Bukenya makes U-turn, supports Museveni

By Charles Etukuri

The opposition has suffered major setback after former Vice President, Gilbert Bukenya announced he would support President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in the forthcoming 2016 elections. 

By time of his announcement, Bukenya was the leaders of a pressure group Pressure for National Unity (PNU) a member of The Democratic Alliance (TDA), a coalition of political parties that plans to unseat President Museveni in the 2016 elections.

Bukenya made the announcement shortly after midday announcing that Museveni was still so far the best candidate for the 2016 elections.

He also announced he would be defending his Busiro North parliamentary seat in the next election.

The announcement did not however take many by surprise. 

The TDA spokesperson, Wafula Oguttu who is also the Leader of Opposition in Parliament said they were disappointed but not surprised.

“It’s disappointing but not surprising. I suspected something like that would happen. It’s disappointing especially to those who were engaged in the democratic struggle in the country,” Wafula said.

He said as the opposition, they knew that within the opposition ranks, there were individuals who had joined them because they were desperate for jobs and money but were not interested in democratic change.

Sources privy to the discussions between Bukenya and Museveni told the New Vision that the former VP had approached Museveni for support.

The negotiations to bring Bukenya back were chaired by Brig. Proscovia Nalweyiso who is Museveni aide.

Sources say the group listened to Bukenya’s grievances against Museveni and later agreed with him that some of the issues he had raised were reconcilable.

Details of the deal struck between Museveni and Bukenya remained scanty.

However sources told the New Vision that the two agreed that President Museveni would support Bukenya to defend his Parliamentary seat and campaign for him on top of securing for the former VP a position in the NRM highest decision making organ, Central Executive Committee.

In return Bukenya would support and campaign for the President. Sources also said that former Vice President also requested he be appointed to cabinet in the next term.

Bukenya had announced he would contest in the 2016 presidential elections and participated in the process of the selection of the failed TDA sole candidate. 

This would not be the first time the former Premier makes a U-turn.

In 2005 Bukenya announced he was being fought by the Mafia in cabinet only to later on deny claiming he had been quoted out of context.
 
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