Don’t drag govt into KACITA affairs — Kirumira

KAMPALA - The Namibian consul to Uganda and chairperson of the Kwagalana Group, Godfrey Kirumira has appealed to the rival leaders of the Kampala City Traders’ Association (KACITA) to desist from dragging the Government into the association affairs.

He says the association is purely non-partisan, founded by City traders to advocate for fair taxes and advance their business interests.

Kirumira particularly blasted the outgoing acting association chairman, Dr. Thaddeus Musoke Nagenda, for what he termed as trying to drag the NRM government into their affairs, intended to win its sympathy.

He said Musoke accuses his rivals of being enemies of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and that they were therefore pushing him out because they were supporters of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), and therefore against him.

“That is nonsense. Musoke is a young man who joined the association recently and took over leadership after the sudden death of our chairman, Everest Kayondo. He must not forcefully cling to its leadership by refusing to leave office,” Kirumira said.

He was Saturday, August 16, 2026, reacting to statements made by Musoke on Friday, after the acting chairman, Issa Ssekito, wrote to the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies, asking them for support for him to access the association office located at the Royal Complex building in Nakasero.

The letter was copied to the Director General of the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) and the commandant, Kampala Metropolitan Police, asking the security authorities to cooperate and support the new leadership to take over the office.

Ssekitto attached a handwritten document of an earlier meeting on Thursday, which was convened and chaired by Kirumira at International Hotel Muyenga, in which Musoke agreed to leave office and appended his signature on the document.

The meeting endorsed Ssekitto as the new acting chairman. It was attended by 14 members, who included, among others, David Kulabako, Eddirisa Mugisha, Simeo Mbuga, Dr. John Ssewanyana, Proscovia Musoke, Timothy Biguma, Livingstone Zziwa, Godfrey Kalema, Rajab Bukenya, and Hope Katwiine.

“At an extraordinary meeting held today, August 14, 2025, at Hotel International Muyenga, chaired by the patron, H.E. Godfrey Kirumira, and attended by both board members and KACITA founders, Dr. Thaddeus Musoke Nagenda has requested to be on leave and first concentrate on his political career till the next election in 2026,” the documents read in part.

Dr. Thaddeus Musoke Nagenda

It adds, “It has also been resolved that Hajji Issa Ssekito shall substantively be in acting capacity till the next annual general meeting. The above is meant to allow the association to keep afloat until it stabilises”.

The members were, however, shocked that after leaving the meeting, Musoke told journalists that he had been forced to sign the documents and said he would not leave the office.

He said the majority of the members who attended the meeting were against him and tricked him into signing what he termed as under duress.

“Ssekitto earlier on blasted me for printing my campaign posters appearing with my party chairman and said majority of traders were against the President,” Musoke told New Vision.

But Kirumira dismissed all these allegations. “I am the association patron and an NRM supporter. If I were for NUP, the government would listen, but the association does not consider people’s political affiliations because it is purely business,” he stated and asked him to peacefully hand over office.

“We discussed these matters and reached a consensus. He accepted Ssekitto to take over from him, and nobody forced him to sign the document. He came with his armed security men. Why didn’t they intervene if they ever realised that we forced him to sign the document,” Kirumira wondered.

Issa Ssekitto

Kirumira explained that it was not true that Musoke’s bodyguards were locked out.

“I also have bodyguards, but we don’t allow them into our meetings. The meeting comprised the founders and board members, but I think he wanted his security men to sit in the meeting as we discussed,” he said, adding that Musoke was looking for a scapegoat, which he said may not help him.

The developments followed an earlier resolve by the association executive to ask Musoke to step aside and recommended Ssekito, a former spokesperson, to take over as acting chairperson, which he rejected.

They accused him of allegedly taking part in partisan politics, which they said was against their constitution, after he contested for the position of the NRM party flag bearer for the position of Lord Mayor for Kampala city, which he lost.

After he refused to leave office, the members waited for him to enter and lock him inside, which created a lot of tension. He, however, called the police from the Central Police Station, who rescued him after several hours.

Musoke rejected the new leadership, saying they did not have the power to sack him, and instead appointed a team, which he declared had taken over the management of the association and deployed security men around the office.