Kanungu opposes NRM Caucus resolution

KANUNGU- Kanungu District leaders have said blocking other NRM members from contesting for presidency will destroy the ruling party.

They also demanded that NRM members stop “persecuting” Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, who is also Kinkizi West MP, over his presumed presidential ambitions.

Speaking at the district’s annual development forum on Tuesday, the area NRM leaders and opinion leaders criticised the caucus for ring-fencing the presidency slot for Mr Museveni.

“Someone has been ruling for the last 28 years and then you turn to stop other Ugandans from standing against him? That is hypocrisy. It is going to destroy Movement (NRM party),” said Mr Charles Beshetsya, the district council speaker.

He said the NRM Caucus Kyankwanzi resolution where MPs endorsed President Museveni as NRM candidate in the 2016 polls shows that the MPs do not care about other Ugandans and are driven by monetary gain.

“What you (MPs) are doing; that nobody should stand against Mr Museveni is wrong,” Mr Beshetstya told MPs Chris Baryomunsi (Kinkizi East) and Ms Elizabeth Karungi (Kanungu Woman MP) who attended the meeting.

The forum was organised ostensibly to discuss the development needs, progress and challenges of the people of Kanungu.

Mr Beshetsya and other speakers were reacting to submission by Dr Baryomunsi on the Kyankwanzi resolutions and progress on fixing infrastructural challenges in the district.

“The caucus should apologise to all Ugandans because (by endorsing Museveni) they have abrogated NRM constitution and the Uganda Constitution. We have many challenges of poor roads, health facilities and schools, we don’t have tarmac (in Kanungu); these are the issues you should be talking about,” said Mr Frank Byaruhanga, the chairperson for social services.

“It appears as if Mr Mbabazi has killed a person. We ask the NRM Caucus to apologise or else the people of Kanungu look for lawyers and sue them to explain why they violated the Constitution,” said Mr Byaruhanga.

He said government is not concerned about the plight of Ugandans because there are no reagents and drugs in the hospitals yet it is spending billions on pushing some people’s political interests.

Kanungu youth chairperson and the NRM youth leader in the area, Mr Andrew Agaba, said the resolution has disorganised the country.

He said Mr Museveni should retire and give way for another NRM member to take over because he has served for a long time.

“It is the right time that you advised the President to rest and we look for another leader. Why should he torture our child just because he wants to stand? As youth, we have resolved to front him (Mbabazi) as the flag bearer and we shall continue to back him,” he said.

Mr Godfrey Karabenda, former aspirant for the LC5 seat, said the current near crisis situation in the country emanated from the 7th Parliament, which scrapped the presidential term limits, and warned the NRM MPs in the 9th Parliament against repeating a similar mistake.

“Let’s not get into problems; to tie ourselves like the 7th Parliament did by removing term limits,” Mr Karubenda said.

When Dr Baryomunsi informed the meeting that about 170 district NRM leaders and LC5 chairpersons who subscribe to NRM party, in a meeting with President Museveni in Entebbe also endorsed the resolution, Ms Josephine Kasya, Kanungu LC5 chairperson, who was represented in the Kampala meeting by her deputy, Mr Ali Rugomwa, said that was not the case.

“He made a report. He said they rejected (the resolution). That’s what he presented to the Executive,” said Ms Kasya, who chaired the Tuesday meeting.
Dr Baryomunsi said NRM MPs can’t apologise for making the resolution because “it was their thinking.” “If yours is different, there is no problem,” Dr Baryomunsi said.

He said the problem is being created by Mr Mbabazi because, according to Dr Baryomunsi, the NRM secretary general has not been categorical if he wants to stand or not. “I talked to Mbabazi. He told me that ‘if I want to stand I will say it.’ You want, but you don’t want to say it; that’s what has caused problems,” Dr Baryomunsi said.

He said the resolution should not give them headache because they still have opportunity to influence the party politics at the next delegates’ conference. Dr Baryomunsi said all they wanted was to restore calm because some people were rushing into politics and ignoring delivery of services they put in the party manifesto.

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