By Otim Nape

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga’s insistence that MPs consult widely on MP Magyezi’s proposal to delete Article 102(b) has reportedly attracted strong supporters from many senior cabinet ministers.

Led by Amelia Kyambadde the senior ministers recently told cabinet there weren’t ready to return to exile in case tempers flare up as a result of the masses being excluded in the consultations. It has reliably been revealed that NRM leadership at Kyaddondo has been uncomfortable for the so-called mass party NRM to exclude the masses in deciding such a very important political decision. All that consensus notwithstanding, Kadaga’s position runs counter to what Kaguta M7 the President wants. During the NRM Caucus meeting three weeks ago at the OPM building, M7 told MPs to avoid consulting big groups and the general public arguing that will financially expose them to the endless expenditure. Reliable sources as the meeting say M7 went as far as saying that, for purposes of seeming to have consulted a crowd, Gen Kayihura’s crime preventers can be called in to constitute an audience for the Tugikwateko MPs. ‘Please just go and meet NRM structures and some few other leaders and don’t plan to spend beyond transport refund, a plate of food and a drink’ M7 advised his MPs on the day Kinkizi West  MP James Kaberuka walked out protesting the chasing away of Sekikubo and other rebel MPs. M7 firmly chased from the meeting calling them spies for the opposition. As we all know, M7’s advice to the NRM MPs runs counter to the much publicized plea Kadaga made to the MPs as she dispersed the House late last month. She has since been away trotting the globe and on return, her first public engagement was last Friday in Bukomansimbi where she insisted MPs must consult widely and the entire public without segregation. This means everybody must attend these consultative meetings including the MPs’ opponents.  Besides fear to face the hostile public that is against Magyezi’s proposal, the MPs also rightly realize consulting big groups requires money much more than the 29m M7 provided. It will no doubt expose them to financial problems because, besides eating the food, drinking the soda and getting transport refund, the crowd will still make financial demands on them. Some MPs have been hiding away from their own voters because they still have pending campaign debts and pledges they have never delivered upon.

Kadaga in Bukomansimbi-

Kadaga had been invited by Bukomansimbi North MP Ruth Katushabe to fundraise for the construction of Lusaka Health Center III in Bigasa Sub County. ‘I ordered those MPs when the Bill was tabled to go and consult their constituents on the matter before it is brought back on the floor of Parliament. Those were my instructions’ Kadaga said. She was categorical in admonishing her own NRM Party MPs like James Kakooza, Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa and others who have been calling a few relatives, friends and bootlicking-supporters to what they are calling consultation meetings. She said this is wrong because 102(b) is a very important issue concerning all Ugandans and not only those whose loyalty MPs are very sure of already. James Kakooza’s issue is even worse because on Saturday evening, having failed to get more people who believe in his Tugikwateko message, the Kabula MP collected 12 supporters mostly LC3 Chairpersons and relatives and locked them up in his residence and had what he called consultations. The other NRM members and the general public wanted to be consulted and stormed his home but were repulsed by 30 policemen who were guarding the entrance. The meeting was at night and to ensure maximum secrecy, the MP switched off power and they deliberated in total darkness. His voters are very bitter and have petitioned the Speaker saying they have been excluded. The first time, three weeks ago, Kakooza tried to have a public rally chaos ensued as his own voters chased him like boda thief while chanting Togikwatako. In Kiboga the selected LC3 and LC5 councilors whom Nankabirwa met at her home told her it was risky for them to sit in a meeting when the general public is excluded because they are going to be accused of having been paid money by the government chief whip something that doesn’t augur well with their re-election. On coming under pressure from voters quoting Kadaga’s renewed campaign to have legislators consult widely and publicly, the under-fire NRM MPs have petitioned M7 through Nankabirwa calling on him to re-assert his authority against Kadaga.  This clearly makes the titanic political clash between M7 and Speaker very inevitable. Notwithstanding the September 27^thincidence when SFC came into chambers and dragged out MPs and Kadaga was widely condemned, the Speaker can still redeem her image as a very independent leader of Parliament and she is clearly determined to do exactly that. Yet there is no way she is going to do that without crossing M7’s red line on many things. Its public knowledge that in dispersing rallies of especially MPs who are for Togikwatako, police has the backing of M7 to fire so many bullets to violently break up those gatherings. Police also ordered that MPs can’t attend consultation meetings outside their own constituencies and basing on that, the Leader of Opposition which is a very big office in the Parliamentary business was humiliated and assaulted when she went to Mbale to attend MP Jack Wamai’s consultation meeting. Basing on all these painful experiences, including Kasubi where she was almost shot in broad day light, Winnie Kiiza the LoP has spoken to Kadaga urging her to protect MPs who are conducting public consultations as per her directive. Today Monday will effectively be Kadaga’s first day in office since returning from overseas and it’s widely expected she will be formally communicating to IGP Gen Kale Kayihura directing him to rescind the anomalous Asuman Mugyenyi directive prohibiting joint rallies. She will also be directing him not to interfere in parliamentary business by leaving MPs to consult the way they deem fit. On facing this difficult dilemma, Kayihura will be running to M7 for guidance and he will most likely have hard choices to make-take M7’s word and risk losing the very important Kadaga partnership that has lasted years. The IGP will most likely choose the former and M7 being the belligerent actor he is sometimes, will most likely find the most appropriate forum to answer Kadaga for interfering in police work. This could be a cabinet meeting, caucus meeting or public rally. You can be sure MPs will be mobilized to fight back defending their speaker Kadaga and that way, battle lines will once again be drawn with M7 diehards mostly NRM MPs openly making personal attacks on Kadaga while those for Togikwatako will be the proxies out to defend Kadaga. Other loud-mouthed Musevenists like Ofwono Opondo, Andrew Mwenda, David Mafabi and others will join the fray which will only make the M7-Kadaga relationship more complicated. The public will most likely side with Kadaga which will regain for her the much needed legitimacy and some irresponsible media outlets will once again poison the relationship further by insinuating Kadaga wants the presidency herself. Mind you Kadaga hasn’t declared her support for Tugikwateko and will most likely remain vague throughout (skipped last week CEC meeting). Worse still, she may surprise everyone showing her reservations about the Magyezi bill. She can be that unpredictable sometimes. But what we know so far is that Kamuli voters, at least in Buzaaya County whose MP Isaac Musumba completed his consultations, overwhelmingly rejected life presidency and that is something that can shield Kadaga never to openly embrace the Magyezi proposal.