There is nothing wrong meeting Museveni, says Mbabazi

BUIKWE- Former Presidential candidate Mr  Amama Mbabazi say there is nothing wrong meeting President Museveni if the meeting is not ‘exclusive’.

Mr Mbabazi, the former secretary general of the ruling National Resistance Movement, however, denied recent media reports that he recently held secret meetings with his former confidant [President Museveni]

 “The way people talk is as if there something wrong with meeting President Museveni .There is absolutely nothing wrong with President Museveni .I will meet him any time .I have no problem with it. I have a political position, if we are to discuss politics, we will discuss politics and it must be discussed in a manner that is transparent, a manner   that doesn’t not seem in any way exclusive,” he said.

He added: “My clear position is that President Museveni is the president of Uganda, why wouldn’t you want to meet him? So, I would like to assure Ugandans that there is nothing   wrong in my thinking of meeting with President and l meet him if there is reason to do so.”

Mr Mbabazi was speaking to residents of Namukono village, Buikwe District at the weekend. He had gone to   visit Mr James Karangwa, a local farmer and businessman who was his former campaign agent in the area.

Recently, information leaked in the media that President Museveni had held secret talks with Mr Mbabazi with the latter’s eldest daughter, Ms Rachel Kiconco, acting as a go-between.

Mr Mbabazi who was accompanied by his wife Jacqueline Mbabazi to Buikwe urged residents in the area to put politics aside and focus on agriculture, saying politics is not profitable and a permanent job.

“... Doing politics all the time,there is no gain .So yes, politics is very important  because without good politics  nothing positive can happen, a lot of negative things in fact happen. Politics is very important but we must have a measure of a balance to do politics and the other things,” he said. “I was in the campaign, I challenged the results of the election,I was loud enough.”

Mr Mbabazi said he wants to focus on poverty alleviation through promotion of agriculture since he longer earns from government.

 “I am busy. That is why I am not talking in public because I had given 100 percent of my time in the past to government work, to my party –the NRM and I didn’t have time even to look after my own private interests. So, now that I am out of government, I need a bit of time to find my level,” he said.

Until a couple of years ago, Mr Museveni and Mbabazi enjoyed personal and political amity spanning four decades.

Things began faltering in early 2014 when the NRM Caucus in Parliament, in a motion introduced by current State minister for Investment and Privatisation, Ms Evelyn Anite ,ring-fenced the party’s presidential flag-bearer slot   for the incumbent [Mr Museveni]  .

The relationship later hit rock bottom and Mr Mbabazi, then the prime minister and secretary general of NRM, was dropped  from the two powerful positions.

He stood as an Independent in the 2016 February general elections and bagged 132,574 votes, ending in third position among eight contenders.

Mr Mbabazi has largely maintained silence, occasionally appearing on non-State public functions.

 Mr Karangwa, who said he has for long been a strong supporter of Mr Mbabazi, vowed to continue doing the same because he showed him the way to prosperity.

“Like I have said before, I will never betray you in any way and not only you, but also Mama (Jacqueline Mbabazi ),” he said.

Mr Mbabazi promised to give two exotic goats to residents to help them improve their local breeds.

Read:

Museveni, Mbabazi in secret talks

President Museveni is reportedly holding secret talks with former presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi with the latter’s eldest daughter, Ms Rachel Ciconco, acting as a go-between

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