Eastern League NRM veterans attack Mukula

By Nathan Ngobi

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Vice Chairman for Eastern Region Captain Mike Mukula is under fire from army veterans from Eastern Uganda who say they are opposed to his bid for another elective term as party honcho.

According to the Elgon Region Coordinator of Veterans from the East Sergeant Kawesi Masagazi, Capt. Mukula is a divisive politician.

“We have rejected Mukula on grounds of being sectarian; he has been quoted by different media fora attacking people basing on a tribal basis and for that matter we shall not vote him again,” Sgt. Kawesi Masagazi, said.

According to Masagazi, people from Eastern Uganda under NRM believe in unity.

“Mukula, who is seeking for the re-election is on record to have incited people calling for a change of the presidency from Western Uganda to Eastern Uganda, following which he declared to contest, reasoning that ‘one tribe had ruled Uganda for a long time,” Kaweesi Masagazi said, adding that the veteran aviator should leave the coveted NRM office.

He enumerated some of the transgressions linked to Mukula, giving an example of a 2009 leaked diplomatic cable to former US Ambassador Jerry Lanier, where the NRM Vice Chairman is said to have castigated his boss President Museveni for reportedly grooming his son, then Lt. Col. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to succeed him as President. ‘Capt. Mukula also reportedly accused the establishment of favouring Banyankole politically, militarily and economically’.

By press time efforts by The Second Opinion reporter to talk to Mukula were futile, but Emmanuel Dombo, the NRM Director of Information, defended the party Vice Chairman, saying he was doing a good mobilization job, including bringing on board the Democratic Party (DP) Vice President Eastern Region Yusufu Mutembuli “and many more other mass defections.”

“We discussed his work in CEC on Thursday afternoon, he handled some defectors and Hon. Sam Engola also brought in others,” Dombo said.

Other NRM bigwigs who have reportedly faced the Capt. Mukula’s foul side are said to include Margaret Zziwa, a former Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA),. Ms. Zziwa is wife to former minister Edward Francis Babu, who is also a member of the NRM Central Executive Committee, was later to be shunted out of the EALA Speaker office.

Analysts say that at the time Mukula’s close dalliance with Kenyan politician Raila Amollo Odinga, was aimed at thwarting Ms. Zziwa’s ascent to the EALA speakership.

Another ‘victim’ of the former Arrow Boys commander vile side is said to be retired Teso politician Charles Ekemu.