By Mulengera Reporters
Sunday 9th July is one day Bukoto South MP (in Lwengo district) tycoon Muyanja Mbabali would wish to forget as fast as he can and move on with his life. As guest of honor he attended a belated women’s day celebrations event at Nakawanga trading center Kikenene Parish in Kiseka which is one of the two sub counties making Bukoto South. The women leaders also invited other political leaders like incoming Lwengo woman MP Dr. Sarah Nkonge and FDC’s Julius Sentamu who is campaigning to oust Mbabali having polled 6,000 votes in the 2016 polls.
But the crowd didn’t seem to be excited with Mbabali’s presence especially after Sentamu had made a speech that many construed as inciting hatred against Mbabali and his NRM government. Sentamu tactfully capitalized on the proposed Coffee Bill which government wants legislated into law with scaring provisions including the one requiring coffee farmers to pay some money and get an annual license permitting them to plant and sell coffee.
Because highly popular Katikkiro Peter Mayiga has been voicing his opposition to it, the Bill has become very unpopular in coffee growing greater Masaka districts and other parts of Buganda making things very complicated for NRM adherents like Mbabali. The crowd ululated when Mayiga criticized the Bill during the installation of new Masaka Catholic Bishop last weekend.
At the Nakawanga event, Sentamu told the crowd that this bill was about nothing but economically disenfranchising coffee farmers in greater Masaka and told them not to expect much since their MP Mbabali is known for only voting what the President wants. He said this being a government bill, its already known how Mbabali would vote regardless of reservations his electors have.
The FDC man, who is taking advantage of Matia Nsubuga’s death and a divided DP to popularize himself in this clearly opposition stronghold constituency (which Mbabali largely won because of a sympathy vote), also referred to the December 2017 Togikwatako vote saying Mbabali was perennially used to betraying his voters in the loyal service of his master Museveni. Mbabali, who was next speaker, uneasily turned in his seat as the fiery FDC boy made his submission.
When he came to the microphone, voters demanded that Mbabali tells them where he stands on the Coffee Bill whose contents, he apparently was yet to acquaint himself with. Insisting they are more informed than him “because we always hear these things on CBS,” the voters insisted he can’t proceed saying anything unless he first denounces the bill. They said he shouldn’t beat around the bush but tell them very unequivocally.
Nakawanga is politically a very assertive part of Lwengo district and Mbabali must not have been surprised with the pandemonium that eventually broke out forcing him to leave the function prematurely.
Accusing area residents of being ungrateful, Mbabali (whom they fault for being absent most of the time) enumerated what he has done for the people but the crowd insisted they want accountability on the laws whose legislation he has been voting for in total disregard of their interests. They told him they don’t want to hear about him doing things in the community because service delivery isn’t his primary mandate as an MP.
They were even more angry when Mbabali claimed being the one financing the coming into existence of things they insisted he was not being truthful about. As they denounced him “liar liar,” Mbabali claimed to have paid rent for the police post at Kalegero for the last 6 years and bringing power lines under the rural electrification program. He signaled the OC for the police post to come and corroborate his rent-paying claim. The lady, through whom the residents themselves have been contributing for the maintenance of the police post, reluctantly came to the microphone.
Uncomfortable to go into who has been contributing what, she instead discussed the need for police to be empowered to police the community to ensure parents send their children to school everyday which is one of the things Mbabali had peripherally addressed. The crowd clapped for her praising her for declining to be used to “tell lies in broad day light” about the police rent.
On the issue of electricity, which actually hasn’t even yet been brought to the areas Mbabali claimed, the voters told him off saying the REA teams from Kampala have been coming to sensitize them in community meetings about this being part of the government’s countrywide electrification program.
“Mzee because you are never here we forgive you for claiming electricity which has even never come and besides we are well informed this is a government program and not your personal money as your aides have been claiming,” one young man shouted from the audience.
Mbabali called out one of his constituency managers a one Sowedi to come and explain why voters weren’t knowledgeable about his contributions but he too was heckled off the microphone and the function carried on. The Mbabali camp also tried to signal the Kiseka LC3 Chairman to come and explain government programs lobbied by Mbabali as the area MP but the LC3 boss too became timid and declined leaving his seat.
Speaking to CBS radio and other local journalist after the fracas, Sentamu rejected claims that he had used money to hire a crowd that heckled down his opponent Mbabali. He said: “People have embraced my message simply because I have been consistent in criticizing the government and in telling them I’m FDC and that I’m uprooting Hajji Mbabali come 2021. I thank God this was a good opportunity for me to have told Hajji Mbabali my concerns and why I’m removing him face to face rather that hearing it in rumors.”
Saying they were tired of being duped with small cash handouts, the voters vowed to do the same to their woman MP Cissy Namujju (who they are replacing with Dr. Nkonge) at future public functions. Besides Sentamu, DP Bloc’s Hakim Kiiza and Abed Bwanika are some of the other contenders wanting to force Mbabali into political retirement in 2021. Mbabali, a close confidante to President Museveni, says he isn’t afraid and will “as usual drown all of them into the sea of my supporters” come 2021. (For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755 or email us at mulengera2040@gmail.com).
