NEWS EDITOR
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UNLESS otherwise, over 90 members of the 11th Parliament representing Buganda region will next week on Wednesday convene to elect the Buganda caucus leadership.
This Caucus is mainly tasked to lobby programmes and projects from government to benefit Buganda region and liase with the Kabaka’s government at Mengo government to support the Kingdom’s social and economic programmes.
Among those to be elected are the Caucus Chairperson, vice Chairperson, the Secretary, Caucus spokesperson among others.
The tight race is on the top job where four opposition National Unity platform (NUP) legislators have already shown interest with each one having chances to take the win.
As a matter of fact, NUP has the highest number of Buganda MPs and if the party picks interest in this contest, chances are that, next Buganda caucus chairperson will be from National Unity Platform.
The four MPs are David Lukyamuzi Kalwanga commonly known as ‘SSUUBI LYA BUSUJJU’ (Busujju county), newly elected Lubaga South MP Aloysius Mukasa Talton Gold (Taata Lubaga), Betty Nambooze Bakireke (Mukono Municipality) and Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi (MP Butambala).
This news website analyse each of the four members of Parliament showing who can perfectly represent Buganda interests and why.
DAVID LUKYAMUZI KALWANGA
By press time, the Busujju County MP was standing higher chances to scoop the seat
He has already fronted a well refined campaign team led by Makindye West MP Allan Ssewanyana ‘Bwiino’ from Nsenene clan.
Hon. Kalwanga is serving his second term as Busujju County MP. He is too close to Buganda Premier Charles Peter Mayiga and the two are very good friends.
His late dad Yoweri Musumba was too influential during ettoffaali and he gave out generously during this campaign which was led by Katikkiro Mayiga.
Just like his dad Musumba, Kalwanga has been very supportive in all Kingdom programs in Busujju county.
He in fact single handedly bankrolled the construction of Busujju County Play ground and he injected in over UGX 500M.
When it comes to the Kabaka Masaza Football tournament, Hon. Kalwanga has been giving with one heart.
One time Katikkiro Mayiga publicly thanked Kalwanga for his passion towards Kingdom activities. In his words Mayiga said, ” I want to thank you Hon. Kalwanga for the passion you have. You have worked so hard and as a Kingdom, we are very proud of you my brother Kalwanga. If people coming from different counties(Masaza) do just half of what you have done for Busujju County, we would be very far where the Masaza Tournamentis concerned.”
In his response, Kalwanga pledged before Premier Mayiga to continue serving the Kingdom with one heart.
He has for years been the Saza football manager and the first time they reached the semis, he was the brain behind this team.
Busujju County finished third in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
He signed good players, looked after the team and perfectly coodinated with the Kingdom Masaza tournament organising committee.
Unlike some Buganda MPs who dodge Kingdom functions, Kalwanga is a regular face especially on all Kabaka’s functions.
Besides, he is approachable and among the top five NUP MP historicals.
These and other reasons put him at the top of other contenders for the Buganda caucus top job. He only has to allign his task force, mobilise fellow MPs, Kalwanga has good will and we will not be surprised if he emerges the winner next week.
BETTY NAMBOOZE BAKIREKE
Of recent, madam teacher is in very bad books with the Buganda Kingdom after she chose openly to take on and blackmail Buganda Premier Charles Peter Mayiga over Kabaka’s sickness.
Nambooze who comes from Kyaggwe County as among a clique of people who attacked Katikkiro falsely accusing him of negligence over Kabaka’s life.
This angered Kabaka’s subjects and hundreds took on Nambooze putting it to her for being used by the Kingdom enemies.
Before that, Nambooze picked a war against Katikkiro Mayiga for locking her outside Central Broadcasting Station (CBS radio), a Buganda Kingdom owned radio station.
She sometime back released a dossier against Katikkiro Mayiga lamenting how his actions are helping the enemies of the Kingdom.
All these didn’t go well with Kabaka’s subjects some questioning Nambooze’s true ancestors.
Now that she has declared her intention to contest for the chairperson Buganda Caucus, an office where she needs to work hand in hand with the Kingdom,
She is facing hurdles and many on social media are advising her not to waste time, she can’t be trusted with this job.
In her manifesto, Nambooze seeks to use the Buganda Caucus platform to, “Strengthen ourselves as individual MPs and as the Central region. I humbly request you to allow me say that ‘EMBEERA eriwo Nambooze yagisobola’. I stand for a vibrant, influencial and loyal to the Kabaka but firm caucus.”
Nambooze has assured Buganda Mps that she will organise for them seminars, meetings and workshops for capacity building.
“We can nolonger afford to have anything else other than the BEST as individuals and as a caucus.” Reads her manifesto.
She said, “We shall share with each other to learn form ourselves. All of us can shine in our individual capacities and I pledge that under my leadership everybody who wishes will be a ‘Class one legislator’ and we shall illuminate in a glowing light together. This is achievable and we are destined to be there. That is my Solemn vow.”
She wants to use this office to bargain better as a group instead of the scattered efforts by Members, for their constituencies and for matters concerning Kabaka and Buganda Kingdom and Uganda in general. “Together we are to be loyal to our Kingdom. We shall however stay firm against blackmail, intimidation or ransoming. We have a clear mandate and our activities for our Kingdom shall be done as a group.Together we promise to work for a New – Buganda and Uganda through our actions and inaction.” Noted Hon. Nambooze.
She wants caucus to bargain together, “We are going to be bipartisan and for our brothers and sisters, we shall grow an environment which shall make each one of us to feel at home despite our political and or religious difference.”
She said, “We have a war at our doors that will require tested and trustworthy leaders. In the last Parliament we stayed out and surrended the caucus to Hon.Muyanja Ssenyonga who had just joined Parliament. We are grateful for the work he and his team did, but we must agree that the caucus almost went into extinction. We now have a task of waking up this sleeping giant.”
ALOYSIUS MUKASA
Like written earlier, the Lubaga South MP is a new comer in the August House but one of the most organized, a great lobyist and a man of his word.
Youthful Talton Gold Aloysious Mukasa is a successful businessman in Ndeeba and Najjanankumbi in Lubaga South Constituency in Kyaddondo, a County in the heart of Buganda.
He was born and raised by his mother Ms. Annet Nayiga in Mutundwe, Church Zone in Lubaga South.
His father is Aloysious Kalyango of Kyengera Mugongo. Mukasa owns a magnificent home in Najjanankumbi.
He attended Uganda Martyrs Primary School in Lubaga, Kazinda Primary school Kyengera now Kampala Model, Lubiri SS and St. Marys Kitende a first World School, where thousands of students massively voted him their Head prefect.
He is also an old boy of Merryland High School Kigungu in Entebbe.
He was awarded an Advanced certificate in Business Adminstration and also graduated with a Bachelors in Business Management at MUBS.
Last year, Mukasa graduated with Bachelors in Business Administration from Ndejje University.
Known to be a very hard working young man, Hon. Mukasa deals in Food suppliments, the proprietor of Dascus Nursery School, a first world school in Najjanankumbi and he is also the owner of Bex Limited, a company producing disinfectants among other businesses.
As evidence that he has not joined politics to get money, years ago, Mukasa single handedly constructed a tamacked road in St. Anne Zone near Faith Arena Church which was in a sorry state . It costed him around UGX 500M. This road was being used by law breakers at night to steal bodabodas, rape women and kill people. The Zone council sat and resolved to name this road after Aloysius Mukasa as a reward for his generous heart.
Among the top leaders he consulted before standing for Lubaga South MP was Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga who blessed and reminded him to always prioritize the five Buganda issues (Ensonga Ssemasonga ettaano) when he reaches parliament.
Owek. Mayiga cautioned Mukasa to speak out on Buganda issues and lobby MPs from other regions to support Federal system of government.
Infact, it is believed that, Mayiga is among Mukasa mentors.
Insiders say, Mukasa is among the voices Mengo will rely on in the 11th Parliament to demand from government all Kingdom arrears which is in billions.
A down to earth leader, approachable and a true people’s servant, Mukasa commands support in NUP, fellow MPs know him as a selfless leader who has always been there when ever the party principal calls him for duty.
Many new MPs both in NUP and other political parties we have consulted feel comfortable with Mukasa and he is likely to put up a hot contest.
His manifesto is entirely on lobbying for Buganda, uniting fellow MPs and leading a team which is loyal to Kabaka’s, Buganda Kingdom and the people of Buganda.
He wants to see Buganda sharing the national cake, having good infrastructure, markets especially for women, good health facilities, good education facilities among others. He insists, when he is elected Buganda Caucus Chairman, Federalism will be top on the agenda, his group will lobby MPs from other regions to embrace it
MUWANGA KIVUMBI
The Butambala County MP is serving his third term in Parliament. Originally he had no interest in Buganda Caucus stuff but today he wants the top seat.
He in fact calls himself the best candidate for this office.
MPs who are not supporting Kivumbi say however much he has experience, he isn’t a people’s man yet this office requires one who is approachable and one who can lobby other MPs if Buganda is to achieve as a region.
In fact of Muwanga Kivumbi many say, he is like Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda who got only 15 votes during the election of the Speaker of the 11th Parliament.That the two MPs are proud and look down upon fellow colleagues.
This might affect him in his endeavors to be elected Buganda Caucus chairperson.
Even in Buganda activities, Muwanga Kivumbi rarely attends them.
However, if he plays his cards well, things can change.
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