Amama takes his ‘right place’

Last week, former Prime Minister John Patrick Amama Mbabazi came to Parliament to take his “rightful place” as a backbencher, representing the people of Kinkizi West.
He received a rapturous initiation to the backbench. But the euphoria that greeted Mr Mbabazi’s appearance in Parliament as a “bacbencher” for the first time in 18 years, painted a soothing picture of a man smiling from the trenches. He put on a smile of vanquisher as legislators from across the political divide scrambled for his handshake. When everybody thought Mbabazi would spend weeks groaning over his sacking, he picked himself up and came to Parliament.

Ever since the former PM was forced to make way for Ndugu Ruhakana Rugunda’s dithering politics, only two things changed: The official armoured vehicle was removed and on Thursday, police guards replaced his military bodyguards. Mbabazi was driven to Parliament last week in a chic armoured private vehicle and seemed as if nothing had changed. He kept smiling from the back and waving to the animated friends across the political spectrum.

After the sacking of a man who seemed “indispensable”, two senior government officials I met last week told me how they were getting “a little nervous about the road to 2016”. They told me how 49 years ago, “the quarrel” between UPC party chairman Milton Obote and his Secretary General Grace Ibingira spilt over national politics and climaxed into the 1966 crisis.
They accused Mbabazi of being “ungrateful” and using his position to “back-stab” a party chairman who over the years promoted him and stood by him in difficult times. They looked thrilled that the NRM leader had clipped his wings and advised the former premier to “count his losses” and “phase off quietly”. They said Mbabazi helped Museveni become what he is today and that he should not hoodwink anyone to sympathise or grieve with him.

The officials looked back at when Mr Mbabazi one time said former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader Dr Kizza Besigye, President Museveni’s bush war physician, had “jumped the succession queue” when he contested for the presidency in 2001 and today, he also finds himself in a similar political tangle after some NRM members accused him of concealing presidential ambitions.

From this chat, it became clear to me that the sacking of Mbabazi was intended to ground the Kyankwanzi resolution of a single NRM presidential candidate and that many other steps will be taken to ensure that the ground is completely cleared for Museveni’s candidacy. However, if Mbabazi does not fear “to take the bull by its horns”, we are likely to have two NRM candidates and this, according to party leaders, will definitely break the bus.

The game of politics
But I advised the officials not to get nervous because the current political situation provides the NRM party the perfect opportunity to chart a clear path to stability especially where confusion now reigns. I reminded them the words of the former Prime Minister, Prof Apolo Nsibambi, that
“All politicians once elected, they become permanent members of the departure lounge, today it’s me and tomorrow it’s you”. What Prof Nsibambi was trying to tell us is that public offices are not personal to holders; leaders come and go.

Undoubtedly, in the flurry of our gutter politics, even by the standards of a political party that has seen divisive politics in recent years over the unanswered succession question, the drama surrounding the sacking of an influential figure in President Museveni’s government was “palpable” and to those who keenly followed Kyankwanzi retreat “predictable”.
In any case, in politics disagreements are normal, how leaders resolve them is what matters. Therefore, unless the guiding principle of our political parties is to ‘do the right thing,’ their leaders cannot create trust. It may seem self-evident, but to be a reputable leader you must be able to offer leadership in many aspects and in ensuring that the centre holds sway.

Though Mbabazi is neither the first nor the last PM to be sacked, the next few months are going to be critical for the ruling party. The challenge for party leaders and well-wishers will be to ensure that the Amama Vs Museveni politics doesn’t spill over national politics and the military.
Prof Mwambusya Ndebesa, a political analyst and history don at Makerere University, last week told me that the cause of the 1985 upheaval was a rift between Obote and his vice Paulo Muwanga. That the drama we see today is a reflection of the confusion and disagreements within the country’s civil politics.

New premier
The new PM is expected to be approved on Tuesday by Parliament in accordance with Article 108 of the Constitution. The former PM’s absence in the House last week was noticed as senior caretakers - Gen Moses Ali and his colleague, Henry Kajura - struggled to play the role of the Leader of Government Business. It took the intervention of the Government Chief Whip, Ms Kasule Lumumba, to rebuke the storm swirling around the unfolding multi-billion railway scandal.