EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s advisor wants National Unity Platform (NUP) party president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine to replace defeated Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi as Vice President in the next cabinet.
In an exclusive interview with local newspaper Ono Bwino, Owekitiibwa Robert Ssebunya, the senior advisor to president Museveni on Buganda affairs, has said that the only way his boss can smoothly run the country for next five years is he must accept that there are many Ugandans who don’t believe in his recent win and the only way he can unite a currently divided Uganda is by sharing power with Bobi Wine.
“Museveni is the father of the nation; he listens to other people’s views and I’m going to write to him as usual, advising him to make an umbrella government by accommodating even members of the opposition in his government,” Ssebunya told Ono Bwino.
He added that; “The three million people who voted for Bobi Wine are not few and they are likely to disturb him. So let him appoint Bobi Wine as his vice president.”
He added that Bobi Wine needs Museveni so much as a father of nation to teach him leadership skills which he still lacks.
It should be noted that VP Ssekandi was defeated by Richard Ssebalama in the recently concluded Bukoto Central parliamentary elections seat which limited his chances of returning to Museveni’s cabinet in the new term.
However, Ssebunya insisted that it was not tribalistic for Baganda to vote Kyagulanyi instead of Museveni, asserting that it was a clear message to Museveni that Baganda are not happy with the way things are going on in his government, especially the rampant land evictions in the region, high unemployment among youths and the persecution of Bobi Wine, whom many youth regard as their own liberator.
Concerning Minister Kibuule’s Stubbornness
Ssebunya revealed that since his faceoff with junior water minister Ronald Kibuule during the tenure of Justice Catherine Bamugemereire’s Land Commission, over land grabbing in Mukono District, he had always been certain that Kibuule was bound to be defeated in the next elections.
He added that on many occasions, he advised Kibuule to stop being arrogant, insulting locals and Buganda kingdom but he turned a deaf ear.
“How can he say that he doesn’t know Namasole? Can you imagine he asked me whether Namasole is elected or appointed!” Ssebunya wondered.
He explained that, “The Namasole is a very important person in Buganda kingdom because she is a mother of the Kabaka. But Kibuule refused to apologize and his voters paid him in the same currency.”
He insisted that no Muganda can be silent when someone with power insults the Kabaka, and they will wait and pay that person at the right time, the way they did to Kibuule.
It should be noted that Kibuule was defeated by city lawyer Abdallah Kiwanuka alias ‘Mulima Mayuni’ in the race for the Mukono North Member of Parliament.
Musveni must Fire Kibuule, Rukutana
Ssebunya also disclosed that in their final report as the land probe commission, they asked the president to punish Minister Kibuule and former deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana, for insulting the land probe.
He insisted that even the president was briefed before their report and that he had already made the decision to fire both ministers for putting his government in bad light.
“We interacted with many ministers, army officers and important people; they answered our questions without insulting us, unlike Kibuule and Rukutana and i’m happy the people paid them,” Ssebunya said.
Rukutana was defeated by Naome Kabasharira in the recently concluded Rushenyi County Member of Parliament race.
By Sengooba Alirabaki | Ono Bwino
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