BY MEDDIE KITYO
INTRUGUE, opportunism and pride has finally costed Dr. Besigye and the Peoples Government, their group has not only lost KCCA powerful speakership but even in all the five City divisions, they have lost miserably!
FDC with the biggest number of councilors at City Hall, one would not expect it to find any hardship in winning both the Speaker and deputy speaker slots. Its important to note that FDC has 18 councilors at City Hall yet the winner needed only 17 votes.
Both its candidates at City Hall have lost and to our shock angry FDC councilors instead voted NRM’s Bruhan Byarunga for Deputy Speaker.
Alhaj Abubaker Kawalya who believes in People Power doctrines has convincingly won KCCA Speaker race while NRM has taken all the five division Speakership and deputies, save for Makindye and Kampala Central divisions where councilors Muzafaru Kabuye and Ever Kyazike won Deputy Speakership positions.
If FDC approach isn’t changed, same story will happen in 2021 General elections and analysts say, it will be a two-horse race, NRM Vs People Power.
HOW KAWALYA WON BESIGYE & GROUP
When a clique of FDC top leaders chose to betray and fight their own sponsored candidate in KCCA Abubaker Kawalya by fronting and bankrolling unpopular Doreen Nyanjura, FDC councilors vowed never to dance to their tunes.
Until today morning, they were still insisting on not voting Nyanjura who they accuse of dodging council meetings, having too much pride and hating team work.
At the FDC party Najjanankumbi Headquaters, fake nominations were organised by Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi to technically kick out Kawalya and front unpopular Nyanjura.
Thanks to Kawalya’s handlers, who wisely advised him not to take part in those sham nominations Kawalya escaped the political rope given to him by the likes of Ingrid Turinawe, Amuriat Oboi to hang himself.
On sensing foul play in Najjanankumbi, Kawalya distanced himself making Nandala and Amuriat announce Doreen Nyanjura and Doreen Sabuka as FDC candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
In today’s polls, both have lost.
On being sidelined, Kawalya chose to consolidate his growing support from both FDC and independents up to the 11th hour.
A faction of FDC supporting Nyanjura tried their level best to convince FDC councilors to shun Kawalya, but all in vain.
We are reliably informed, sacks of money were promised to Kawalya councilors but they rejected the deal.
NRM – NYANJURA DEAL
In an effort to weaken Kawalya, the People’s Government through their Spokesperson Hon. Betty Nambooze Bakireke entered into a swap deal with NRM councilors led by their candidate for Speakership Bruhan Byaruhanga to go for an alliance.
FDC wanted NRM’s seven councilors to join them and support Bruhan Byaruhanga for Deputy Speakership.
He bought the deal and even stood down for Nyanjura.
Then Lukwago and Nambooze sweet talked DP councilors Moses Kataabu and Deputy Lordmayor Hajjat Sarah Kanyike.
Kataabu accepted after being promised a ministerial post but Sarah Kanyike, insiders say, was hesistant. She has been team Kawalya although at the last minute, she gave in to Nyanjura camp!
So Nyanjura had 6 votes out of 18 from FDC, assured of NRM’s 7 votes, plus the 2 DP votes, addEd to Lukwago’s vote, and 3 independents.
This is when her camp started boasting of enough votes to take her through.
LAST MINUTE BLOW
Kawalya’s camp didn’t sit with folded hands. They also worked tooth and nail to disorgarnise Peoples Government – NRM alliance.
Kawalya approached Bruhan Byaruhanga and gave him a fat deal. They only needed only 5 NRM councilors for both of them to win both slots.
Kawalya deal was straight and Bruhan bought it. The two started looking for not less than 18 votes.
No wonder, Kawalya won with 17 votes, Nyanjura and Muhammad Ssegirinya lost with 14 and 1 vote respectively.
Lukwago, Ingrid, Mafabi and other People’s government leaders picked their phones and called every FDC councilor to vote Nyanjura, but in vain.
DIVISION IN FDC
Taking Doreen Nyanjura through a shortcut to nominate her FDC candidate for Speakership, annoyed other party NEC members who included Owek. Joyce Nabbosa Ssebuggwawo (FDC Buganda Vice President), Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda (FDC Spokesman), Walid Mulindwa Lubega (FDC National Youth leader) and others.
In fact during a NEC meeting where they read out Nyanjura as FDC candidates for Speaker, an angry Ssebuggwawo chose to storm out of it asking them, under which criteria they were giving Nyanjura a ticket who acording to Ssebuggwawo, this Makerere female councilor knows nothing about FDC.
Before leaving this meeting, Ssebuggwawo said Kawalya has been funding FDC activities, fighting him at this time to favour ‘your girl’ was not going to be accepted.
Insiders say, Ssebuggwawo has been financially fueling Kawalya campaigns.
Even Hon. Ssemujju Nganda. He openly refused to announce Nyanjura as the party candidate for Speakership asking Amuriat and Nandala, under which party laws she was nominated.
There was no common position in FDC about who exactly to support and this was left to councilors to choose their way.
The Party lost control over the dominant FDC council because of the intrigue.
KAMPALA MPS FOR KAWALYA
Although Kawalya was fought by his party and money allegedly changed hands to kick him out, Kampala MPs led by Kampala Central MP legislator Muhammad Nsereko stood with him.
Others were: Latif Sebagala, Nabilah Naggayi, Paul Kato Lubwama, Michael Kabaziguruka and Mubarak Munyagwa have been team Kawalya.
DIVISION MAYORS
All the five division mayors have been on Kawalya’s side led by Lubaga’s Ssebuggwawo, Nganda Mulyannyama of Makindye, Emanuel Sserunjogi Oweddembe from Kawempe, Nakawa’s Eng. Ronald Balimwezo and Kampala Central’s Charles Musoke Sserunjogi.
OTHERS
Kawalya commanded support from Kampala business fraternity, civil servants, KCCA technical wing, media and other sectors who have been all talking to respective contacts in council to vote him.
With all this support, Kawalya had to sail through.
CONGS NRM
All the five divisions have been won by NRM.
Kawempe division:
NRM’s Onesmus Mutumba got 31 votes against DP’s Munji Steven who got 16. NRM also took the position of the Deputy Speaker through Hamidah Nambajwe who polled 36 votes against FDC’s Christine Kyomuhendo who only managed 12 votes.
Kampala Central:
Sylivia Bahemurwaki of NRM is the Speaker here after collecting 22 votes. Her challenger Maureen Tumusiime (IND) gathered 11. The slot for Deputy Speaker has been won by DP’s Ever Kyazike.
Lubaga Division:
NRM’s Musah Mbazira is the Speaker here with 27 votes. The Mayor’s candidate Henry Lutwama (IND) walked away with only 19 votes. FDC’s Shifrah Nakitende stepped down after realising she had little support.
Deputy Speaker slot has been won by NRM’s Kenneth Sonko.
Nakawa: NRM’s Musa Mubiru was unopposed. Deputy Speaker is Ali Kalule, from NRM.
Makindye: Speaker is DP’s Muzafaru Kiyemba, deputized by NRM’s Aisha Nabasirye.
