Hon Nambooze,
Greetings from the Youth League of the Justice Forum (JEEMA).
I have been asked by my Chairperson to write to you because you are a fellow woman, hoping that we can perhaps communicate better.
We appreciate the work you are doing for the people of Mukono Municipality and Uganda in general. As a fellow woman, I’m happy that you are one of the women that give some inspiration to other women that emancipation is achievable. This is important in light of your type of journey to where you are now.
Last Saturday at a radio talk show, “PARLIAMENT YAFFE” hosted by Meddie Nsereko on CBS FM, you made several allegations and snide remarks against my party president, a fellow parliamentarian and a comrade in the struggle.
That he is inconsistent and a political prostitute moving from one political camp to another. Specifically, you pointed out his role in people power and his acceptance to sit with your party president, Hon Norbert Mao to talk about opposition unity especially when he still has problems within his Democratic Party. I also watched your clip on one TV station emphasizing the same point but in different words.
After consultation from my Party President, I have since learnt that the DP president general invited fellow party leaders to present to them a framework paper for opposition unity which invitation my president honoured as a firm believer in the unity of opposition forces. He was not invited to a launch of an opposition coalition but to kick off a consultation process, backed by a written document presented by an expert. Could it be that a person of your supposed calibre did not understand the purpose of that meeting?
If not, I think it would have been wiser if you to first hear from your colleague, Hon Basalirwa before going on air to expose your ignorance of the facts of the meeting but also before tarnishing him. But because I know what drives such responses from you, I choose to forgive you on that.
First of all, I want to inform you that JEEMA as the party is a firm believer in opposition unity principles and we have consistently maintained that since inception. We believe a key principle of unity should be openness and consultation. While we have interests too when interests contradict with those principles, we choose principles and I think that is what is disturbing you, besides the obvious ego issues.
Secondly, I think it is naive of you to condemn Hon. Basalirwa of sitting with Hon Mao because you have problems with him in DP. Hon Asuman Basalirwa has no obligation to compel Mao to sit with his rivals in the party. Now that you think he can help you sort your rivalry, kindly write to him in your capacity as DP Vice President Buganda to help you do that.
I also found you more contradicting when you alleged that Hon. Basalirwa is inconsistent because he’s in people power and sat with Mao to discuss unity. Actually, I find Asuman Basalirwa more visionary for wanting to engage with everyone regardless of their political beliefs to forge a common front to defeat the junta.
Actually, I find you more unprincipled.
1. For taking an oath of allegiance to serve in Museveni government (Parliament is an arm of government) as an MP and another to serve in the people’s cabinet. (I notice that a few days you even addressed Mr. Museveni as President on the floor of parliament! Never mind that you don’t like DP leadership but you cannot return the DP card to the leadership that issued it.
2. I recently saw you in Parliament proposing amendments to the KCCA amendment bill while NRM chief whip Hon Nankabirwa Ruth consenting to every proposal from you. We all know Mr. Museveni has been bragging of how he diluted the office of the Lord Mayor and that he’s only there to wear chains (Bijegere).
I am up to now wondering which revelation Nambooze and Museveni government received, to now agree to give Lord Mayor powers now! Could it be that there was a prior engagement between your group and Museveni government to reach that agreement or was it the Holy Ghost?
Is it by coincidence that at the same time, the First Lady of the people’s government where you are a spokesperson was endorsed by the illegitimate government and there and then tweeted recognizing Museveni as the president of Uganda?
Why don’t you concentrate on explaining that to the people than attacking Asuman Basalirwa. Could it be a cover-up to divert a debate on such suspicious occurrences?
Lastly, I am surprised by your change of heart to start seeing Basalirwa as a credible leader and have guts to caution him in his political journey.
The public is aware that you and the whole people’s government fought tooth and nail to see Asuman Basalirwa fail in the elections that brought him to Parliament. We recall the comments your group made against Hon Basalirwa’s competencies. It is surprising that you are now having sympathies for him to the extent that you caution him on his meetings with Mao, a party leader who stood with him when you were fighting him.
Lastly, Hon Nambooze, you have no moral authority to question JEEMA decisions and who we should or not cooperate with. Whatever Mr Basalirwa does as Party President in relation to other political groups is fully discussed and agreed within party organs. He will soon be reporting to the relevant organ and seek their input to the DP Bloc proposal.
Kindly stay in your lane. And a kind reminder to you, Hon Nambooze; you don’t pick an unprincipled malicious fight with JEEMA without consequences.
I promise on behalf of the JEEMA Youth League that this is not over.
I thank you.
Nakiryowa Carolyn Mpagi
Vice Chairperson
