Rival Mukiibi Claims Muwanga’s Support In Butambala Has Significantly Dropped

MP Muwanga Kivumbi’s strongest competitor in Butambala, Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi, has declared that the popularity of a veteran, though faded, politician within the constituency has significantly dropped.

Mukiibi made these remarks while appearing on a political talk show on Voice of Africa radio in Kampala earlier this week.

According to Mukiibi, Muwanga’s recent assignment as NUP’s chief mobilizer in Buganda indicates that his political support in Butambala has dwindled.

“I think even the NUP president, Robert Kyagulanyi, made an observation and realized that his man Muwanga’s political support has dropped in Butambala, and gave him the job of becoming the chief mobilizer of NUP supporters in Buganda,” Mukiibi said.

Mukiibi thus expressed appreciation for Kyagulanyi’s decision to give Muwanga a role after his term as MP, citing a norm in Butambala where outgoing MPs are offered jobs by leaders of their respective political parties.

“Our MP will be busy in Kimaanya-Kabonera, Kawempe South, and elsewhere, and that is very good because there is a norm that almost all our retiring MPs are given other roles by their parties,” Mukiibi said.

He cited former Butambala MP Ibrahim Lubega Kaddunabbi as one example of other retired MPs who were given roles when he was appointed Executive Director of the Insurance Regulatory Authority by the leader of the ruling NRM, Yoweri Museveni.

Mukiibi stated that upon realizing the dwindling support in the constituency, Muwanga resorted to using strangers from other areas to convince constituents of Muwanga’s value to them and the constituency.

“…Now people who are not hailing from Butambala have done a big job in spreading the goodness of our outgoing MP, Kivumbi, and that is why, at every activity he holds in the constituency these days, he prefers strangers to tell the locals how good our MP is to us!” Mukiibi wondered.

Mukiibi noted that Muwanga’s new mobilization job would keep him busy rallying NUP supporters in various constituencies, including Kimaanya-Kabonera, Kawempe South, Nyendo-Mukungwe, Mityana, Bukoto South, and others.

However, Mukiibi questioned Muwanga’s legacy in Butambala, stating that during his three terms in Parliament, he had not led his constituents in achieving anything developmental.

“For the entire period of three terms he has been in Parliament, there is nothing developmental for the constituency we can accuse our outgoing MP, Muwanga, of having led,” Mukiibi said.

“Whenever he comes into the constituency, he tells constituents that he is in a bigger struggle to remove Museveni from power wholeheartedly, and that is the only job he has ever done in his political life spanning over 20 years,” Mukiibi said.

In contrast, Mukiibi emphasized the need for politicians to start prioritizing the welfare of their constituents, as he intends to do in Butambala with or without Museveni in power.

“In Butambala, we say, whether Museveni is removed or remains in power, we have critical social issues to work on and prosper,” Mukiibi said.

Mukiibi’s comments have sparked a debate about the effectiveness of Muwanga’s leadership in Butambala.