NRM holds the key to Mao and Nambooze’s DP troubles

What you need to know:

  • Now this is where you have to sympathise with the Namboozes. President Museveni, after being announced victor in the disputed election of February 2016, angrily vowed (uncharacteristic of a winner,) to ‘finish’ the Opposition.

It is very hot in the house of Uganda’s oldest political party; the Democratic Party (DP). The vice president for Buganda region, Betty Bakireke Nambooze, has found herself on the wrong side of the president general, Norbert Mao.
Nambooze alleges that the party’s predicament is championed by Mao and clique, which includes ‘good DPs,’ (the ones who hobnob with ruling NRM) whose concealed aim is to mortgage the party to NRM. Mao, on the other hand, claims that the current DP leadership is being undermined by Nambooze, who is playing the tribal card for cheap popularity.
Nambooze’s quest to hold ‘consultative meetings’ to try and mitigate what she deems as the rot and decline of DP have been frustrated by the police.
Interestingly, the police are now proving helpful to the DP leadership to bridle an ‘indisciplined’ member. Why is it interesting?
DP is one of the admirable political groupings in Uganda that will quickly run to the courts to seek legal interpretation whenever they are aggrieved. Muwanga Kivumbi, a DP member, took such a case to court and got a very fundamental ruling. In Muwanga Kivumbi vs Attorney General (Constitutional Petition No. 9 of 2005) [2008] UGCC 4 (27 May 2008), it was decided that it was unconstitutional for the police to stop assemblies simply because the organisers had not sought permission from them.
It was ruled that ‘the right to freedom of assembly and demonstrate together with others in a peaceful manner is a fundamental right guaranteed under Article 29 (I) (d).’
Now, ironically, Nambooze is being stopped because she does not have permission from the police, among other reasons,—and DP is not complaining!
You have to acknowledge that a politician always stands on a base made up of like-minded people. It is about popularity and that is majorly what makes politicians relevant. The politician falls back on their strongest point. Nambooze’s ‘niche’ is mainly her following in Buganda. So, in this vein, you cannot fault Mao for claiming that Nambooze’s is a tribal assault on his leadership.
But then, also in politics, it is important to have a realistic assessment of your standing and decide on a way forward for survival.
The popularity and visibility of DP has shrunk so badly from the 1950s. It is now, for all intents and purposes, only viable in Buganda. Yet, as recently as 1980, you had DP spread across Uganda. For instance, in northern Uganda, you had heavyweights such as Andrew Adimola, Tiberio Okeny Atwoma, Zachary Olum. The people like Mariano Drametu, Sam Drale, etc. from West Nile. You had Aloyisus Ngobi, Yoweri Kyesimira from Busoga. In the West, you had Francis Wazarwahi Bwengye, Robert Kitariko, Sam Kahamba Kutesa, etc.
With this situation you have to understand where Mao and like-minded people are coming from and going. You have to make some alliances and trade-offs where possible, on your terms, or be swallowed up. You cannot afford to be belligerent all the time. That is how Fred Mukasa Mbidde found his way into the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) with the backing of NRM.
But then the question is, when is friendly, too friendly? When does DP’s cooperation with NRM become incorporation into the ruling party?
Now this is where you have to sympathise with the Namboozes. President Museveni, after being announced victor in the disputed election of February 2016, angrily vowed (uncharacteristic of a winner,) to ‘finish’ the Opposition.
One of the reasons why DP is depleted is that many prominent members migrated to NRM. They can hardly organise and build party structures so they depend on the strength, charisma, popularity and merit of individuals in different regions. Like Nambooze, which makes them feel that the party owes them probably more than they owe the party.
Now the Namboozes feel a sense of dé jà vu, especially when the President appoints a person like Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi to Cabinet and the national chairman Beswala Keezala an ambassador with a note that he will ‘come for more.’ They get concerned when the President stands on the podium and declares some prominent DP members like Mukasa Mbidde as ‘good DPs,’ and pampers them yet they associate closely with Mao.
The dilemma for both Mao and Nambooze is that most of the matters regarding the decline of DP are beyond them.
The decline in Uganda’s rural economy with agriculture failing means that party members across the country are susceptible to being induced by NRM’s financial muscle, which it has by virtue of its unlimited access to the national kitty. For that you can’t blame Mao.
Then because of economic exclusion, which comes with the ruling party being viewed as sectarian and driven by nepotism/regionalism, a ghetto mentality has emerged among many of Uganda’s nationalities. They get together because ‘they are working against us, stealing our land’, etc.
That is an opportunity for the Namboozes, which puts them in trouble with the Maos whom they think are doing nothing if not helping the heavy arm of the NRM.
It is clear that the Mao and Nambooze will not save DP without looking at the silent destructive arm of the ruling NRM party. They will both sink it instead.

Nicholas Sengoba is a commentator on political and social issues. [email protected] Twitter: @nsengoba