Mukula on life after the Wikileaks saga
Sep 18, 2011
NRM vice-chairman for eastern Uganda, Capt. Michael Mukula, has recently been in the news for comments he made to American diplomats. The Wikileaks cables claimed that Mukula had, among other things, said the President’s popularity was waning and he (the President) was preparing his son to succeed him. Saturday Vision’s <b>Wanyama Wangah</b> and<b> John Semakula</b> asked him if he stood by the comments.
NRM vice-chairman for eastern Uganda, Capt. Michael Mukula, has recently been in the news for comments he made to American diplomats. The Wikileaks cables claimed that Mukula had, among other things, said the President’s popularity was waning and he (the President) was preparing his son to succeed him. Saturday Vision’s Wanyama Wangah and John Semakula asked him if he stood by the comments
There are reports about a meeting you held with a US official whose details have been exposed by wikileaks. What do you have to say about the report?
I want to confirm that the meeting took place. It was a normal casual lunch meeting without papers and pens. I was meeting a development partner.
America is our largest development partner. They have been helping us in the fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels of Joseph Kony. So, I was not meeting an enemy of Uganda.
America is not a hostile country to Uganda and most of the issues we discussed, I have raised before in the right forum in NRM. There were, however, some distortions and inaccuracies. But I believe that there is nothing that can¬not be discussed in the party. I held these positions before and I still hold them. I am not the author of the report and I was not the one who leaked it and so I committed no crime. I am, therefore, not a traitor since I was not talking to an enemy of the country.
The reports said you intend to contest for the presidency
The Constitution of Uganda provides for how one can contest for the presidency and if I qualify, then I can vie. You need to know that any elective position in NRM can be competed for and if I am endorsed, I will run. But before I front myself, I will consult the chairman of the party and the other leaders. I am talking about the post Museveni-era.
President Museveni has worked hard and with a lot of commitment. Time has come for him to sit down and settle at his farm to build it. Remember that he will be making 73-years in 2016.
When will he get time to rest? I therefore believe that the point of transition from Museveni is important for the party to discuss. He should be given chance to sit back and advise the new leaders as Mwalimu Julius Nyerere did in Tanzania. 2016 is an op¬portunity to decide on a new leadership for NRM.
Are you not jumping the queue?
Where is the queue? I don’t see it. People like Amama Mbambazi, Gen. Salim Saleh and others are my good friends. We are all members of the same family and com¬peting for leadership positions in our party is healthy.
Some people will ask that where is your team, key constituencies and supporters
My party is my team. I don’t want to prepare cliques in NRM because I believe in open transparent policies and arrangements within the party.
If you are running for high office, questions will be asked about integrity. You still have the GAVI funds case to clear
I cannot discuss this openly with the press because it is sub-judice and I will be going against the law. I can assure the people of Uganda that there was no single loss occasioned to this country under GAVI. Anybody going against what I am saying will be persecuting me.
There was no reason for Justice Faith Mwondha to rush to the court to prosecute me, knowing well that I caused no financial loss. She was reckless and her actions have deeply affected my family. My mother refused to eat for six days after I was arrested and is now paralysed.
My wife also developed pressure and diabetes as a result of my arrest. Despite that, my position is that I must go through the full legal process to prove that I am a clean leader.
NRM leaders like you and Kampala MP Mohamed Nsereko are taking posi¬tions contrary to those of the party chairman. Is the party divided?
NRM is a very strong party and the variations in positions only make it very vibrant. Internal contradictions will always exist in organisations even in families. A difference in opinion doesn’t mean that the party has lost cohesion.
One point of disagreement is Mabira. Will you vote against it in Parliament.
I am still convinced beyond reasonable doubt that there is no need to giveaway Mabira to the sugarcane grower and I am ready to oppose any motion intended to give the forest away.
There chapters in the Constitution which require us to protect the environment and I swore to protect the Constitution so how will I be seen abrogating it. The President is right on the economic front but he should save Mabira and let the out-growers grow the sugarcane and make some money. Mabira is not the only land where sugarcanes can be grown in Uganda.
Is the NRM government failing to manage the economy?
Under President Museveni’s leadership, the economy of Uganda has been growing by 6% in the last 16 years. The economic policies which have been undertaken by his government have given Uganda’s economy great strength. The economy was once the sec¬ond in growth to China’s.
The economy has grown. Poverty has reduced, more children are going to school, the population has increased and there are more foreign investments in the country. But we still have three major challenges which are the high rate of unemployment among the youth, poverty and ignorance. The government must work very hard to deal with them.
When you were campaign¬ing in Teso, you talked of reducing youth unemployment and poverty? What is the situation now?
There is no big change. Teso has had challenges. We had insecurity for six years (1987- 94). After that we had the Karamojong raids and the Kony attacks so the recovery is still a challenge. We had our people living in camps longer than any other region, even northern.
The region still has very high levels of un
There are reports about a meeting you held with a US official whose details have been exposed by wikileaks. What do you have to say about the report?
I want to confirm that the meeting took place. It was a normal casual lunch meeting without papers and pens. I was meeting a development partner.
America is our largest development partner. They have been helping us in the fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels of Joseph Kony. So, I was not meeting an enemy of Uganda.
America is not a hostile country to Uganda and most of the issues we discussed, I have raised before in the right forum in NRM. There were, however, some distortions and inaccuracies. But I believe that there is nothing that can¬not be discussed in the party. I held these positions before and I still hold them. I am not the author of the report and I was not the one who leaked it and so I committed no crime. I am, therefore, not a traitor since I was not talking to an enemy of the country.
The reports said you intend to contest for the presidency
The Constitution of Uganda provides for how one can contest for the presidency and if I qualify, then I can vie. You need to know that any elective position in NRM can be competed for and if I am endorsed, I will run. But before I front myself, I will consult the chairman of the party and the other leaders. I am talking about the post Museveni-era.
President Museveni has worked hard and with a lot of commitment. Time has come for him to sit down and settle at his farm to build it. Remember that he will be making 73-years in 2016.
When will he get time to rest? I therefore believe that the point of transition from Museveni is important for the party to discuss. He should be given chance to sit back and advise the new leaders as Mwalimu Julius Nyerere did in Tanzania. 2016 is an op¬portunity to decide on a new leadership for NRM.
Are you not jumping the queue?
Where is the queue? I don’t see it. People like Amama Mbambazi, Gen. Salim Saleh and others are my good friends. We are all members of the same family and com¬peting for leadership positions in our party is healthy.
Some people will ask that where is your team, key constituencies and supporters
My party is my team. I don’t want to prepare cliques in NRM because I believe in open transparent policies and arrangements within the party.
If you are running for high office, questions will be asked about integrity. You still have the GAVI funds case to clear
I cannot discuss this openly with the press because it is sub-judice and I will be going against the law. I can assure the people of Uganda that there was no single loss occasioned to this country under GAVI. Anybody going against what I am saying will be persecuting me.
There was no reason for Justice Faith Mwondha to rush to the court to prosecute me, knowing well that I caused no financial loss. She was reckless and her actions have deeply affected my family. My mother refused to eat for six days after I was arrested and is now paralysed.
My wife also developed pressure and diabetes as a result of my arrest. Despite that, my position is that I must go through the full legal process to prove that I am a clean leader.
NRM leaders like you and Kampala MP Mohamed Nsereko are taking posi¬tions contrary to those of the party chairman. Is the party divided?
NRM is a very strong party and the variations in positions only make it very vibrant. Internal contradictions will always exist in organisations even in families. A difference in opinion doesn’t mean that the party has lost cohesion.
One point of disagreement is Mabira. Will you vote against it in Parliament.
I am still convinced beyond reasonable doubt that there is no need to giveaway Mabira to the sugarcane grower and I am ready to oppose any motion intended to give the forest away.
There chapters in the Constitution which require us to protect the environment and I swore to protect the Constitution so how will I be seen abrogating it. The President is right on the economic front but he should save Mabira and let the out-growers grow the sugarcane and make some money. Mabira is not the only land where sugarcanes can be grown in Uganda.
Is the NRM government failing to manage the economy?
Under President Museveni’s leadership, the economy of Uganda has been growing by 6% in the last 16 years. The economic policies which have been undertaken by his government have given Uganda’s economy great strength. The economy was once the sec¬ond in growth to China’s.
The economy has grown. Poverty has reduced, more children are going to school, the population has increased and there are more foreign investments in the country. But we still have three major challenges which are the high rate of unemployment among the youth, poverty and ignorance. The government must work very hard to deal with them.
When you were campaign¬ing in Teso, you talked of reducing youth unemployment and poverty? What is the situation now?
There is no big change. Teso has had challenges. We had insecurity for six years (1987- 94). After that we had the Karamojong raids and the Kony attacks so the recovery is still a challenge. We had our people living in camps longer than any other region, even northern.
The region still has very high levels of un