DP cannot back Nakiwala for Museveni’s ministerial appointment- Mao

KAMPALA
Democratic Party president Norbert Mao has said the party will not back the former Kampala woman Member of Parliament hopeful Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi for President Yoweri Museveni’s new cabinet appointment.

Reacting to Mr Museveni’s new cabinet announced on Monday, Mr Mao said Nakiwala’s appointment as the new State minister for Youth and Children Affairs has nothing to do with her party, DP.
“If Hon. Nakiwala decides to join Museveni’s new cabinet, she does it on her own behalf and interest, and not as a DP member although is still a party member until further notice,” Mr Mao said.
In his cabinet appointment announced on Monday, president Museveni named Nakiwala as the new State minister for Youth and Children Affairs.

However Mao says Museveni is not a person worth working for on claims that he never appreciates.

"We have had a very bad experience with those relations. Basing on what happened after the liberation war in 1986 in the gentleman agreement where DP members like John Ssebaana Kizito, Paul Kawanga Ssemwogerere joined Museveni and gained nothing, we can’t work with him (Museveni) again,” Mao said on Tuesday while addressing the media at the Party head office in Kampala.

However, reacting to her appointment in a televised interview on NBS, Ms Nakiwala said she will start work as soon as parliament approves her.
“I have so many strategies of ensuring that youth in Uganda are taken care of. I am a hardworking woman and I can only assure you that Nakiwala is here to serve. You just watch the space. This is a unitary government and we’re all obliged to serve in our different capacities. I’m simply a humble servant of government and my appointment did not have to follow any special relationship. You just have to follow the constitution. They knew that I’m a hardworking woman and that’s they chose me for the post,” said she said.

In March this year, Nakiwala withdrew her application she had filled against Kampala Woman Member of parliament Nabilah Naggayi Sempala of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in which she was seeking a vote recount after losing in the recently concluded February 18 general elections.

Mengo Court chief magistrate dismissed Nakiwala's application and ordered her to pay costs to Nabilah after her lawyer informed court that his client had run out of time since all applications seeking a recount must be heard and disposed of within 4 days.
Nakiwala had filed her application on February 26 but it had not been heard and disposed of.
She sued Nabilah, the Electoral Commission and the returning officer seeking for a recount on grounds that the declaration forms had anomalies and many of her valid votes were invalidated.

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