. Appearing on Capt Francis Babu’s 90.8 Metro fm radio Thursday evening, Mirundi said Odrek resents him because he was antagonistic to his plans to oust Museveni and become President of Uganda.
Mirundi didn’t disclose how Odrek exactly plotted to upstage Museveni but he claimed a comprehensive plan existed. “He can go to court and sue me if I’m lying and I will spill all the secrets to the world,” said Mirundi claiming the reason Odrek and others like Robert Kabushenga always worked against him as the Press Secretary to the President is because they wanted to politically isolate Museveni so that nobody would defend him against their political treachery.
As moderator Eria Banda protested saying it was unfair for Mirundi to make unverifiable claims, the man from Kalisizo claimed Odrek revenged his hostility by trying to weaken him by antagonism him with the First Lady to whom he (Mirundi) had to apologize at the instigation of the President.
“I was interviewed by the Red Pepper after the First Lady quit elective politics and they produced a headline ‘State House doesn’t miss Janet, says Mirundi.’ I was still the press secretary and the President summoned me. He said the First Lady isn’t happy with you. Mr. Mirundi did you say those things? I said yes your excellence and I explained the context clarifying on what my exact words were.” Mirundi says the President understood the extent to which the Red Pepper had quoted him out of context but still insisted that he looks for the First Lady and give an apology so that he doesn’t remain misunderstood.
“I met her and explained and she thanked me saying Mr. Mirundi you have done a lot of work for us. The President later said you need to have that apology published in the newspapers to clear the air. I worked on it but it was never published. When the President asked me I said sir I have tried my best but your son-in-law has used his connections to block it from being published,” Mirundi said adding that all this proves Odrek always wanted to antagonize him with the mighty and weaken him that way.
“But I’m Mirundi who is self-made. They treated me like a dog but here I’m growing stronger. Now Bobi Wine is politically strangling them and I have refused to destroy him for them because that boy [Odrek] and Robert Kabushenga like despising people but I’m not despisable. They have been asking me to go back and fight Bobi Wine for them but I can’t make such a mistake. I’m self-made and now on my own frolic,” said Mirundi who has always used the phrase “Omukoto [the in-law]” to make veiled attacks on Odrek. It remains unclear where he has finally got the guts to begin mentioning his name directly on the airwaves. The program airs in Luganda and all Mirundi submissions were in Luganda.
Mirundi claimed that to properly frustrate him as press secretary, Odrek recruited allies like Andrew Mwenda (he contemptuously calls him the thieving walutwe ntwe ya ppusi-meaning one with a funny head], Afande Edith Nakalema and Gen Proscovia Nalweyiso to make life very hard for him in State House. He says as someone born very assertive and stubborn, he can never allow going down without a fight. But the possibility of Nakalema and Nalweyiso working together to accomplish a mission seems remote and unlikely because they have never been allies. It’s a public secret in State House how they have always been at loggerheads. (For comments, email us at mulengera2040@gmail.com).
