Kabakumba down but not yet out

By Ofwono Opondo                                              

 

THE melodrama has been so fast. Princess Kabakumba Labwoni Masiko resigned yesterday as minister for the presidency. 

 

This followed the unanimous resolution by Cabinet and NRM Parliamentary caucus on Monday over her controversies. The controversies were based on the alleged illegal use, for private commercial gain, of the radio mast, transmitter and buildings belonging to the government owned Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC). 

 

Kabakumba who denied any wrong doing and vowed “never to resign turned up yesterday at parliament to “take political responsibility,” to much relief. 

 

Kabakumba also MP for Bujenje county in Masindi is the wife to Col. Henry Masiko who currently heads the Patriotism Secretariat in the Office of the President where she was the minister. In my native Dhopadhola language, Kabakumba’s case is what we describe as a ‘person caught with hands in the ghee pot,” although she has strenuously denied any wrong doing preferring to blame ‘political enemies’ and her staff at King’s FM for illegally using UBC facilities.

Kabakumba owns 75% shares in King’s FM, and it is difficult accepting her plea that a majority shareholder could not know how, from where and at how much an expensive and critical component of a radio station was acquired and run. 

When she made that defence before Parliament and arrogantly dismissed the accusations and daring to scoff at possibilities of resignation, her opponents, especially within the NRM caucus and Parliamentary opposition like Nandala Mafabi and Abdu Katuntu, just stiffened up.

With three ministers and a former vice-president shackled to court over Chogm, and a further two hanging loosely on the line over oil bribery allegations, it was difficult, and strange that Kabakumba could have expected anybody including President Yoweri Museveni to come to her relief. Remember during the state of the nation address, Museveni warned that he did not want a whiff of corruption in cabinet. 

At this point NRM ministers should know that Parliament and the public are at the 1997 age of anger over perceived abuse of office, corruption, incompetence, impunity and arrogance that a public official should not dare stand up when accused. 

The best and in fact the safest option now is to take immediate leave at the slightest finger pointing because the gods are looking for lambs even sacrificial ones. 

Arguably, the stormy Kabakumba has been a princess of the storm and in the eyes of the storm since our student days at Makerere University in 1986. 

She was the good cheer lady of Africa hall, mobiliser, morale booster, and heckler loved and loathed in equal measure, a trait she enjoyed heartily and without reservation. She is full of radiant smile all the time, behind which lies a political dagger. 

The Princes rose meteorically from an NRM university student, Kyankwanzi trainee, staff in the directorate for women affairs at the old NRM Secretariat, and MP since 1996, and has been difficult safely putting up with her even for those us close friends, old classmates, and co-workers even as near equals.  And because Museveni was so fond of caressingly calling her “Princess,” Kabakumba took everything for an entitlement. But all said, Kabakumba has been our NRM political workforce that was very dependable even when you wanted her at mid-night for a ‘mission.’   

 

And so when the scandal over UBC where she was previously the minister in charge of information and national guidance from 2009 to May, 25, 2011 broke out, and in the New Vision with authoritative comments from the Uganda police, her goose was cooked and it was difficult seeing her survive the storm.

 

Within NRM, Kabakumba, Adolf Mwesige, Justine Lumumba, Henry Banyenzaki, Salaamu Musumba and Capt. Guma Gumisiriza had been the ‘rebels’ in the 6th Parliament that started the defunct Young Parliamentary Association (YPA), and later Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO) the precursor to FDC.

 

Now, when she was appointed chief whip in the last Parliament, she became a rough shoulder to the ‘rebels’ and media equally, taking no prisoners of war, and it had been hilariously dramatic seeing her facing off with Banyenzaki before the latter also ate big in the last reshuffle. 

 

For now she may be down but certainly not out, after all they say in politics, one dies many times before actual death.