Museveni-Mbabazi rivalry divides Kanungu leaders

KANUNGU. The growing rivalry between President Museveni and former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi has taken a new twist following an incident on Thursday during Independence Day celebrations presided over by Mr Mbabazi in Kanungu District.
Some district and opinion leaders boycotted the independence celebrations organised by the district hierarchy and travelled to meet President Museveni at State House in Entebbe on the same day to “assure” him of their support for his 2016 candidature.
A total of 153 members, including seven district councillors, the Resident District Commissioner, four Local Council III chairpersons, farmers, businessmen, youth and opinion leaders were chauffeured to Kampala in buses from Kihihi Town Council in Kanungu at 9am on Thursday. They met the President in Entebbe on Friday.
The group calling itself “Kanungu District Image Group” was mobilised by the Kinkizi East MP, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, former Kanungu District Woman MP Jacqueline Kyatuhaire and the Resident District Commissioner, Mr Martin Mugabi.
Mr Mugabi confirmed the group went to see the President to reaffirm their loyalty following reports that some district leaders were supporting Mr Mbabazi to stand for presidency in 2016.
“This group wanted to tell the President that Kanungu is misrepresented in newspapers, radios and TVs; that what is in the media are positions and views of individuals, not of the entire Kanungu District,” Mr Mugabi said yesterday.
“They also wanted to ask the President to be their candidate in 2016,” he added.
However, their counterparts in the district administration accused them of plotting to frustrate the Independence Day district celebrations where Mr Mbabazi was the chief guest.
“It was a plot to fail the function, but it went on as planned even without them,” said Mr Frank Byaruhanga, the district councillor representing Mpungu Sub-county and the chairman of the district’s social services committee.
“We are wondering why they are handpicking members, abandoning party structures. They are creating divisions in the district,” Mr Byaruhanga charged.
Mr Mbabazi, who is the NRM secretary general and MP for Kinkizi West in Kanungu, is perceived to have presidential ambitions for 2016. President Museveni sacked him in a September 18 “reshuffle” that left the rest of Cabinet unchanged.
Mr Mugabi denied their move was to fail the district celebrations presided over by Mr Mbabazi. He said they had fixed an appointment with the President on Thursday which they could not cancel.
“It was not a move to sabotage the function because with Independence celebrations, irrespective of the party or the person you support, you shouldn’t sabotage the function. They went because of our earlier arrangement to meet the President and that’s the day we were given,” Mr Mugabi said.
The group that travelled to meet Museveni left out the district chairperson, Ms Josephine Kasya, and her vice chairperson.
Asked why she was not involved as the Local Council 5 chairperson and NRM chairman in the district, Ms Kasya said the group went to the President as individuals and did not represent the district administration. She said they have a right as individuals to meet the President.
“I was told by the RDC that they were going to meet the President but he did not tell me the agenda. Although some are leaders, he did not meet them as district leaders. He met them as individuals. The function (Independence Day celebrations) went on as planned because other leaders remained. If it were for the district leadership, we would have postponed the function, go and meet the President and have the celebrations later,” Ms Kasya said.
Mr James Kaberuka, the councillor representing Kihihi Town Council slammed the group that went to the President.
“I don’t think it was right to alienate the LC5 chairperson and the entire party structure in the district. The group was not representing the interests of Kanungu. We are yet to know their intentions,” Mr Kaberuka said.
UPDF soldiers were also stopped in the last hour from participating in the celebrations, contrary to what had been earlier planned. The soldiers had rehearsed for several days at Kisenyi Primary School in Kanyantorogo Sub-county but to every body’s surprise, they did not show up at the function.
“We don’t know what is going on, we can’t see the soldiers and police yet we had done everything for them to be here and participate in the parade,” Ms Mariam Asiimwe, Kanyantorogo Sub-county LC5 woman councillor said at the function.
Mr Mbabazi did not therefore inspect a guard of honour mounted by the UPDF and police as had been planned.
Mr Mugabi, who is the head of security in the district said there was an emergency that required withdrawing soldiers from the event for urgent deployment. “Our forces are not partisan. They were ready to participate but there was an emergency to respond to. In Mukono parish in Kayonza Sub-county. There were some negative forces harassing Ugandans. So they had to go and deal with that development,” he insisted.

[email protected]