How CEC sealed Kadaga’s fate

In the run up to the Saturday meeting of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s Central Executive Members (CEC), fissures had development in the top organ of NRM.
Some members supported Ms Rebecca Kadaga while others vouched for Mr Jacob Oulanyah, speaker and deputy speaker of the 10th Parliament, respectively.

President Museveni, the national NRM chairman, had a month ago applied brakes on the full-throttle campaigns by the duo, arguing that it polarised the party.
They appeared to oblige, abandoned public campaigns and NRM said its CEC members would recommend to the party’s parliamentary Caucus who would be its flag bearer for the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 11th Parliament.    

The CEC meeting was on Friday, and again yesterday morning, and multiple sources say the mood and exchanges were combative.
At State House Entebbe, CEC members gathered early and had taken their seats by 9:30am. President Museveni too arrived.
In the preliminaries, members looked jovial and exchanged pleasantries ahead of crunch talks.

Then Mr Museveni, after calling the meeting to order, at about 10.30am presented dossiers about Ms Kadaga and Mr Oulanyah, information apparently prepared for him by intelligence agencies and political lackeys.   
The details covered integrity of both leaders, their allegiance to the party and links with Opposition political actors.
Speaking a day earlier to Independent but NRM-leaning MPs, President Museveni said there was corruption at Parliament and he reportedly repeated the allegations when presenting his report to CEC members.

CEC, under section 13 of the NRM constitution, comprises Mr Museveni as the national chairman, his Vice Moses Kigongo, the NRM secretary general, Ms Justin Lumumba, and deputy Richard Todwong, the party national treasurer, the NRM parliamentary Caucus chairperson, chairpersons of Commissions and such number of secretaries.
At the State House meeting on Friday, and in rejoinder to Mr Museveni’s presentation, some CEC members accused Ms Kadaga of personalising Parliament for the 10 years she has been in-charge, side-lining NRM and fraternising with the Opposition.

She was particularly accused of launching her re-election bid at Speke Resort Munyonyo without consultation with, or involvement of, NRM top leadership.
For going solo, she should be left out to dry, another member argued.
But other members said following questions raised by President Museveni about both Ms Kadaga and Mr Oulanyah, NRM should ditch both and pick Budama West MP Jacobs Oboth Oboth as a dangerous substitute.
However, Mr Museveni poured called water on the suggestion, arguing that Mr Oboth by expressing interest in Deputy Speaker position had considered himself unworthy of full Speakership.

READ: How journalists covering caucus meeting were mistreated

The unrestrained attacks on Ms Kadaga stoked tension amid claims that she worked against interests of the party.
There was also the argument that Mr Museveni, as NRM presidential candidate, had lost in Kadaga’s Busoga backyard where she is considered the most influential position and won in northern Uganda, a former epicentre for opposition to his government and Mr Oulanyah, who hails from Acholi, be rewarded.

Other party executives also considered Ms Kadaga’s public spat against CEC as a slight and argued that she was no longer suitable to carry their confidence and endorsement.
Ms Kadaga reportedly put a spirited defence, counter-accusing opponents of witch-hunt in long-running machinations, including state-directed attempts to depose her from CEC.
She denied any culpability and argued that she at material times protected NRM’s interest in the House. One such interest, Ms Kadaga had said earlier, was her “facilitating” removal of the age limit in the Constitution which in her words enabled continuity of NRM and Mr Museveni in power.

In days after this disclosure, President Museveni said no one should take credit for 2017 scrapping of age limit and he did not need anyone’s support for it to happen.
Yesterday, Ms Kadaga said her party, NRM, had elected not to give her the flag but she will fight it out today on Independent ticket.

Compiled by Patience Ahimbisibwe, Damalie Mukhaye, Franklin Draku & Elizabeth Kamurungi.