By Mulengera Reporters
During the Saturday ‘facing the journalists’ programme which airs on radio Simba 10am-12pm, DP man Kennedy Mutenyo faced a rough time when panelist Muwanga Kivumbi and moderator Peter Kibaazo took him back to school.
Whereas Muwanga, a contemporary since UYD days, castigated Mutenyo for blindly following Norbert Mao who he said proved selfish by not letting go of DP so that someone else more genuine gets to occupy that opposition space, Kibaazo accused him of dwelling so much on the gutter stuff.
Mutenyo had just defended Mao against claims that he sold DP out to Museveni adding that the politician from Gulu had been falsely accused as was the case when Muwanga himself had his name included on the social media list of opposition moles who were on ex-IGP Kale Kayihura’s payroll besides drawing weekly fuel for their vehicles.
Saying Mutenyo has sunk too low, Kibaazo took the occasion to call out the DP man to whom he made it clear that the radio Simba programme has stood the test of time, existing for more than 20 years, because moderators like himself deliberately set such a high bar for it.
He made it clear to Mutenyo that such below the belt commentary had no space on Gasimbagane, the radio programme he has personally moderated for the last so many years. He sensitized Mutenyo that: “Here we are deliberate about respecting one another even when there are many things on which we disagree and that exactly is how it supposed to be.”
Mutenyo, renowned for never seeing any fault in Norbert Mao who he believes is infallible, is a recent addition to the very popular radio Simba programme which millions of listeners are dedicated to because it’s were they go their weekly doze of political education and awareness. Kibaazo made it clear no one would ever be allowed to contaminate the programme and lower its standards. Mutenyo characteristically exhibited intolerance towards almost every other panelist provided one uttered what he considered hostile to Mao and whatever remains of DP.
Muwanga Kivumbi particularly angered Mutenyo when he called it total dishonesty for Mao to continue refusing to leave the DP Presidency even when he is clearly no longer prepared to antagonize Gen Museveni in anyway. He called it unprincipled deal-making for Mao to declare readiness to campaign for Gen Museveni’s 2026 reelection while at the same time continuing to insist to be part of the opposition.
“That Norbert Mao and his entire group should be honest and totally go to NRM so that that space can be occupied by people who are more serious and more committed about the opposition cause,” Muwanga Kivumbi submitted as Mutenyo uneasily turned in his seat. They sat next to each other.
Muwanga also tasked Mutenyo to explain to the listeners what their approach of engaging and speaking to Museveni had delivered for the country especially regarding the much-desired political transition from Gen Museveni to someone else. Mutenyo had just claimed that NUP’s approach of boycotting platforms like IPOD was wrong and would never deliver any good outcomes for Uganda and more so millions of young people who keep saying they are ready to die for Kyagulanyi.
Other panelists with whom newcomer Mutenyo kept clashing included veteran journalist Siraje Lubwama who demonstrated that he knows Mao more than anyone else on the programme, former New Vision editor John Kakande and Haruna Kanabi. Kakande called Mao’s act political surrender and voluntary acceptance of capture contrary to the principles all his predecessors in DP lived for.
A lot of time was dedicated to Mao’s pronouncement earlier in the week that the political transition from Museveni to someone else would exclusively be midwifed through board room discussions and not through elections like the 2026 for which Muwanga’s NUP is busy preparing.
Charles Rwomushana was also there and he is the only one who was able to find common ground with Mutenyo who kept saying Mao deserves commendation for being realistic in his prescribed solutions to the Ugandan political problem as opposed to NUP whose top leadership the man from Rwenshama dismissed as utopian.
There are fears among listeners that Kennedy Mutenyo’s paranoia and belligerent way of debating might one day provoke a physical fight inside the Saturday radio Simba panel studios. Gratefully, Kibaazo is a capable moderator who has what it takes to work towards de-escalation and avoid that ever happening. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
