Activate NRM secretariat

By Ofwono Opondo

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) met Tuesday morning, when the country and party are embroiled in some controversies.

NRM NEC has about 650 members that includes all its MPs and district chairpersons. But, of course we in NRM have trust in our founder and leader, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Nyarwinyo Ruhemba Gwenjura, who has always found his way through many political cobwebs.

The NRM members must be steadfast behind Museveni in many of discourses because only they have democratic majority in the country, local councils and Parliament, where many of these issues will surely end.

The most important issues for this NEC should be resolving the impasse over the non-functional party secretariat at Plot 10, Kyadondo Road, Kampala, and all the other lower structures and organs.

The second issue should be the resolution of the fusion between state institutions and party organs which has made closer and effective counter supervision very difficult.

NEC should explore proper and transparent means to raise resources and spend political money in order to end the perennial accusations by critics that NRM often raids public coffers to run its activities, most times unfairly and falsely.

In addition, NEC should put the questions of financial and political accountability high on the agenda because it has dented our credibility.

While many internal critics like Capt. Mike Mukula would like the twin questions of Museveni’s succession and replacement of the Secretary General Amama Mbabazi discussed, I really think these would be diversionary at this point.

Museveni’s role and performance at the helm of NRM and the Government has been without doubt effective.

Nevertheless, the debate should start, and no wonder the synchronised statements by some MPs, Bishop Zac Niringiye, Miria Matembe, Catholic Archbishop Cyprian Lwanga, are welcome.

The tiny group of MPs has done us a service to bring the matter appropriately into Parliament where we hope they will have the courage, reason and numbers to amend the Constitution to restore the presidential term limits, and in the alternative will demonstrate political humility when defeated.

The only problem is, MPs led by Gerald Karuhanga are being diversionary and populists because having failed to prove bribery allegations in the oil sector are now seeking attention through term limit issue.

NEC members need to be aware that after the defeat of opposition groups at the elections, heinous political plots have been and are being reshaped everyday with foreign support to make Uganda ungovernable for NRM.

These include the thwarted walk-to-work, street fights with security forces, the on-going hullabaloo by NGOs, and the so-called donor groups who are now funding hostile political activism in the countryside with the hope of creating widespread, spontaneous and simultaneous disobedience.

While the main theme is regime change through mass actions, specific activities are being tailored for different regions such as oil, land, cost of living, unemployment, public expenditure, service delivery and human rights in an effort to galvanize every part of Uganda into this scheme.

As for Mbabazi relinquishing the job of Secretary General merely because he is a ‘busy’ Government Prime Minister, I hold a different view; first because he is not the only top NRM leader with a job in the Government and party.

Museveni is Uganda’s President and National Chairperson of NRM, much as Rebecca Kadaga is both Speaker of National Parliament and Second National Chairperson of NRM, and performing well.

Similarly many ministers, MPs and LCV Chairpersons are holding top party positions and yet no one is holding them at fault.

Also, there is no evidence-based record to demonstrate that those party leaders who only have party jobs are ever available, functional and effective in their roles. And the same could be said of ministers and MPs who only have one office.

The issues of concern should the establishment of a fully manned, funded and functional Party Secretariat to deny or curtail opponents’ opportunity to spread lies and negative propaganda which could create despondency.

The separation between the party and the Government institutions especially at district and lower levels is critical for proper counter-checks and in ending connivance which has kept corruption at those levels festering.

Part of the problems undermining service delivery is connivance, which prevents proper supervision and monitoring. Some local leaders appoint their party functionaries into the management boards or do commercial public tender works.

The writer is the Deputy NRM spokesperson and leader of URTAF, an independent think tank