I can spill Cabinet secrets - Mbabazi

Presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi (C) addresses the press in the company of Olara Otunnu (L) and DP president Norbert Mao in Arua District on Tuesday. PHOTO BY FELIX WAROM OKELLO

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Warning. Mr Mbabazi says while he feels bound by the Official Secrets Act, continued provocation could force him to tell the truth about the system he has been part of for almost three decades.

ARUA. Independent presidential candidate John Patrick Amama Mbabazi has said he will disclose Cabinet secrets if provocations against him continue.
Addressing the press in Arua District yesterday, Mr Mbabazi said while he feels bound by the Official Secrets Act, continued provocation could force him to tell the truth about the system he has been part of for almost three decades.

“Even now, I am not disclosing any secrets that came to me by way of my office. Not yet in anyway. I feel bound by them, these provocations notwithstanding,” he said. “But if these provocations continue, I will say it (what transpired in Cabinet).”
Justifying why he has chosen to speak out on government excesses now, Mr Mbabazi said although he had expressed displeasure through official channels, he feels free to come out now because he is no longer in Cabinet.

“This business of saying why is he saying them now, I can tell you that many of these things I have said. Previously, I was bound by what they call Cabinet collective responsibility, so I supported whatever Cabinet decided,” he said.
He added: “It is not true that all members of Cabinet are in agreement with all decisions of Cabinet but once decisions are made, it is a requirement that there is Cabinet responsibility.”

He further expressed surprise that President Museveni said he would not hand him power on pretext that he has no mission. “I am surprised that President Museveni can say something like that, especially about me. I have worked with him long enough and he has publicly praised my work ethic,” he said.

President Museveni recently said he sacked prime minister Amama Mbabazi because he failed to perform his duties as prime minister and leader of government business in Parliament.

“I sacked Mbabazi because he had failed his work as prime minister, he was bringing enkwe... (cliques). He went around the country saying I was preparing my son, Brig Muhoozi, to become president. My son has never even stood for LC1 and the Constitution is very clear on how one can be elected president,” Mr Museveni said. Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba is the head of the Special Forces Command, which guard the President.

However, this was in stark contrast of what Mr Museveni has always said about the man he has closely worked with for the last 29 years in government and in influential and strategic portfolios, including; regional cooperation, security, defence, attorney general and PM.

“When I retire, we shall call a Movement conference to look for someone who can be a president, a prime minister, vice-president, and speaker. When it comes to vice-president, we start looking at Kigongo, Kategaya, Wapakhabulo, Rugunda and Mbabazi. If you remove Mbabazi and replace him with James Musinguzi, what will happen? You would miss that opportunity. Mbabazi is among the first 10,” Mr Museveni said in 2001.
Mr Mbabazi also said he regretted the loss of taxpayer’s money through corruption, especially in the Office of the Prime Minister and what has come to be known as the pension scandal. He said he regretted the occurrence when he was coordinator of all government activities, “even if I was not a culprit or responsible for those actions”.

Mr Mbabazi, who is running his candidature under the flagship of Go Forward, sounded apologetic in response to a question why, during his Arua rally, he was silent on the issue on what became to be known as the OPM scandal in 2013. The scam involved theft of at least Shs60b meant for the rehabilitation of the war-torn northern region under the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP) for northern Uganda. The pension scam involved officials of the Ministry of Public Service embezzling Shs340 billion in ghost pensioners payments.

“The matter was brought to my attention by the then permanent secretary and I authorised him to invite the Auditor General to carry out a special audit and that report is what led to all reactions that followed. Go and read that report I am not mentioned anywhere as having been involved in any of those activities at all even in decision making,” he said.
Throwing a barb at Information minister and former Health minister Jim Muhwezi, Mr Mbabazi said he also regrets that some ministers stole money meant for the sick. “I was sorry that some ministers were accused of stealing money meant for patients when they were minister in the Ministry of Health.”

“I have always really felt that as a leader, I should express my regrets that things like that happened even if I was not a culprit or responsible for those actions,” he said.

Mr Mbabazi also said he was ready for a televised presidential debate, saying dressing it up as a challenge is simply unserious. “Of course, we can debate. Even now, I am debating. Where will you take me that I cannot say what I am saying now?”
Responding to the intimidation meted against his supporters and the buying of people by NRM mobiliser in a bid to frustrate his rallies, Mr Mbabazi said it is simply a sign of fear by the ruling NRM.

“Our message resonates very well with the sentiments of our people and they would like to cut us from delivering that message to the general population. They even try to buy people. They think our people are like commodities. It is amazing that people can have that kind of attitude about our people. It is unfortunate and it must stop.”
He appealed to the State and the institutions of government to desist from using State and public funds to buy and intimidate people from supporting and presenting their ideas.
“I would not want to accuse institutions because these are actions of criminal individuals.”

Reactions to Mbabazi’s visit to Arua

“As a church leader, I don’t participate in partisan politics but I give civic education and encourage people to listen to the manifestos of all the candidates and choose the one whose manifestoes is good for them. We bless all of them and wish the campaigns to go on peacefully and the candidates should be sincere with what they tell their voters,” Msgr Primus Asega.
“As voters, we are all ready to receive any candidate who comes. And as a concerned citizen, I am only interested in a candidate who is ready to address social issues without prejudice of region or tribe,” Marino Ondia, resident.
“He is a smart politician and according to his speech at Sserena Hotel last Sunday, where he talked about increasing salary to teachers, bringing back cooperatives and a lot more issues, I believe he will bring change in the country.”
Aziz Draku, resident