POLITICS | EX-MINISTER | BANYENZAKI

I caught up with the former minister of state for economic monitoring in the office of the President, Henry Banyenzaki.

During his active political days, he represented Rubanda West in Parliament.

At the time, he was dubbed a rebel MP for his politically radical views, which, in most cases, were contrary to the position of his party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM).

It is this contrary view that endeared Banyenzaki to his voters. He also became a media darling for challenging NRM publicly.

However, when he was appointed a minister, his political spark waned.

When I had a chat with him this week, Banyenzaki said although becoming a minister somehow slowed his constituency political stardom, he is still active politically.

In his view, there is a need for the country to create a senate so that experienced politicians can be accommodated.

“Uganda should have a senate for old and experienced political brains who would play an advisory role to the young parliamentarians,” he said, adding that during their time at Parliament, they always held Government to account. 

Banyenzaki said he joined politics at the age of 30.

To cut his political teeth, he said, he was nurtured by seasoned legislators such as Ben Wacha and Aggrey Awori. 

“I was misunderstood to be a rebel within my party, NRM. The Opposition at that time of the 7th and 8th Parliament was weak. So, together with my colleagues, we decided to hold our own government to account and this earned me the title of ‘chief rebel’,” he said. 

In 2001, Banyenzaki won the parliamentary seat of Rubanda County West and was re-elected in 2006, 2011 and 2016.

After over a decade as a vocal backbencher, Banyenzaki was appointed minister in May, 2011.

He was dropped from Cabinet in June, 2016 when voters rejected him.

Yet, despite the setbacks, Banyenzaki said he has made a mark on the political landscape of the country.

“I rallied Parliamentarians in Africa to Join the African Parliamentary Network on Millennial Development Goals (MDGs), now known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I was a strong voice for Parliament to be incorporated in MDGs,” he said. 

“I was also very instrumental on accountability and transparency issues. I engaged the World Bank to have an open policy in its engagements with Uganda’s government as most of its engagements were not known to Parliament at inception.

 I made a presentation before the World Bank Annual Conference in New York where I was representing Parliamentarians,” he added. 

Banyenzaki also said he spearheaded the invitation of the Microfinance Act, the Government monitoring unit and the National Planning Authority (NPA) at a time when no one wanted to fund the authority or even hear about it. 

Currently, Banyenzaki said he is concentrating on his job as the chief of party for the African Parliamentary Network on SDGs. 

He said Uganda does not appreciate meritocracy. Instead, he added, the leadership of the country appreciates fishermen and fisherwomen kind of personnel. 

“They have left skilled people to be fished out by other international corporations. Instead of tapping from the natured and well-skilled personnel,” he said. 

Born in Kabale district on March 27, 1967, Banyenzaki holds a bachelor's degree in arts in social sciences and Master's of arts degree in planning and management from Makerere University.