The supporters of incumbent Kyabazinga Gabula William Wilberforce Nadiope have prophesied miserable ending for their chief tormentor Minister Persis Namuganza who has since become the rallying point and symbol of resistance for Basoga groups and chiefdoms that are disgruntled with Gabula’s leadership epi-centered at Bugembe. Commenting on social media where Saddam Ismail, one of Namuganza’s assistants, was mocking them claiming his boss was increasingly becoming a political giant in Busoga, one of the Gabula supporters posted as follows: “Even Kyalya was like that when Mzee was using her…she ended up wearing backcloth during elections while begging Mzee to give the money she was promised.” This news website can’t say much about what this Gabula supporter was implying but what we can is to refresh our readers’ minds regarding what the Kyalya thing was all about.
Calling herself a knowledgeable Busoga royal, Moreen Kyalya Walube, who famously defected from FDC and joined NRM after meeting the President, declared war on Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and went around de-campaigning her claiming she was the one causing wrangles around the Kyabazingaship. This was around 2012 after her court efforts to oust Jinja woman MP Agnes Nabirye had just ended in utter failure. Kyalya, just like Namuganza, was very contemptuous of Kadaga-backed Gabula and was a supporter of Columbus Wambuzi Zibondo. Claiming to have a lot of powers, she moved around Busoga popularizing the Zibondo cause while demonizing Kadaga and Gabula. She claimed more clout especially after being appointed presidential advisor on poverty eradication in Busoga. She had armed escorts and portrayed herself as one with swag just like Namuganza has been doing.
She forged alliances with many groups including religious leaders in an attempt to isolate Kadaga. She was as outspoken and daring (almost reckless) just like Namuganza. However, with time Kyalya began burning out and became disgruntled saying there was a lot of pro-Kadaga intrigue in Museveni’s State House. In 2016 she collected signatures and got nominated to run for Presidency and competed with her former boss YK Museveni. As widely expected, she performed very dismally and as we talk now she is living quietly in United Kingdom where she fled to after elections to nurse her political wounds. The Basoga youths, who fanatically supported her anti-Kadaga crusade, are still waiting for the economic transformation and financial empowerment she preached and promised in her hey days as the powerful Museveni advisor (she claimed to be) on poverty alleviation in Busoga.
NAMUGANZA’S TURN:
The attacks likening Namuganza to Kadaga intensified over the weekend after she defiantly hosted Zibondo under the guise of belatedly celebrating women’s day in her Bukoono Constituency in Namutumba district. Because of the dust her controversial outbursts had raised in the preceding days, Namuganza’s Saturday event, which was her first public appearance before her voters since her dramatic expulsion from Busoga Parliamentary Caucus, attracted many cheerful supporters. Her supporters rode on that to provocatively post images (whose pictorial we are publishing as part of this story) mocking members of the Gabula camp prompting some of them to make reference to Moreen Kyalya’s miserable ending. Besides Zibondo, a couple of other defiant chiefs attended the event to show solidarity with Namuganza whom they encouraged to fight on. For comments, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755!
