The seven theories why MP Kajeke quit

Jul 17, 2009

HE wrote an eight-page statement on why he was leaving Parliament but his effort was in a word ‘wasted.’ Regardless of what this statement says, there are plenty of theories as to why MP Wilfred Kajeke resigned. Is he just a principled man as his pol

HE wrote an eight-page statement on why he was leaving Parliament but his effort was in a word ‘wasted.’ Regardless of what this statement says, there are plenty of theories as to why MP Wilfred Kajeke resigned. Is he just a principled man as his political assistant says or might he be insane as Ogenga Latigo fears? Lydia Namubiru tells the theories.

The Mbale factor
“Mbale would be the immediate factor in his resignation, but there are other factors at national level,” Robert Songo Nambadi, the political assistant of the resigning Mbale Municipality MP, says.

In Mbale, Kajeke has fought many battles with the municipal council, unfortunately with limited success. “There is a lot of corruption and mismanagement of public funds in Mbale,” Kajeke explained in an interview with Saturday Vision.

He cites “corruption in the tendering process of the bus and taxi parks, the erecting of illegal structures in the town” and the degazetting of Uhuru park, the town’s independence monument.  Kajeke’s position on these and other matters constantly put him at loggerheads with the Mbale municipal council officials especially the mayor, Richard Masaba. It is believed that the MP is resigning in part because of these conflicts.

Who is the alpha male of Bugisu?

For a long time, MP Kajeke and Nandala Mafabi have been feuding over political dominance in Bugisu region. Kajeke felt that Nandala was over-reaching his sphere of influence by meddling in Mbale municipality affairs.

“Nandala tries to undermine him (Kajeke) in his own constituency,” Nambadi  charges.
Although top FDC officials have tried to arbitrate matters between the two, they appear to side with Mafabi.

“Mbale is the capital of Bugisu and Mafabi is definitely going to be prominent there because of his position in Parliament and the party, his chairmanship of Mbale Cooperative Union and even by virtue of his age,” Latigo argues.
By this alpha male theory, Kajeke is resigning either to hit back at the party for choosing Mafabi over him or to finally cede turf for Mafabi to rein free. 

The thirty silver coins theory

In his statement, Kajeke categorically denies being paid to resign but that has not stopped this theory from gaining ground. The floaters of this theory say the NRM has paid Kajeke to resign so as to force a by-election that will catch the opposition unaware.

Apparently, would give the ruling party a good chance of winning Mbale municipality parliamentary seat that has been in the hands of the opposition since the demise of James Wapakhabulo.
Although charging that it is in Museveni’s culture to give money to people to accept his ideas, Latigo says that Kajeke’s involvement would surprise him. “I don’t expect Kajeke to be the kind of person to be bought off like that,” Latigo says.

Divorcing the devil

“This is not about contributing to solving the problem. It is about absolving myself,” Kajeke explained in the Saturday Vision interview. According to him, there is too much corruption and mismanagement of public resources by public officers and he does not want to go down as one of the people who presided over this plundering.

A man of principles

According to Nambadi, Kajeke was no longer comfortable drawing a public salary for no job done since he was serving in an ineffective institution. “He felt that Parliament had very little power to influence policy in Uganda. It was ignored by the executive,” says Nambadi.

On a personal level Kajeke scored  a C for plenary sessions, a D for work in his constituency and an E for committee work in the 2007/08 parliamentary scorecard prepared by the African Leadership Institute.

The lame duck theory

“I am sorry I cannot continue being in Parliament when I cannot cause any positive change to the lives of my people,” Kajeke’s statement says. He cites a number of situations when he turned out be the lame duck that never won the race.

He voted against the limiting of term limits but it was passed, unsuccessfully fought against the degazetting of Uhuru Park in Mbale and pushed for a commission of inquiry into the mismanagement of public resources by Mbale Municipal Council but its report has never been considered for action. What else can I do?” he asks in his resignation statement. He chose to resign.
 
Insanity perhaps?

“Even in his statement, he does not give a clear reason for his resigning. In the absence of a logical reason, what if he is mentally unstable?”

Ogenga Latigo, the leader of the opposition in Parliament, fears. He claims that even Kajeke’s parliamentary friends say he had been avoiding them lately, a sign that according to him may point at the beginnings of mental instability. 

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