If there is any MP who hasn’t been able to enjoy his stay in the 10th Parliament, then that is Ishma Mafabi who represents the youth of eastern region. He is only rivalled by Nakawa’s Mike Kabaziguruka when it comes to facing misfortunes since the start of this Parliament. Sources close to his father tycoon Suleiman Lumolo Mafabi have revealed to this news website that within just months of becoming MP, Mafabi’s kidneys stopped functioning properly and were on the verge of shutting down, an experience that confined him to hospital. The father had to support his son by topping up money for his expensive treatment in India, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya and other places.
The young man, who despite being NRM stood as an independent MP against Dorothy Okware in 2016, has since undergone several surgical operations and he was recently confirmed to be out of danger after undergoing several post-surgery reviews. “The operations were successful but cost a fortune to both the father and son,” said a knowledgeable source. It was further revealed that after surgery, the young man returned to Uganda but his time has had to be divided between reading for law course at IUIU and representing his electors. At the time of his election, Mafabi was finalizing his BBA degree at IUIU Mbale campus. These two issues-books and surgery-have combined to constrain him though he has managed to lobby with fellow youth leaders for Heifer project the President directed NAADS to implement amongst all organized youth groups across Uganda. Mafabi has also been very demanding to the NAADS bosses when it comes to dispatching seedlings to his electors in the 32 districts making the eastern region.
His constituency vastly covers Sebei, Bugisu, Bukedi, Busoga and Teso sub regions. Some young people are unhappy that instead of going to the President directly and get for them cash for development, their MP has been asking them for business proposals which State House can fund. In Parliament, the almost introverted young legislator’s best friends and mentors include Butaleja’s engineer Waluswaka, Budama’s Jacob Oboth-Oboth and Butembe MP Nelson Lufafa. His other good friends include Anna Adeke, Oscar Otema AND Mpaka Mwine, the western youth MP. Despite officially being independent, Mafabi is NRM-leaning and sometimes attends caucus meetings. Family sources say Mafabi could make history seeking re-election as youth MP in 2021 since age is still on his side. When he isn’t in Parliament, not at campus and not abroad for Parliamentary work, Mafabi likes visiting the sick in the hospitals and interacting with his electors mostly the youth and women groups. In Parliament, his information on the Parliamentary website shows that he is a member of the HIV committee and that of Science & technology.
MAFABI WHO?
Briefly this is what we can state about Mafabi’s profile as sourced from sources who know him well enough. In his late 20s, Mafabi is the 2nd born child of Suleiman Lumolo of Sironko. He grew up both in Kampala and Mbale. These sources close to the family have also disputed past media reports showing that the boy had fallen out with his dad insisting that the two recently were on joint trip to Dubai. MP Mafabi’s polygamous dad lived in Kampala but every holiday he would be put on the bus to go spend some holiday time in the village. Younger Mafabi went to Budo Jr and Sir Apollo Kaggwa Mengo for his Primary education and Gombe for his O’ & A’levels. Save for the kidney problem that kept him withdrawn for the last two years, Mafabi grew up a healthy child. Whereas his dad is both a politician and businessman, young Mafabi was more attracted to business. Before joining Parliament, he had risen to the level of being sales and marketing manager for his father’s businesses both in Kampala and Mbale. But while at IUIU, he was appointed the Sr Presidential Advisor to Abubaker Matanda who was the guild president for IUIU Mbale. It’s this political appetite that grew into contesting for the youth Parliamentary seat. His original plan was to carry the NRM flag but he left Namboole very aggrieved. This Namboole was the venue where party primaries were held to determine the party flag bearers for the youth MP positions. Mafabi was among the contenders but Dorothy Okware (daughter to Ridah Hotel Seeta tycoon) carried the day after a lot of violence was occasioned by her supporters. Mafabi broke down and publicly wept at Namboole and accused Okware of vote rigging. It was here that he resolved to vie as an independent and indeed won during the EC-organized general elections that were held in Jinja. At Jinja all the young people who stood at Namboole (James Mukembo, Aisha Naguddi, Emmanuel Wabwire & Namatovu Mastula) ganged up on Dorothy Okware and that is how Mafabi carried the day.
