Who Are The ‘Malwa Group’?

Sep 23, 2003

<em><b>Failure to denounce the Movement by some executive members is putting them under close scrutiny</b></em><br>IN Africa when you want to generate different ideas, sitting around a pot of malwa (local millet brew) is one of the options you have.

By Joshua Kato
IN Africa when you want to generate different ideas, sitting around a pot of malwa (local millet brew) is one of the options you have. Perhaps, this is why a group of politicians opposed to the lifting of term limits, happily embraced the name, Malwa Group, although the group was named so by Charles Rwomushana, a movement cadre, as a reference to their lack of seriousness.
Malwa group has been around for at least six months. In the last two months however, its activities have been at a low profile. There was even talk of a flop, especially after two of its vibrant members, Adolf Mwesige and Lt. Gen. Jeje Odongo were appointed ministers. Jeje Odongo was reported to have attended at least one meeting of the group in April at Hotel Africana.
In a twist of their activities, the ‘malwa group’ has now merged with the Parliamentary Advocacy Forum(PAFO) in order to enhance their activities. “We are no longer the Malwa group. From now on, refer to us as PAFO,” says Augustine Ruzindana, newly elected chairman of the interim committee.
PAFO is a caucus in parliament, made up of “independent-minded” members of parliament (MP). The caucus was founded in 2002 by at least 40 MPs, objectively to fight for the rights of MPs. The group was at the time headed by Emmanuel Dombo (Bunyole) with Patrick Musisi (Busiro South) as its deputy chairman. Adolf Mwesige was the group’s secretary.
Musumba explains that the group is toying with the idea of formalising its operations, including a possible creation of a new political party. Most important of all, the Malwa Group or PAFO elected a 23-member interim committee to steer its activities.
The committee includes – Chairman, Augustine Ruzindana (Ruhama), Deputy chairman, Patrick Musisi (Busiro south), Treasurer Margaret Ateng (Lira-women), Gen. Sec. Ben Wacha (Oyam), Deputy Gen. Sec, Benardette Bigirwa (Bushenyi-women), Development, Twarebireho Tungwakho (Bunyaruguru), Legal Affairs, Abdul Katuntu (Bugweri), Advocacy, Salaamu Musumba (Bugabula South), D/Advocacy, Francis Epetait (Ngora), Finance, Jack Sabiiti (Rukiga).
Others are; Deputy finance, Elijah Okupa (Kasilo) Co-ordination, Sarah Kiyingi (Woman Rakai minister), deputy co-ordination, Justine Lumumbwa (Bugiri Women) Research Anang Odur (Kwania), deputy research, Christopher Kibazanga ( Busongora), liasion, Issa Kikungwe (Kyadondo South), Deputy liasion, Henry Banyenzaki (Rubanda), Special Interest Groups, Kasiano Wadri (Terego), Deputy Special Interst Groups, Alice Alaso (Soroti Women), International Relations Wangoda Muguli (Buikwe North), D/international Relations John Kazoora (Kashari), Governance, James Mwandha (PWD), and Deputy governance Miria Matembe (Woman Mbarara).
Looking at the composition of the committee, Ruzindana is one of the old horses of Uganda’s revolutionary politics. He was with President Museveni at the beginning of the struggle. His reign as IGG has got no significant blemishes. “His credentials speak for themselves. He has never been part of corruption. He is soft-spoken but confident,” observes Musumba.
However, Musumba says the group has not (yet) selected a candidate, neither do they plan to select one. “Ruzindana is not a presidential candidate. We are not fronting him,” she says.
Another member of PAFO says they have hope that two or three historical members of the Movement will join them in the run-up to 2006. Apparently, the two include Amanya Mushega and Eriya Kategaya. Both have been rumoured to be sympathetic to the group. Both have denied attending any of the ‘Malwa Group’ meetings.
Kiyingi however, has opted out of the committee sighting lack of her consultation. She says that although she does not support the third term idea, she cannot be part of a committee that is full of multi-party supporters.
The likes of Sabiiti and Kazoora carry a degree of popularity in their constituencies. They have consistently opposed the President for the last two or more years.
Musisi, the vice chairman of the group is a known Democratic Party supporter. He was the vice-chairman of PAFO before the merger. Wacha is also a consistent multi-partyist.
The inclusion of several known multi-party supporters on a committee largely dominated by people who claim to be Movement has raised some eye-brows among established political parties. “That is how the Reform Agenda stole our supporters,” observed Edward Ssentamu, a member of the Democratic Party.
Information from parliament shows there are possibly about 100 members who have affiliated themselves with PAFO. Whether they will support its cause to the last point is another matter.
When the term limits debate comes to the floor of the house, PAFO will have to battle the powerful Movement Caucus in parliament, which has over 180 staunch members.
The failure to completely denounce the Movement by some of the leading executive members of PAFO is also putting them under close scrutiny before the eyes of the main opposition. “Let these people make a stand that they are no longer Movement supporters because of its ills. We shall embrace them whole heatedly if they do,” says one of the DP leaders.
Members of the committee who are still claiming to be progressive movement supporters include Matembe, Ruzindana, Kazoora, Sabiiti and Musumba.
However, political analysts think this refusal to completely cut themselves from the Movement is not an accident. It is a strategy. “If they cut themselves off the Movement, they will be playing into the hands of President Museveni. He has already said that he is going to clean the Movement by sweeping away all dissidents, so if they cut themselves off, they would be making Museveni’s wishes easier,” he says.
That is what Col. Kizza Besigye and Winnie Byanyima insisted on, even after it became clear that their support was no longer welcome in the Movement. Eventually, they formed the Reform Agenda.
“Both Besigye and Winnie called themselves the progressive members of the Movement. The ‘Malwa group’ are calling themselves the progressive members of the Movement, such similarity means that they will go out of the way of the Besigyes,” He adds that now is the time for the Group to completely break away and create a distinction between themselves and the Movement.
Using only the “third term” as their entry point to opposing the Museveni government is also a miscalculation. The group should have broad national issues to take on, rather than sing about the third term as their objective.
Onapito Ekomoloit, a press officer in the office of the President calls the plan hollow and misguided. “The third term thing is hollow. This means that they have no grounds to fight the Movement,” he adds.
However, Musumba explains that the third term is only an entry point, but the group is tackling a wide range of national and constitutional issues.
Ofwono Opondo, Director of Information at the Movement Secritariat says that now the ‘Malwa Group’ has merged with PAFO, it only gives the Movement a better chance of fighting them, moreover with very little resources. “That helps us put them in one basket for easy dumping,” he says.
Ends

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