Opposition faces harder times after Chogm, Queen’s visit

If you thought that unleashing teargas is the only thing that government can do to the opposition, then read this. During two Central Executive Committee (CEC) meetings of the ruling NRM party, President Museveni said that opposition should wait and taste the real bitter pill after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm).
Grapevine has learnt that Mzee briefed his colleagues about the LRA peace talks, deployment of UPDF in Somalia and Uganda’s relations with Ethiopia.

But when it came to home issues, Grapevine operatives in CEC say Mzee said he is patient with the opposition because he does not want to jeopardise Chogm and the Queen’s visit.

But after the Queen’s visit, the opposition should brace themselves for harder times.
The teargas that currently greets opposition whenever they go to hold public rallies will shift to something more dangerous.
Mzee reportedly said the opposition was becoming stubborn.
Besides opposition politicians, independent media houses and journalists will also taste the wrath of the State.

Journalists not spared
“These radios and journalists are now attacking us but we shall deal with them,� the NRM chairman was quoted as saying. Apart from closing ‘non-compliant’ media houses, journalists will be arrested.

The State will devise various means of punishing more recalcitrant journalists and media bosses, which include making them lose their jobs.
Now you know what will happen after Chogm, don’t say Grapevine never foretold you.

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Mbabazi, Kigongo in power feud

It is no longer news that there is some tension growing in NRM. The party’s Secretary General (SG) Amama Mbabazi is at the centre of the storm with many party officials baying for his blood. But wait a minute. Is Mbabazi really the main problem?

There is doubt. And here is why. Political Grapevine has been informed that the power struggle in the party has created camps. The Vice Chairman Moses Kigongo is upset that since the Movement Secretariat was dissolved, he no longer has clout.

Mbabazi reports directly to the NRM chairman who is the President. But other party officials report directly to Mbabazi. These reporting lines have left Kigongo in the cold. Grapevine was told that because of this, Kigongo believes Mbabazi is undermining his authority.

The party chairman has not told Mbabazi to report to Kigongo. But when the party’s national treasurer Ndawula Kaweesi who is loyal to Kigongo, tried to bypass Mbabazi and report directly to the chairman, the President told him to report to Mbabazi. This left Kigongo in a dilemma as to what his role is in the party. Meanwhile, a campaign was launched to discredit Mbabazi as being arrogant.

But his camp is saying that by reporting to the party chairman, Mbabazi has committed no wrong.

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Awori headed for big things in NRM

Aggrey Siryoyi Awori, the longtime Uganda Peoples C ongress (UPC) strongman who has of late been off the public limelight, is soon bouncing back to the political stage in a big way. We are not talking about the bye-election in Samia Bugwe North but we are talking about real big things. Mr Awori who has for decades been associated with red, blue and black colours of UPC, will this time be cloaked in yellow colours of the ruling NRM party.

Grapevine has learnt that whether Awori wins his parliamentary seat or not, plans have been finalised to appoint him to Cabinet. In fact, our sources say that Awori will either be a Prime Minister or at least a full Cabinet guy.

Sensing danger, some NRM gurus had attempted to spoil Awori’s chances but the President is very comfortable that the new convert should be welcomed to taste the bread from the ruling party.

Sources within NRM say that the President trusts Awori can ably manage government business in the House. Grapevine surveillance squad was told that Awori’s eloquence and debating skills make him Mzee’s favourite.

Fourth presidential term
The UPC man has also indicated the willingness to grab the chance because age is taking a toll on him and yet UPC is not about to bounce back to power. But there is also interesting information trickling in that Mzee needs Awori in preparation for a fourth presidential term in 2011. It’s said that people like Awori would give Mzee’s government a new face.But all is not well within the NRM.

Others are grumbling that people like Awori who were critical of the government are the ones now being rewarded bigger. So Mr Awori may as well not count his chicks before they hatch. The opposition MPs who used to share tricks with Awori should brace for a showdown with the fellow when he gets to Cabinet.

Hmm! Politicians are hard to predict, they change colours like chameleons. From using a chopper in the 2001 presidential campaigns to promising a car assembly plant in Soroti, Awori is now set to Cabinet where he will be defending Mzee’s third term and probably the fourth in 20011.
What a journey!

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CID’s Kutesa for big Interpol job in France

Madam Elizabeth Kutesa (below), the Director of CID is on her way to bigger things in her career. Grapevine has learnt that the Interpol has snatched her from Uganda Police Force now baptised Teargas Police Force.

Information available to the Grapevine shows that Kutesa will be based in France. The Interpol wrote to the “Teargas Police Force� but the “Teargas Force� referred the matter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for clearance. Foreign Affairs wrote to “Teargas Police Force� to clear Kutesa.

On Tuesday, “Teargas Police Force� wrote to Foreign Affairs that Kutesa could only join Interpol on temporary basis because she is still a serving “Teargas Police Force� member. So Kutesa will fly to France but will remain in the records of Uganda Teargas Force as a serving officer deployed to Interpol in France. The worry though is that Afande Kutesa might be underemployed by Interpol because there is little teargas in France than it is in Uganda.

Secondly, Interpol might have to closely monitor her work because she has a record of “cooking up� evidence against suspects. Hope you remember the Joanita Kyakuwa rape saga and we also hope you remember that Kutesa admitted to tampering with the case file.

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Museveni luring FDC’s Mafabi

During the NRM National Executive Council (NEC) meeting last weekend, President Yoweri Museveni attacked FDC’s Nandala Mafabi describing him as a lost case.

Mzee’s contention was that Mafabi who also chairs the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament that is calling for cancellation of the land titles given to people who acquired the Butabika Hospital land illegally. But it appears the President’s grievances with Mafabi stretch beyond the Butabika land issue. Grapevine has received information that for some time now, the President has been vainly trying to lure Mafabi to NRM.

This man from the land of Imbalu (circumcision), has been promised big things if he denounces Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and accepts to work with Mzee but he has refused. At least up to now. “I am not desperate to be bought. I can look after my family well but if they want me, then they should first learn how to manage public affairs well,� Mafabi told Grapevine. Sources say Mzee used several emissaries, including VP Prof. “Mahogany� Gilbert Balibaseka Bukenya but Mafabi snubbed them.

Prof. “Mahogany� reportedly promised Mafabi that he would become a strong species like a Mvule tree in NRM but Mafabi declined to acquire the botanical name.
So Mafabi ‘the lost case’ refused to be lost in NRM and Mzee is wondering why.

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ISO, ESO spies sacked

In Uganda, being a spy is a very enjoyable job because one can do anything- from - framing suspects, torturing them to even liquidating them. But this job also has its downside, especially when you are sacked.

So far, one former DP activist who crossed to Mzee Museveni’s camp and was deployed as spy, one Joseph Luzige, is now jobless. He is not alone.Grapevine has learnt that nearly 100 operatives, especially those working in ISO and ESO have been knifed.
However, Grapevine operatives deployed there have survived and now they report that recently, DISOs and Assistant DISOs were summoned to Kampala for reassessment. Some of them are to be sacked. Reason?

Senior spies not happy
That most of them are opposition sympathisers. But the sacking has not pleased senior spies in the President’s Office. “Why employ a man like Luzige from DP then sack him?
He has been with us and he has not left with an empty head; he now knows a lot about us,� a senior spy lamented before Grapevine. He said luring opposition members to State House and then sack them, sends a wrong message and also exposes State House.

Ha ha! But some spies have caused others lose their jobs too.
What goes round comes around.

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Is Spe Kazibwe bouncing back?

Mama Nalongo Specioza Wandira Kazibwe of the Valley Dams fame is making a big comeback to the national political scene. She has been doing political errands for Mzee and it seems the big man is set to reward her.

Grapevine has learnt that a week ago, Dr Spe addressed secondary school headteachers at Pope Paul Memorial Center in Rubaga.
Remember that Spe who was once a VP came back from her PhD studies in the US.
It is not yet clear whether she was briefing teachers on why she was given Shs2.5 bn for her studies yet the money could have built hundreds of classrooms for Universal Secondary Education.

But Grapevine spies in the Ministry of Education and Sports say that Kazibwe was busy popularising USE. A medical doctor by profession, operatives say, Kazibwe is warming up for a ministerial post in the next cabinet reshuffle. So next time you might hear that Kazibwe is back in cabinet.In fact Spe should bounce back so that we in the Grapevine can grab some good quotes from her.

You know she likes talking about amusing things such as animal rights to have live sex, not artificial insemination. She also likes circumcised men. But which name will she use in public, Wandira or Kazibwe? Oh! Yes! She might use the name of a man who is circumcised.

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Why MPs rejected motion on Somalia deployment

Did you know that NRM MPs are nationalistic? Well, these days nationalism means getting something from the state coffers for yourself. In that regard, NRM MPs are the most nationalistic.

On Wednesday, they refused to be stampeded to suspend rules of procedure to allow Defence Minister table a motion seeking deployment of Ugandan troops in Somalia.
While others say their action showed the level of internal democracy in the ruling party, Grapevine operatives in Cabinet report that the MPs were simply demonstrating their bitterness against the executive.

Reason? That Mzee Museveni rang from Ethiopia where he had gone on a visit, instructing Ministry of Finance not to release any money for the MPs’ cars until he was back in the country.

Because of his phone call, the issue of the MPs cars was not tabled in the House and was removed from the order paper. We hear that Mzee said he needed to meet the commissioners of parliament to help them determine how the car cash would be distributed. This annoyed the legislators and in retaliation, they explicitly rejected the Minister of Defence’s motion on Somalia deployment.

“We shall also not approve any budget for State House in June if the President does not change his ways. He takes a lot of money but he doesn’t want MPs to get money for cars,� said a senior NRM official. There you are. This is a man-eat-man society.

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Soroti MP fears charity woman

A popular woman in Soroti is making politicians in the area develop goose pimples. This woman called Hellen Adoa is a born-again Christian who has devoted herself to serving the disadvantaged sections of society but her actions are riling Soroti Municipality MP Charles Ekemu.

Grapevine has received information that last week, Ekemu told fellow MP Emily Otekat about his discomfort with Adoa turning into the ‘big bull’ in Soroti.
Adoa had on January27 been invited as chief guest on the Day for the Disabled at Soroti Independence Gardens. Ekemu who was also invited but just as a guest, was not amused that Adoa carried the day.

Ekemu donated Shs150,000 to people with disabilities while Adoa offered half a million shillings. This upset Ekemu as Adoa appeared to have stolen the show.
“I am a girl from Teso and my mission is to support the community, not politics. Jesus came to serve, but it’s politicians who were angered by Jesus’s ministry,� a defiant Adoa told Grapevine.“I called Ekemu and begged him not to threaten me. My mission is to serve people and to give them hope whenever I can,� she was quoted as saying.

Adoa owns two schools in Soroti where she sponsors many students. But Grapevine has learnt that her troubles with MPs started during the burial of former UPC deputy national treasurer Mama Irene Emulu recently. Adoa was the secretary receiving condolence money. She read out the mourners’ contributions.

Most MPs had contributed only Shs10, 000 for the burial. They were forced to contribute more after the embarrassment. They vowed to ‘sort out’ Adoa for the embarrassment. Hard facts hurt.