2016 won’t be easy for NRM, Makubuya says

Nothing. The former Attorney General says after 27 years, Luweero, the habitat for the NRA bush war, is yet to see development.

The year 2016 will not be easy for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), the former Attorney General, also Justice Professor Edward Khiddu Makubuya, has warned.

Prof. Makubuya, the Katikamu South MP, resigned his Cabinet position as Minister for General Duties in February 2012 after he was accused of inflating compensation to businessmen Hassan Basajjabalaba and Brigadier John Mugyenyi.

The two were awarded over 150 billion shillings as compensation after their contacts to manage markets in Kampala were terminated two years ago.
Prof. Makubuya has now berated his party for failure to fulfill pledges over the years in addition to unfair compensation of ex-combatants of the 1981-86 NRM liberation war in Luweero.

He was speaking on Wednesday at Bulemeezi Secondary School in Kalagala Sub-county, at an event to mark 27 years of NRM rule.

The former Attorney General discredited his party for continued failure to address the problems of war veterans since the then NRA soldiers captured power in 1986.

He expresses concern about the former fighters who continue languishing in abject poverty yet they property including cows and plantations as they fed rebels who are now in power now.

Prof. Makubuya says such concerns, if added to unfulfilled presidential pledges in regard to effective service delivery, especially in the health sector, are likely to determine the voting pattern in 2016.

He further attacked his own party for failure to develop Luweero in particular which is greatly considered as the ‘Mecca’ of NRM.
The ruling government fought its five-year guerilla war mainly in Luweero Triangle.

Prof. Makubuya added that nothing is really remarkable in the area after 27years in as far as development is concerned despite locals’ continuous lamentations and demands over the years.

No gains
People in the Luweero area, the cradle of the five-year bush war that brought President Museveni to power, have been pushing for the upgrading of Kasana Health Centre to a hospital status, good road network and small fruit processing plants all in vain.

He asked President Museveni, who is also the NRM chairman, to look back and address the problems of Luweero and put in place something remarkable to benefit of the population.

However, one of the former fighters, Jimmy Ssekanjako from Vvumba in Kalagala thinks it is too late for Makubuya to be raising the issues now. He says the law professor had all the time to speak when he was in government but he did not.

As a way of helping Luweero recover from the war, the government set up a special ministry for the area but the challenges remain.