Intrigue, tribalism cited in EALA Speaker election

Ms Margaret Nantongo Zziwa’s journey to become the first female Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly was an epic victory. Ms Zziwa, 49, resoundingly beat Ms Dora Byamukama, who had been touted as the ‘official’ NRM flag bearer for the seat.

After the local elections of EALA representatives in Kampala, it was widely known that Ms Byamukama would become the next EALA Speaker since it was Uganda’s turn to take the job.

Although President Museveni and the NRM have moved to deny claims that Ms Byamukama was the government’s anointed candidate for the post, events and emotions in Kampala and Arusha seemed to suggest otherwise.

It was a confident mood in a larger section of the NRM comprising legislators and Cabinet that Ms Byamukama was destined for the post – it did not happen that way despite the party sending six out of nine representatives to EALA.

In confidence, several sources say: Although President Museveni and the NRM have moved to deny claims that Ms Byamukama was the government’s anointed candidate for the post, events and emotions in Kampala and Arusha seemed to suggest otherwise.

It was a confident mood in a larger section of the NRM comprising legislators and Cabinet that Ms Byamukama was destined for the post – it didn’t happen that way despite the party sending six out of nine representatives to EALA.

In confidence, several sources in Kampala and Arusha who spoke to Saturday Monitor attributed Ms Byamukama’s failure to her persona, internal party intrigue, sectarianism, tribalism and failure of Uganda to observe political ethos upheld by other regional countries.

Within the EALA circles, Ms Byamukama has been perceived as abrasive, confrontational and vindictive. Byamukama’s detractors refer to a case in Arusha in which she was involved in a fist fight with another Ugandan representative Nusura Tiperu over what is claimed to be a love triangle involving a prominent married Tanzanian politician. The fight divided women in EALA.

The dirty politics
When the term of EALA Speaker Abdirahim H. Abdi from Kenya came to an end, Uganda’s Lydia Wanyoto was appointed to act as Speaker. Ms Byamukama was the chairperson of the Legal Committee of EALA. It is said Ms Byamukama declined a request by members to amend article 51(1) of the treaty to lift term limits that made EALA the only regional parliament with term limits. A war then opened between Ms Byamukama and Ms Wanyoto.

Ms Byamukama was accused of allying with former minister Hope Mwesigye to build a tribal alliance to make her become Speaker. Nkwame Rugunda, son to ICT Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, raised a red flag against such alliance.

He was reportedly fought off. Since it was Uganda’s turn to head EALA, some sections in State House reportedly floated the name of former Lands Minister Omara Atubo as a good candidate for Speaker arguing that he is mature and understood both government and regional policies.

President Museveni is said to have nodded in Mr Atubo’s favour. This would mean that Dan Kidega would have to step down in favour of Atubo standing as a candidate representing northern Uganda. However, Ms Byamukama’s camp did not buy into that project. They reportedly asked Mr Kidega, a close friend of Ms Byamukama not to give way for Atubo.

Fearing embarrassment of standing against Mr Kidega and then lose in Parliament, Mr Atubo declined to contest. When the Atubo project collapsed, some sections in the Office of the Prime Minister also pushed in Ben Wacha, given his track record. Mr Wacha was to get some votes in the north and east. It is said that Dora’s group technically undermined Mr Wacha’s bid by asking State Minister Kasule Lumumba to back Martin Wandera from the east.

Although NRM had deliberately designed the slot of Independent candidate for Mr Wacha, it was the young lady Susan Nakawuki who grabbed it. This would pave way for Byamukama to vie for EALA Speakership by securing the party backing.

Meanwhile, Ms Wanyoto, who also needed the job, had successfully caused court to quash the term limits in Arusha. Wanyoto came back to NRM Caucus to relay the court decision but the Caucus sided with the interpretation of the Attorney General that she would not compete. And she did not. But she did not stop the political fight.

After the nine EALA MPs had been elected, Ms Byamukama was announced as the official government candidate for EALA boss. However, some party leaders argued that the government position was a concoction because neither President Museveni, the NRM Central Executive Committee, National Executive Council, Cabinet nor the NRM Caucus, had agreed on a candidate. However, Buyaga MP, Barnabas Tinkasimire said: “Before we went to Arusha, we held a meeting with Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi in the chambers of the Speaker and we all agreed to vote Byamukama. Mukula was in the meeting”.

It was left to either Speaker Rebecca Kadaga or Premier Amama Mbabazi to decide. Ms Kadaga endorsed Byamukama. At this point, Ms Zziwa and Mike Sebalu had made their intentions known. Ms Kadaga dispatched a delegation of 54 MPs to Arusha to campaign for Byamukama. In addition, all the five commissioners of Parliament were also dispatched.

Arusha fiasco
In Arusha, the Ugandan delegation called for a meeting chaired by Capt. Mike Mukula. During the meeting, Mr Sebalu was asked to step down and allow Byamukama and Zziwa to tussle it out. In another meeting Mr Kategaya is reported to have told members that he spoke to President Museveni who said both ladies should tussle it out because they were all his ‘daughters’.

MP Bernabas Tinkasimire told Kategaya that he was lying. Kategaya would later be accused of siding with Burundi that had also nominated a candidate. Apparently, Burundi did not want Byamukama as EALA boss and told Uganda they would pull out only after Uganda provides a second nominee.
Ms Kadaga reportedly informed other Speakers that Byamukama was the official candidate but it only attracted a retort from line minister and First Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Kategaya who inquired: “How did we arrive at this party candidate?”

Then Kategaya called a council of ministers and informed them that Uganda had two candidates from whom their countries could pick from. Zziwa’s camp , it is said, claimed Uganda’s representation at EAC was dominated by people from western Uganda and should therefore not be given the position of Speaker.

Mityana North MP Geofrey Kiwanda, the leader of Buganda Parliamentary Caucus led a stealth campaign for Zziwa among EALA delegations. Mr Mukula reportedly activated his contacts in Kenya particularly Premier Raila Odinga to talk to Kenyan voters.

Zziwa as a block. While the nine Ugandan MPs had been made to sign a memorandum that they would all vote Ms Byamukama, silently, six of them were for Zziwa. Those supporting Zziwa were Tiperu, Sebalu, Chris Opoka, Nakawuki, Mukasa Mbidde and Zziwa herself, leaving Ms Byamukama with Stephen Mulengani, Dan Kidega and herself. All the Tanzanian MPs save for Mwinyi, who was reportedly undecided, voted Ms Zziwa.

At voting time, Ms Byamukama was nominated by Mr Kidega and seconded by Mulengani. As the presiding officer called for closing of nominations, hell broke loose as Ms Tiperu sprung up and nominates Zziwa who was seconded by a lady from Rwanda.

Most of the votes went to Zziwa. A cloud of darkness descended on Byamukama’s supporters who left the area. First to storm out was Kampala Central MP Muhammad Nsereko, a political rival of Ms Zziwa’s husband Francis Babu. Ms Kadaga remained crestfallen.

After Ms Zziwa was installed as Speaker, her first duty was to swear in other MPs. The real circus then kicked in. All sworn MP would greet the new Speaker and then pick flowers. At her turn, Ms Byamukama refuses to greet Ms Zziwa. She then picks the flowers and walks to Kategaya then throws them at him. Kategaya remains shocked. So were others.