Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) aspirant for Kampala Lord Mayor position Ibrahim Kasozi has decried the hypocrisy of the incumbent Ssalongo Erias Lukwago as the fight for the city’s top political seat turns lethal.
Kasozi was responding to allegation that he is being funded by controversial city businessman Hamis Kiggundu the proprietor of Ham Enterprises limited to fight his personal war against Lukwago and it is the reason why he decided to abandon his first political declaration to reclaim Makindye East seat because of the huge amount of money he is being given and promised.
Kasozi denied the allegations and accused Lukwago of spreading malicious political propaganda against him.
He explained that even though, he has discovered that he has a number of supporters and well wishers since he declared his political ambitions to oust Lukwago out of City Hall, he is not aware that Kiggundu is among them.
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He joked that maybe he is a silent support who he is not aware about adding that he welcomes everyone who wishes him good to liberate the city from what he termed as bad governance.
“What I can tell you is my brother Ssalongo Erias Lukwago promised to rally behind me when he asked me to prepare myself to replace him as Kampala City Lord Mayor, leaders should stop being hypocrites,” Kasozi claim
He further elaborated that their discussion was at the funeral prayers of late Sheikh Anas Kariisa at Kibuli mosque, Lukwago called him together with maverick Kira Municipality legislator Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda to where he was seated and told him that he is not going to contest for Lord Mayor seat again and his request was that Kasozi replace’s him because he has the character to lead Kampala city. He asked him to start preparing himself.
Kasozi divulged that since then, he has been meeting Lukwago but he has never told him that he changed his decision of not contesting again as Kampala Lord Mayor. He added that he has tested the ground and results are very positive since all stakeholders in the city are ready to work with him.
However, early this year, Kasozi confirmed to this website that he met the Muslim titular leader Sheikh Dr. Prince Kassim Kakungulu Nakibinge who advised him to abandon the political plan of contesting against Lukwago and they agreed to support him to reclaim Makindye West seat which he held before National Unity Platform’s Derrick Nyeko defeated him badly in the 2021 parliamentary election.
“People benefited a lot from me when I was still a Member of Parliament. Remember I did not have any budget allocated to me to give gifts to my people, give them jobs, give them scholarships like it is with the Lord Mayor’s office. So once I enter City Hall, people will benefit more because the position is better than being an MP,” Kasozi added.
He promised that he will not use his office as the Lord Mayor to fight political wars but work with all stakeholders to make Kampala greater like late John Ssebaana Kizito and Al-Hajji Nesser Ntege Ssebaggala did during their tenures as Kampala city mayors.
However, Mukono Municipality legislator Betty Nambooze insist that Ssebaana was a political Marchant and it is the reason why he nearly sold their Democratic Party (DP) to President Museveni.
“When we elect Ssebaana as our party president, I remember Mzee Jaberi Bidandi Ssali summoned me together with other young DP leaders at his home in Kiwatule and told us that we have made a big mistake to put our party in the hands of a businessman like Ssebaana, and what I can tell you is what Bidandi predicted came to pass,” Nambooze said.
She explained that after the 2011 general election, where Ssebaana contested on DP ticket, Museveni summoned all the defeated presidential candidates.
They were at first happy that Ssebaana was not going to embarras them by attending Museveni’s meeting since he was out of the country. But they were shocked to see him in the photos meeting Museveni in Entebbe State House.
They were later told that he canceled all his business engagements he was going to execute in United States to meet the president.
