By Marvin Ocol

Mobilizers of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) are unhappy about the manner in which Kayunga by-election was managed.

On December 16, 2021, Kayunga went to polls for the LCV by-election.

NRM’s Andrew Muwonge emerged victorious over opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Harriet Nakweede Kafeero.

However, mobilizers mainly from Kampala say whereas they did the work and delivered the votes, their efforts were never recognized.

Insiders say mobilizers who raided Kayunga went on the invitation of Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.

“She told us and continues to tell us all the sweet things we want to hear but she says there is no money,” a mobilizer told The Gazette.

A source privy to the budget prior to Kayunga by-election told us that the mobilizers had budgeted for Shs 60 million so as to deliver the votes.

Not even a shilling came to the team, a source noted.

“There was no money. People think NRM had money to give out in Kayunga, there was nothing, not even for the mobilizers. The mobilizers did the work because of Nabbanja. She knows how to talk to people. Actually, the MPs she invited contributed from their pockets to run party activities in Kayunga. Actually what mobilizers resorted to was to show how hard they work, maybe they could be noticed for RDC jobs,” an insider source said.

PM Nabbanja brokers peace

In several WhatsApp groups, Nabbanja has been brokering peace. 3 separate recordings The Gazette is in possession of, Nabbanja is heard, giving a background to Kayunga. She says that she first went to Kayunga after 3 months in office as Prime Minister and that a number of interventions were made regarding some of the challenges in the district. For instance, Nabbanja says that Kayunga had issues of floods. According to Nabbanja, the government bought land and resettled the victims. Secondly, she says that the issue between Aidah Nantaba and Kalangwa had the President intervene even before the recent polls. Nabbanja attributes NRM win to the two issues. She, however, appeals to mobilizers to recognize the efforts the government/NRM put in place for the people of Kayunga.

Nabbanja says that NRM’s only problem is Buganda. The rest of the country, she says, love and support NRM with all their heart.

But Nabbanja traces some of the quarrels in NRM to money. Nabbanja says each time there is a meeting of NRM, people want money, which money they (Nabbanjas) don’t have. She suggests that NRM should return to the drawing board and resume mchaka mchaka courses to restore the spirit of patriotism. In the recording, Nabbanja asks the mobilizers to celebrate Kayunga win and tells them to go out in big numbers to campaign for the NRM where there is a vacancy because “Kayunga was going to be taken” had it not been because of the spirited fight. She adds that if there are issues, there should not be any bickering but rather issues put forward in an appropriate manner for redress.  

In a separate recording, Nabbanja says that all the NRM needs to do now is to carry out ideological orientation, suggesting that this can start from the sub county levels because funds may not allow for national arrangements.