Mbabazi attacks MP Ssekikubo

Aug 18, 2010

THE NRM disciplinary committee has summoned Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo over fresh allegations of election malpractices. Committee secretary Amama Mbabazi, who is also the party secretary general, said Ssekikubo had up to Tuesday next week to defend himself.

By Cyprian Musoke

THE NRM disciplinary committee has summoned Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo over fresh allegations of election malpractices. Committee secretary Amama Mbabazi, who is also the party secretary general, said Ssekikubo had up to Tuesday next week to defend himself.

In a letter, Mbabazi said the new charges are contained in a new petition from 309 voters in Ssembabule district. Mbabazi said the petition “alleges acts of misconduct, misbehaviour and disrespect” against Ssekikubo.

“You often act in flagrant breach of the NRM constitution by campaigning against the official NRM flag-bearers and supporting other candidates both in Ssembabule and country-wide,” the summons read. It cited Ssekikubo’s campaign against Kawooya in the 2006 general elections for district Woman MP and in the 2009 byelections of the same. He also reportedly campaigned against Dr. Elly Muhumuza for the 2006 district chairperson elections and against Wambogo John Wekesa in the Mbale municipality byelections mid this year.

He is also accused of de-campaigning Adison Kakuru in the Rukiga MP by-elections this year, and opposing NRM caucus positions in the plenary.

“These matters were raised with you when you appeared before the committee and you requested for more time to prepare your responses,” Mbabazi’s letter added.

The letter added that the last time the committee sat on August 13, it received “evidence from MPs Sam Kutesa, Anifa Kawooya, Mr. Emmanuel Ssemirembe and Emmanuel Sekimpi, who featured in your evidence to the committee on August 9”.

The fresh allegations, according to Mbabazi, also include incidents in the recent Ssembabule grassroots elections. The petitioners accuse Ssekikubo of “intolerable and violent conduct”.

They said the youth had no male councillor for a whole term because Ssekikubo ran away with ballot papers, beat up the Police, drew a pistol at Mzee Kabogorwa, the RDC, and the DISO.

“If this MP can do all this havoc, behaving unruly before a massive crowd, Police and the press, and no action is taken against him, we the NRM supporters in Ssembabule, are in dilemma,” the petition read.

Ssekikubo, however, denies doing all this alone, and maintains that Kutesa and Kawooya are equally culpable, and any action should equally apply to them.

In the case of Sembabule, Ssekikubo said the chaos was masterminded by foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa, who was later elected unopposed as the party district chairman.

Other NRM bigwigs were also summoned over election malpractices. They included Vice-President Gilbert Bukenya and Bunyole MP Emmanuel Dombo. The party has launched the campaigns for the primaries ahead of general elections next year.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});