Anite blasts Matembe over advocating for woman president

The state minister in charge of privatisation, Evelyn Anite, has blasted the former ethics and integrity minister Miria Matembe for saying Uganda is ready for a woman president so as to deliver social services effectively and efficiently.

"It is not time to talk about whether Uganda is ready for a woman president," Anite said.

She advised Matembe to focus her energy on addressing HIV/AIDS prevention and how to create employment for the young people.

"Matembe as a mature politician should focus on advising young people on employment opportunities and not politicking all the time," Anite told New Vision.

"Right now Uganda should be ready to test a woman to be a president" Matembe had said during the launch of young women leaders' mentorship programme and training of 60 university students.

Matembe argued that at the moment the governance structures at the top are male dominated that is why service delivery in the health and education sectors are poor.

"I want to see a time when a woman is a president of Uganda. Let's vote this woman as president because she is intelligent and I am capable to contest as a president," Matembe told the students drawing thunderous applause.

The youthful minister appealed to Matembe to stop politicking since elections ended in February and the Electoral Commission declared President Yoweri Museveni the winner.

Matembe argued that if social service delivery is to improve in the country then then it is a high time Ugandans placed their hope in woman president.

"If you want to improve education and health in this country, decisions are made at a political level that's why a woman president is critical to influence decisions at a higher level of governance. The women who are now there are there for their own stomachs and not for the people," she said.

Minister Evelyn Anite blasted Matembe for what she called politicking. Photo by Francis Emorut

Matembe encouraged young women to be women of integrity and avoid greed and take up leadership positions at different levels be it in economy, politics, health and education among others.

She also advised them to set their goals and stick to the vision they have focused their eyes on.

A tough talking Matembe however, remained perplexed when a student stood up displaying NRM symbol of thumps up after she ended her keynote address.  

The launch was organized by the Centre for Women in Governance aimed at encouraging university students to take up leadership positions at all levels. 

Are we ready?

Responding to Matembe's remarks when contacted Ali Munira the IGG spokesperson first wondered what happened to Beti Kamya the president of Uganda Federal Alliance who contested for presidency in 2011 but is now the Minister for Kampala in Museveni's cabinet.

"As a country we need to empower women more to take up such positions. We need to take time to build women so that they can handle presidency," Munira said.

Munira was supported by the executive director of Centre for Women in Governance, Joy Mukisa who said Uganda is ready for a woman president but more sensitization is required.

"We need to continue sensitizing women in leadership and the women who are capable are there," Mukisa said.

Advocate Nicholas Opiyo who is also the executive director Chapter Four Uganda disagreed emphasizing that the bottlenecks that impinge on women participation in politics should be tackled.

"Other than focusing on a woman president we must remove the barriers that impinge women participation in politics," Opiyo told New Vision.

"Having a woman president is setting her up for failure," he said.