By Kassim Ssematimba
Jossy Nuwabwine, a veteran NRM cadre from Lyantonde who always contributes to Capital Gang debates via phone link, has raised a red flag demanding that fellow ruling party cadres begin to care and become deliberately more outspoken against the injustices which the NRM political establishment has tolerated being committed against Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng in Lira City.
Nuwabwine says that it’s unfair for the UPC lady Betty Amongi to be allowed to continue being Minister and accessing government resources, coming to her by virtue of the office she holds, and going ahead to use the same to politically undermine Aceng who is a loyal cadre.
Nuwabwine, who is vying for NRM Vice Chairperson in Buganda, says it’s unfair for Amongi to remain Minister while undermining a leading NRM cadre in Lango. Speaking to reporters on Friday in the Kampala Suburb of Lungujja, Nuwabwine demanded that cadres rise up and demand for an explanation from the top ruling party leaders as to why Amongi can’t be compelled to defect from UPC and join NRM in order to continue being entitled to being a Minister in its government.
He demanded to know what is so special about Amongi to the extent that no one else can play the mobilization role she claims to be playing for the President in Lango. He wondered how she is going to continue complementing the President’s reelection in any way now that her own husband Jimmy Akena, also UPC President, is now seeking to challenge Gen Museveni in the ballot box in 2026. He asserted that all the mobilization she claims to do for the President can be done by any other female cadre once empowered with similar amount of resources and deployment.
“If she is so ashamed of NRM, why continue having her as a Minister if she can’t join the party officially and bring all those UPCs she is alleged to have influence over? This dilemma must be clarified because its demoralizing many cadres in areas and regions of Uganda where similar injustice is happening. If NRM has to help her to get reelected and remain MP, why is it not possible to give her the support from Oyam and her 2026 victory has to come at the expense of having to antagonize a well-established NRM cadre who publicly professes NRM?”
Nuwabwine says injustices like Aceng has faced in Lira are well replicated across the country and should become a campaign issue on which all those seeking CEC positions should be required by delegates to pronounce themselves about before becoming entitled to their vote. He thanked Gen Kahinda Otafiire for being a fearless senior cadre when he drove to Lira some months ago and publicly registered his support and solidarity with Aceng.
Nuwabwine challenged other senior NRM party cadres of Otafiire’s rank and stature to emulate the bush war hero from Mitoma and equally pronounce themselves against the Betty Amongi-orchestrated political injustice. He said such injustices, for as long as it goes on without the seniors calling it out, demoralize hardworking cadres and diminish the ruling NRM’s attractiveness to especially young people across Uganda.
He wants issues like that one of Lira City openly discussed during the forthcoming NRM delegates conference so that an impression isn’t created that the NRM top leadership characteristically sacrifices its loyal cadres at the altar of political convenience. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
