By Mulengera Reporters
Having had their majority shrink to just 31 MPs out of a regional caucus of 105 legislators, the ruling NRM Members of Parliament faced a difficult period (as of May 2021) at the dawn of the 11th Parliament. They had gotten used to being the majority for whom everything was possible in Parliament. But here they were, for the first time in more than 30 years of Museveni’s rule, unable to have their way. They couldn’t even determine who becomes Chairman or executive member for Buganda caucus leadership in Parliament.
“We felt orphaned and there was a lot we had to unlearn and re-run. Everything seemed new, uncertain and adapting wasn’t easy,” says Buvuma County MP Robert Migadde Ndugwa, one of the few NRMs who survived the NUP wave which saw several Musevenists, including Ministers, unexpectedly lose their seats throughout Buganda. Being one of the most senior and longest-serving NRMs who survived the 2021 wave, Migadde naturally became defacto leader for the 31 Musevenists.
Continuing being active in Buganda caucus meant submitting to the authority of NUP whose Muwanga Kivumbi was voted the new Chairman. Migadde led his 30 other colleagues and they came up with something called “Caucus of NRM MPs from Buganda.” This was meant to bring together the 31 NRMs who weren’t comfortable being under Muwanga Kivumbi.
They desired to have their own autonomous existence and a platform through which they would directly deal with Buganda Kingdom and Gen Museveni too. Staying with the mainstream Buganda caucus that was full of NUP militants meant being bound by collective decision making, which would be anti-establishment in most cases.
The 31 had to embark on mobilization and move around Buganda to get feedback and seek to understand why people in Kabaka’s region had all of a sudden turned their back on the Movement. It was also about picking up the pieces and re-energizing the NRM structures in the region.
They needed financial and other resources to be able to move around yet they were fearful to approach Museveni. The truth is the big man from Rwakitura was angry and unwilling to listen to any leader from Buganda. He was disappointed that the region for which he had done so much and had always been friends with, had rejected him in a such a very major way.
Migadde says that is how the 31 NRMs decided to make monthly contributions to sustain activities of their parallel caucus. “We have religiously been making this contribution every month yet those same members have to make the monthly contribution to the NRM party too like is the case with all other NRM caucus members.” In their movements across Buganda, they opted to first avoid constituencies which NUP had taken because they feared to antagonize new representatives. “We were demoralized and subdued. Many felt exhausted. We were cautious and picked our wars carefully. We didn’t want war with newly elected NUP MPs though we kept in touch with NRM flags who they had defeated in 2021.”
IN COMES KIRYOWA:
They were able to profile most of the electoral areas in Buganda and in the process got to understand what exactly went wrong. They compiled a massive report for the President who instigated his beloved Attorney General Kiwanuka Kiryowa to work with the 31 NRM MPs.
Kiryowa then started dealing with them directly. He encouraged and assured them that nothing was impossible once they worked together.
He offered lots of ideas and began funding their activities. Kiryowa opened up his board room (at the AG chambers) from where members started meeting every Tuesday after 5pm going late into the night. He instigated them to enlarge the group by bringing on board the 14 Ministers from Buganda, many of whom are ex-officio MPs.
Those same meetings at KK’s board room resulted into an executive of some sort being put in place with Mubende Woman MP Hope Grania Nakazibwe becoming Migadde’s deputy. They had already adopted the “Buganda for Museveni” slogan as the catch phrase at their functions, which Kiryowa advised to be changed into “Buganda on Museveni.” This change was informed by fear to be misunderstood.
“Buganda for Museveni translates into Buganda ya Museveni yet traditionally, it’s the Kabaka’s. We risk being misunderstood and misrepresented by the opposition propagandists who will use that to portray us as disrespectful of the Kabaka and thereby creating imaginary wars between us and Mengo. That will shrink our operating space and incite ordinary Bagandas in the villages against us,” Kiryowa, a blue-eyed boy for the Katikkiro Peter Mayiga, proposed at one of the group meetings.
That’s how “Buganda on Museveni” came to be the catch phrase for the ongoing Buganda-wide campaign aimed at recapturing Kabaka’s region from NUP. Kiryowa and a few others like Haruna Kasolo became patrons for the Buganda on Museveni crusade. Kasolo is also the treasurer and oversees fundraising contributions from rich people outside the mainstream political arena.
The duo of Kasolo and Kiryowa has up to this day been the main fundraisers for the crusade whose promoters have been reluctant to approach Museveni for funding. “They know he was hurt with the way voters embraced NUP and disregarded him and other NRM candidates in 2021. It’s the reason it was decided to avoid going to him for facilitation,” says a well briefed source. Already the ‘Buganda on Museveni’ crusade, which has seen Ministers and the 31 MPs move around to address rallies in Buganda, has been to 18 out of the 27 districts making Buganda region.
Meanwhile, meetings at KK’s board room continue to happen every Tuesday after 5pm. It’s at those meetings that ideas continue to be processed all aimed at creating pro-Museveni momentum in Buganda as the country counts down to 2026. KK says Museveni genuinely loves Buganda at heart and it pains him to hear people causing him to be misunderstood that he hates Buganda.
“If he really hates Buganda as our opposition colleagues keep saying, how come he gave us 14 Ministers even after our people voted against NRM? When you look at Ministers like myself, Gen Katumba, Hon. Nabakooba, Oweek Sebugwawo, Haruna Kasolo, Anifa Kawooya, Oweek JC Muyingo and others you get to see that the President gave us the most important dockets which directly impact on service delivery,” Kiryowa says.
NEW KING-MAKER:
Reliable sources reveal that Kiryowa, who had always been part of Museveni clandestine campaign efforts, is the man the NRM Chairman has entrusted with his 2026 re-election not just in Buganda but the whole country.
“He is the one having the last word on many things aimed at securing the big man’s 2026 re-election apart from those aspects which are related to the military and security operations. He is the man fixing the Buganda relationship and there is a lot he has accomplished between the President and the Kabaka, albeit behind the scenes. He is having the last word on all compensations which will see hundreds of billions paid out in a manner that is clearly aimed at appeasing the angry public opinion and deliver the President back to State House,” said an insider adding that there is barely any consequential decision that Museveni takes these days [outside the military arena] without Kiryowa’s input.
For instance, the victory of new NRM Buganda Chairman Haruna Kasolo over Moses Karangwa had a lot to do with Kiryowa. It was him who took a firm stand that Karangwa couldn’t take the thing. And this was selfless because, being very close to both Kabaka and Mayiga, KK had established that a Karangwa victory wouldn’t augur well especially after a lot of sectarian attacks had been made towards Karangwa.
He had also been portrayed as someone Mengo wouldn’t be comfortable with because of his perceived unwillingness to denounce Kayunga/Bugerere-based rebel King Capt. Baker Kimeze aka Ssabanyara. KK had concluded that having Karangwa, a Ugandan of Rwandese origin, leading NRM in Buganda would complicate his group’s efforts to reclaim the Central region back to Museveni.
Indeed, Karangwa recently called a news conference and declared that Kiwanuka Kiryowa is the reason why he didn’t become the new NRM Chairman for Buganda. He says KK resented him because of his ethnic origin. “I know everything he did behind the scenes to influence my loss but I’m here to declare that I don’t fear him at all,” Karangwa said moments after Kasolo’s victory had been declared.
Knowing the role he is busy playing to enable him recapture Buganda region, Gen Museveni wasn’t prepared to side with Karangwa and rebuke KK anywhere-whether publicly or privately. KK has also created excellent rapport with the leadership at Kyadondo especially with Rose Namayanja, Rosemary Sseninde and Rogers Mulindwa, the publicist.
Generally, KK believes in open methods of work as opposed to intrigue. He has insisted that everyone must be brought on board and he feels obliged to deliver an inclusive win not just for Museveni but all the other NRM candidates in Buganda. He says all NRMs should work towards ensuring Museveni doesn’t get stressed again with Buganda voting patterns as was the case in 2021.
Kiryowa is also the man handling the all matters to do with legislation, legal amendments and naturally the Judiciary. He is the man all judicial officers know doesn’t have to be offended in anyway. He sits on the Judicial Service Commission, which influences the appointment, promotion and sanctioning of judges in case of any wrongdoing. At the JSC, KK is seen to be the defacto Chairman because he influences decision making there much more that Dr. Douglas K Singiza who officially is the Commission Chairman. Fellow Commission members are cautious not to vote on any matter in a way that can offend KK.
Lately, whoever has had any concern or wished to obtain a favourable decision relating to placement and promotion of judges and other judicial officers and approaches State House is advised by the President to contact Kiryowa. Gratefully, KK is incorruptible, hand working, efficient and resents mediocrity both in word and deed. He is also forceful and decisive, the kind that won’t fear offending anyone. He will take a position based on what he considers to be right regardless of who gets offended.
KK is able to influence a lot of decision-making in meetings anywhere because he reads his documents. Those who know him well say that KK, who resides in Makindye and votes from Gombe Wakiso (not very far from Gen Christopher Ddamulira’s birth place), will remain in office at Bauman House up to 10pm and never sleeps for more than 6 hours per night. He reads huge documents cover to cover and does the same with court decisions.
“He will come to the meeting fully equipped because he reads even foot notes and those who don’t cover even a quarter of what he reads will accuse him of dominating the meeting. At the Justice Ministry, he has set such a high standard because things that require his signature are cleared instantly and he demands similar efficiency from everybody else at the Ministry,” says a source.
Yet even when he is that powerful, Kiryowa (who hails from the Jolly Joe Kiwanuka family, is first family lawyer and business partner to Museveni’s son-in-law Edwin Karugire) is practical, approachable, down to earth and despises bureaucracy. He prefers that people he has especially NRM mobilization-related business with call him directly as opposed to going through assistants.
He will cross check, make the necessary consultations and get back to you as promised. He insists on getting people in touch and ensuring that work and tasks get done and promptly as opposed to anyone dragging their feet. He takes phone calls or sends a text when unable to pick up. He replies emails and hates procrastination. He is also truthful on what he can do or deliver on and what he can’t.
Currently, at the instigation of Gen Museveni, Kiryowa is personally working hard to minimise independents running against NRM flag bearers in general elections. Whereas his major pre-occupation is Buganda, KK is reaching out to several big-name Movementists even in other regions imploring them not to antagonize flag bearers because he fears that such confusion creates room for the opposition to diminish NRM’s electoral numbers.
Because he has direct access to both the President and head public service Lucy Nakyobe, KK is personally coordinating and following up on the appropriate placement of cadres who originally intended to antagonize flag bearers by standing as independents. Last Thursday, he assured NRM primary elections losers that Gen Museveni has capacity to deploy and have alternative employment for everyone inside NRM.
Indeed, at his instigation, a total of 80 defeated flag bearer contenders agreed to let the flag bearers be.
They denounced plans to run as independents and KK demanded they give him their details for delivery to the President. He assured them they would each receive phone calls (from Museveni’s staff) advising them on the day, date, time and place where the President will be meeting them. “And rest assured, that’s going to be very soon in just a matter of weeks if not days,” Kiryowa assured them. He arrived at Hotel Africana for that Thursday harmonization meeting, convened by Haruna Kasolo, as early as 9am and stayed up to past 10pm.
Attendees left convinced that with Kiryowa on their side, no one was going to ever stop them from meeting the President as often as will be necessary for purposes of defeating the opposition in Buganda in 2026. Indeed, KK the following day Friday led all the NRM MPs, those involved in the “Buganda on Museveni” effort and all new MP flag bearers to State House for one-on-one talks with Museveni. He made it clear that, because there is no self-interest on his part, he will deliver each one of them to Gen Museveni without insisting to be part of their discussions with the veteran leader from Rwakitura.
Some of those who defied his advice to bow out for the flag bearers tried to blackmail the Thursday meeting by demanding to be compensated with hundreds of millions and also bragged about “the caucus of independents” which they threatened was prepared to frustrate whoever became flag bearer through fraudulent means.
A one David Kintu of Nakawa East took to the microphone, mocked Kiryowa and rebuked Luwero’s Faridah Nakalawa who bowed out for the Luwero Woman MP flag bearer. He made reference to the Shs300m he claimed to have invested to become the Nakawa East flag bearer only to lose to Fred Ruhindi who he claimed to be a vote thief. Kintu ranted and made it clear he wasn’t going to ever leave Ruhindi alone unless the top party leadership invites him for some talks.
Kiryowa rebuked Kintu immediately and assured him he would be crashed if he didn’t stop making unreasonable demands while inciting others into doing the same. Kiryowa said the decision by Kasolo to call harmonization meetings, like the one he convened at Africana, shouldn’t be taken for weakness on part of NRM party leadership. “This was about decency and it’s one of the many options we have,” Kiryowa declared in a firm voice.
He demanded that people like Kintu should stop wasting the party leadership’s time by attending meetings during which they don’t intend to be serious. Kiryowa made it clear the National Resistance Movement is still very strong and can prevail against anyone in any electoral contest anywhere within the boundaries of Uganda. KK demanded that cadres coming to Kasolo’s future meetings should be prepared to ‘be humble and respectful’ as opposed to making unreasonable demands. He also warned against self-importance.
Event convener Haruna Kasolo implored fellow party leaders to appreciate the opportunity to have a busy and very important leader like Kiryowa sacrifice to spend his full day with them because he has many competing priorities which require his time.
Senior Minister and NRM cadre Ruth Nankabirwa re-iterated the same message. Kasolo rebuked flag bearers who left early making it clear that such amounted to disrespecting Kiryowa and taking him for granted. Attendees at the meeting were reminded that disrespecting Kiryowa can be such a costly thing to whoever opts to do so.
Kiryowa also had a message for public servants like DPCs, DISO and RDCs who intervene in NRM politics in the districts and cities of their deployment especially by embracing independents to antagonize and diminish winning chances for flag bearers. Kiryowa made it clear they would be reported to the President and immediately purged.
He demanded for clear credible evidence implicating such public officials. “Bring all the details you have, and this has to be credible information, and leave the rest to me.” KK also demonstrated capacity to take on and crash any land grabber in Buganda because such practices had been established to be the reason behind Museveni’s and NRM’s declining appeal among Kabaka’s people.
It was clear from the authoritativeness with which KK spoke that he currently is a man capable of influencing any decision at the apex level of the country’s leadership. During plenary at Kasolo’s meeting, delegation members from Buikwe spoke of families which lost land to the Katosi road project and their compensation billions remain unpaid.
KK assured them this is something he will be handling because “the President has delegated me to handle all the pending business relating to the defunct UNRA.” This prompt answer prompted members of the Buikwe delegation to christen him “Mr. Solutions.” (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
