'Museveni created rebel MPs'

Dec 09, 2011

The emergence of rebel MPs in the ruling NRM party should be blamed on Yoweri Museveni.

By John Semakula

The emergence of rebel MPs in the ruling NRM party should be blamed on President Yoweri Museveni’s culture of forgetting his former allies, the former Kampala mayor has said.

In an exclusive interview with Saturday Vision, Nasser Sebagala said the MPs in NRM who rebel against the party are a product of Museveni’s policy of using and dumping his allies.

“Museveni has forgotten many of his former allies and now, the rebel MPs feel safer to ally with the public than him and the party. And many of the politicians who have stayed long in politics are those who have chosen to ally with the public interests than with him and the NRM.”   

Sebagala cited Janat Mukwaya, James Nsaba Buturo, Kirunda Kivejinja and Kakooza Mutale, the former director of the defunct Kalangala Action Plan, among Museveni’s forgotten allies. Mukwaya and Kivejinja are NRM historicals and are former senior ministers.   

Others named are Nantongo Ziwa, the former Kampala woman MP, Francis Bbabu, the former MP for Kampala Central who were rejected by voters for supporting NRM and other senior individuals who understood the movement, like Bidandi Sali.

But the acting NRM chief whip, David Bahati, said it was Sebagala’s opinion. “Museveni has many allies and there are few posts on the Cabinet. The President cannot include everybody, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about them. That is why he appoints others as advisors and resident district commissioners.”

Sebagala added that Museveni was dealing with armatures who do not understand why and how NRM was created.

“Some of these people cannot secure an appointment with Museveni yet they stood with him in good and bad times. If Museveni wants to remain in power, he needs to find a way of keeping close ties with the people,” he said.   

NRM has been hit by a wave of internal conflicts which have seen some MPs taking positions contrary to those of the party. Others have also spearheaded motions intended to bring-down senior ministers implicated in corruption scandals.
Sebagala backed Museveni in the previous presidential elections.

However, Bahati said leaders come and go. “Most of the people Sebagala talks of made their contribution and should be left to rest.”

Bahati admitted that there were dissenting views in NRM, but that the party was working on harmony.

The President’s press secretar,y Tamale Mirundi, disagreed with Sebagala. “President Museveni doesn’t forget his allies who use the right channels to ask for help. I have helped many of his allies to reach him. And, for example, Museveni is currently building houses for the Luwero war veterans,” he added.

NRM deputy spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo, refused to respond, saying he cannot waste his time responding to Sebagala’s comments.

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