Mbabazi dismisses claims of daughter hiding NRM register

KAMPALA- Former prime minister Amama Mbabazi yesterday poured cold water over persistent claims that members of his family were hiding the ruling party’s register.

Mr Mbabazi, who also gave the closest indication yet that he could challenge President Museveni for the party’s top job, nonetheless, welcomed plans by the NRM to carry out fresh registration of its supporters, beginning today.
“I have absolutely no problem about registration and I want to call upon NRM supporters to use the opportunity to register. That entire story you have been hearing is false. The register, which NRM made in 2010, is in place and available to the party. It is only people who don’t have information who make such allegations,” he said in reference to the long-running dispute over who is in possession of the NRM roll.

The former premier, who was first dropped from Cabinet and then toppled as NRM secretary general last year, was addressing youth from the ‘Mbabazi Western Brigade Camp’ at his residence in Kololo, Kampala.

He said as far as the party’s register is concerned, it would be easy for the leadership to recover the data if anyone tried to hide it.

“In our party constitution, it is the branch (village) that recruits; no one else, not even the party chairman and it is the responsibility of that branch to maintain a register. Even assuming that someone at the secretariat hides it, which I know is not true because we have never hidden any register, why would we? But if that was the case, then it is very easy; go to the district registers and a one-day clerical job will give you a new register,” he said.

Mr Mbabazi also continued to throw broad hints about his political future, drawing on suspicions that he may launch a leadership bid, the very thing which led to his ejection. Mr Mbabazi said when he begins to talk, many people will be ashamed of what they have been saying.

“For any position whether president or branch chairman, I will announce it at the appropriate time. I am happy the NRM leadership has brought out the party electoral road map so that means now you don’t have to wait for too long to continue speculating. So stop speculating,” he said.

However, NRM deputy secretary general Richard Todwong yesterday maintained that the current NRM party leadership was denied the register by its predecessor.
“We don’t have it (the register). All this time, we have been asking for it from the previous party administration led by the former secretary general and we have not got it. So we are going to register people afresh,” Mr Todwong said.

Ms Nina Mbabazi Rukikaire, the daughter of the former premier, has been at the heart of the register controversy but Mr Mbabazi said she was merely a volunteer.

“It is absolutely false to say that my daughter, Nina, is the one sitting on the register and that she is demanding the payment of Shs3b,” Mr Mbabazi said.
“It is true Nina was one of the volunteers, and incidentally didn’t work under me. The fact they produced the register does not make them its custodians,” he added.

Businessman still demanding Shs5.4 billion from NRM for register

It is not clear what Mr Mbabazi’s revelation will do to the prospects of a businessman, Mr Arvind Patel, the treasurer of NRM Entrepreneurs’ League, who claims the party owes him money he lent to Ms Mbabazi and Mr Frank Katusiime to help process the NRM register.

Mr Patel, through his lawyer Mr Fred Muwema, wants NRM to repay him Shs600m which has since accumulated to more than Shs5.4b
Mr Patel argues that Ms Mbabazi and Mr Katusiime got the money from him with the approval of “party chairman President Museveni” to computerise and update the NRM register.

Mr Muwema said his client was still pursuing the matter. “The case is coming back before court on April 30 for a scheduling conference where we shall agree on the documents to be disclosed,” Mr Muwema said.

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