All eyes on Hyuha as NRM meeting nears

Leaders from the ruling NRM party have received the appointment of Ms Dorothy Hyuha, who was recently endorsed by Central Executive Committee (CEC) to serve as acting secretary general, with mixed feelings.

In a survey carried out by Daily Monitor, some indicated their confidence in her abilities while others, however, questioned her close ties with the current secretary general, Mr Amama Mbabazi, who was forced to take leave recently. Her critics observed the two are “one and the same”.

Last week, Mr Mbabazi took leave as the party announced it would hold a delegates conference December 15 following two days of stormy CEC meetings.

Ms Hyuha, who is also Uganda’s envoy to Tanzania, faces a daunting task in organising a delegates conference at a time when the NRM is split between members sympathetic to Mr Mbabazi, whose troubles have mounted after he was fired as prime minister on September 18, and those backing a push to endorse their chairperson, President Museveni, as the party’s sole candidate in the 2016 elections.

Party sources told Daily Monitor that her appointment raises speculation about whether she is equipped to run such a conference, and possibly organise party primaries due next year in light of suspicions in some quarters that she is close to Mr Mbabazi who some believe is preparing to challenge Mr Museveni in 2016.

Namboole fracas
“It is on record while in Namboole during the party elections [in 2010] that Ms Hyuha and Mr Mbabazi were a team. It is also very true that Information minister Rose Namayanja beat Ms Hyuha but was rigged out. There is no difference between Mr Mbabazi and Mr Hyuha,” one member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

In 2010, Ms Namayanja was a revelation when she delivered a moving speech which was believed to have swung support in her favour in the campaign for the deputy secretary general position. However, when the votes were counted, Ms Hyuha came out on top.

Ms Kasule Lumumba, the government Chief Whip, described Ms Hyuha as a hard worker, articulate and a good mobiliser who has served in the position since 2003, which attributes she says qualify her for the secretary general position.
“As a very beautiful young girl, she got married to Mr Hyuha at a tender age who unfortunately became disabled. Ms Hyuha has stood by her man and has never abandoned her like so many women do. Her husband was a headmaster and Ms Hyuha an MP and minister but while we were in Butaleja one time, she swore to always be there for her husband and to me she is principled and very reliable,” added Ms Lumumba.

Renewed allegiance
Ms Hyuha is said to have renewed her allegiance to President Museveni during the CEC meeting in which Mr Mbabazi was forced to take leave, swearing that she would never betray the party. Bunyole East County MP Emmanuel Dombo, who has had an up-and-down relationship with Ms Hyuha over local Bunyole politics, gave a categorical response to Ms Lumumba’s assessment of Hyuha.

“She is also a senior leader, a former Cabinet minister and MP and she is just the right person to mobilise for the NRM party,” he said. “But of course as a politician with vested interest, she may face challenges in organising a free and fair delegates’ conference and party primaries. Whether she is close to Mbabazi or not, I am not a CEC member that appointed her but if she chooses to be partisan, this comes with consequences .The [party] electoral commission in this case should be made independent to avoid any manipulations.”

Her weak points Mr Dombo observed, are what he called her “clandestine methods of work”.
“She needs to be more transparent in the way she handles her affairs,” said Mr Dombo.

Others, including Ms Evelyn Anite, who speaks for the ruling party’s parliamentary caucus, are keeping an open mind.
“We are not sure we will have her throughout because the former prime minister is on leave and it is not very clear whether he will come back or resign. As it is now, she is not the one to conduct or oversee the primaries. The delegates conference will answer who will be our secretary general otherwise we do not know as of now,” Ms Anite said.

Ethics Minister Simon Lokodo took the view that for all intents Ms Hyuha is the substantive secretary general, elected by popular vote and endorsed by CEC.

“Since CEC and NEC have never questioned her attitude, she is duty bound to take charge and work with them closely to address issues of cohesion within the party,” Fr Lokodo said. “This is however not a permanent situation because she is only stepping in as her boss takes leave. She should be the obvious caretaker of the party and must now work towards re-organising and mobilising the party members for the delegates conference.” He added: “The CEC, party chairman found that she is an optimum person. But in case she is found wanting in her duties, someone else will complement her.”

Mr Peter Ogwang (Youth, Eastern) approves of Ms Hyuha but challenges her on the disunity in Butaleja. “Ms Hyuha has been to all the 112 districts in terms of mobilisation. She can mobilise for the party but she must first begin by uniting the people in her district. Butaleja has proved to have so many camps and I believe leaders must lead by example,” he said.

He also backed a proposal to change the party rules so that the secretary general is appointed not elected. “I support a recommendation by CEC to have an appointed secretary general. Following the election of Mr Mbabazi as secretary general, several camps were formed around those candidates that did not go through. The Bukenya camp emerged, that of Kahinda Otafiire also emerged after elections that have greatly affected our party. By appointing a secretary general, we shall not have such camps again,” he said.

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