By Cliff Abenaitwe
The embattled Rwampara County MP Vincent Mujuni Kyamadidi has revealed that he remains a committed NRM party member, and that no-one will force him out of the party.
Kyamadidi was responding to the decision to take undisciplined NRM MPs to the party’s disciplinary committee where they face tough punishment, including suspension from the ruling party.
“I am a committed member of NRM who is not in NRM by force and I will not leave by force,” a tough-talking Kyamadidi retaliated in an exclusive interview with New Vision.
Kyamadidi’s comments come amid a storm in NRM that was stirred by party members accused of disagreeing with the party decisions.
During the recently concluded NRM retreat at the National Leadership Institute-Kyankwanzi, the party caucus resolved that MPs Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga), Barnabas Tinkasimire (Buyaga West), Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa West), Vincent Kyamadidi (Rwampara) and Muhammed Nsereko (Kampala Centra) should appear before the party disciplinary committee.
NRM Caucus spokesperson Evelyn Anite last week also confirmed the planned action.
“The secretary general [Amama Mbabazi] informed the caucus that disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against some of the members, who are soon going to appear before the party national disciplinary committee chaired by the NRM First National Vice Chairperson, Haji Moses Kigongo,” she said.
However, MP Kyamadidi denies any wrongdoing as well as allegations of indiscipline. He says he will appear before the disciplinary committee if summoned.
“I do not think I have committed any crime even in my party, the NRM. I have always been talking my mind and I am a slave of my conscience.
“I will definitely appear before the disciplinary committee to answer those charges if they are there anyway. It is always prudent to defend yourself if accused,” declared the outspoken legislator.
The ‘rebel’ MPs are under internal pressurefor going against party decisions in Parliament and other forums.
However Kyamadidi argues that disagreeing with party decisions does not amount to indiscipline.
“In any given society, disagreements are bound to happen but this does not mean indiscipline. There is a need to define what amounts to indiscipline with in the NRM party.”
The move to punish the MPs was initiated November last year when the Government Chief whip Justine Kasule Lumumba wrote to the NRM party Secretary General, Amama Mbabazi, asking him to forward the names of the MPs to the party’s national disciplinary committee.
