Legislators from Buganda led by Mityana South Member of Parliament Richard Kizito Lumu accuse the Leader of Opposition in parliament Joel Ssenyonyi’s leadership style of frustrating their efforts to lobby for a bigger share of the national cake for the people of Buganda.
Lumu defended his argument explaining that most times. Ssenyonyi fronts his political parties interests without thinking about the entire people of Buganda and it is the reason why he commanded legislators to move out of the parliament when serious issues concerning the people of Buganda are being discussed on the floor of parliament.
He gave the example of the passing of the UPDF Amendment bill which was signed into a law by President Museveni, himself, constitutional law giant and also the Busiro East legislator Medard Lubega Ssegona, former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, Makindye East legislator Derrick Nyeko and Mawokota South legislator who spent sleepless night discussing and writing their minority report challenging the one which was supporting the amendments.
He alleged that they had a very solid report which he was very sure would convince some of the NRM legislators to support it.
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They were however shocked to reach parliament ready to present their report when Ssenyonyi had already directed them to move out of the parliament and leave NRM legislators to pass the bill because they even had the numbers.
“Ssegona spent the entire night standing, Mpuuga was on coffee to avoid dozing, Nyeko and Nsibambi moved up and down because they wanted to save our youths who were the target in that bill. Yes they are innocent and gullible but it is our responsibility as leaders to guide them because we agreed all together that because of the misunderstanding between Mpuuga and the opposition leading party, Ssegona should be the one to present our report. So he jumped on a bodaboda so that he can reach parliament early. But we were shocked to learn that Ssenyonyi had directed us to move out of parliament and being our leader, we were supposed to follow his instructions,” Lumu said.
He warned the youths to be very careful in the coming general elections. He further explained that if they decided to move the way they have been doing their politics, many are going to be charged before the military court because the amendments were done to target them.
However, this website understands that the directive ordering the legislators in the opposition to boycott the session was issued by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) through Ssenyonyi upon receiving a brief from Mukono Municipality legislator Betty Nambooze that Mpuuga was the one going to present the minority report on the UPDF amendments bill which they envisioned would give Mpuuga a political score.
Lumu further accused Ssenyonyi of playing immature politics during the passing the bill that took Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) back to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Lumu disclosed that a number of legislators including himself were very prepared to put up a spirited fight and compromise the process so that the people of Buganda who benefit a lot of coffee business profit from it. But Ssenyonyi directed them to move out and they entirely lost everything.
He divulged that the reason why the people of Northern Uganda and Teso benefit a lot from Museveni’s government is because they accept compromises and always agree whenever the matter that is going to affect their people comes to the floor of parliament.
They make sure that they put aside all divisions among themselves based on their political background unlike in Buganda.
“People of Acholi, Teso are receiving compensations because of their goats and cows that were eaten during the war but our people here who facilitated and participated in the war that brought Museveni’s government are still there demanding for their compensation and no one is listening to them because no one raises their voice at the time when the sharing of the national cake comes,” Lumu said.
It should be remembered that it was Lumu who tried to bring the bill in parliament to allow all opposition legislators to participate in voting their leaders in parliament without leaving the opposition leading political party to choose for them the person.
Kira Municipality legislator Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda put the problem on voters who vote for their leaders out of excitement and because someone is handsome or beautiful, knows how to sing, participates in burial and village parties instead of voting for leaders with knowledge and capacity to help them solve the problems affecting them.
“Voters should act like national football coaches, they choose the best footballers to secure victory for the country. They don’t base on their background because if it was like that, Museveni’s grand children would be the ones dominating our football team. I know he wants his family to dominate everything in the country. They should act like Bobi Wine, when he was looking for the best opposition minister of finance, he appointed me because I have the capacity even though I am not his party member,” Ssemujju said.
However, it should be noted that on several occasions, Ssenyonyi raises on the floor of parliament issues affecting Buganda.
