Kadaga told reporters how Babalanda rose through the ranks to become Deputy RDC, alleging that she personally intervened to secure her appointment despite lacking the required academic qualifications. A political dispute within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has burst into the open, pitting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga, against the Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babalanda.

The fallout follows recent remarks by Babalanda accusing Kadaga of “pretending to be a big person in the NRM party” and frustrating her work at the Office of the President. 

Babalanda further claimed that Kadaga was selfish and did not have the interests of Busoga at heart.

She particularly expressed disappointment that the veteran politician had met with newly elected opposition leaders from the sub-region — a move she described as a betrayal of the ruling party.

In a strongly worded response, Kadaga hit back yesterday, accusing Balalanda of running the Office of the President without the required academic papers.

At a press conference, Kadaga told reporters how Babalanda rose through the ranks to become Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), alleging that she personally intervened to secure her appointment despite lacking the required academic qualifications.

Rebecca Kadaga “At the time, the qualifications to be an RDC or Deputy RDC, you needed to have A’level certificate. Time came and I realised that all along I had been recommending men’s names to be appointed RDCs. Why not send a lady’s name this time,” she recalled.

“I looked for some women in Kamuli who are educated and many were not available. Then I landed on Babalanda; who had neither Senior Six, nor Senior Four qualifications. I forged a recommendation and told people to touch up some papers and see that this Musoga woman becomes an RDC.”

“That is how Babalanda came to be a deputy RDC; It was my efforts, forging a letter. How can she say that I am selfish? She has even admitted to the president and told him that ‘If it weren’t for Kadaga you would not have seen me.’”

Kadaga also questioned Babalanda’s capacity to independently run her ministry, claiming that others do much of the intellectual heavy lifting on her behalf.

“Even in her current office as a minister, all speeches are written for her; she reads them word for word. If you ask her a single question from the speech, she cannot respond. Her speeches and research is done by Farouk Kirunda. He is the one that runs that ministry. I ask Milly Babalanda to settle down. The wars you are starting up, you will not manage.”