IGANGA, UGANDA: The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) leadership in Iganga district have refuted reports that the former MP Kigulu South, Hon Andrew Kiiza Kaluya Namitego left the ruling party to join the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) saying he has never been part of the yellow movement.
Hon Kaluya who served as Kigulu South MP in the 10th parliament was on Saturday, November 5th inducted and warmly received into NUP by President Kyagulanyi Sentamu Robert alias Bobi wine at a function held at his (Kaluya’s) home in Nakalama sub-county, Iganga district.
While responding to an article that first appeared on DailyExpress, the NRM Chairman in Iganga Hajji Walubi Abubakar said Hon Kaluya has never been in NRM and that he served his term (2016-2021) on an independent ticket.
“Kaluya has never been in NRM but has been working with NRM. In his only term of leadership, he was on an independent ticket,” says Hajji Walubi Abubakar.
However, the party district chairperson commended Hon Kaluya for the time he worked with the ruling party and for being instrumental in amending the constitution to scrap the age limit for anyone contesting for the highest political office in the country.
“We want to appreciate him for the tremendous work he did for us as NRM since he was instrumental in amending the constitution to scrap the age limit. He acted as a machinery and his work was visible and I appreciate him for that,” Walubi said before adding that “Saying he has left NRM, it’s comparable to a child who grows up from a home of a prince or tycoon and start telling people everywhere that he was born from that family. Kaluya has never been in NRM but has been working with us like we’re working with Hon Minister Nobert Mao.”
Hajji Walubi says Kaluya has never touched NRM flag ever since he started contesting in the party primaries but he was always on an independent ticket.
“During the 2016 elections, our flag bearer was Hajji Asuman Kyafu, this time when he came to contest in 2021 our flag bearer was Hon Milton Muwuma (incumbent MP), who won the ticket after contesting in NRM primaries with Hajji Kyafu. We pray for him wherever he goes but he should know that there are also hard cores where he has gone,” Walubi said.
Walubi doubted if Kaluya has decided wisely saying that someone who contested in 2021 with NUP flag in Kigulu South constituency didn’t even obtain promising results.
“I don’t think his calculations will help him but I continue praying to God to help them wherever they go. In Kigulu south, the person who contested on their ticket, I don’t even know how many votes he garnered that will help him achieve more,” Walubi said.
Meanwhile, Walubi has commended security in Iganga district for handling the matter in a professional manner without interrupting their function. He says it’s always not good to give events mileages which they don’t deserve.
“I want to appreciate security in Iganga led by our RDC for handling the matter wisely, we didn’t give him the mileage that he expected to get. They thought the function could be interrupted by police and block Kyagulanyi’s coming but it wasn’t the case,”
“Bobi wine came but they didn’t get the expected mileage and it’s why I had even opted to shun this press conference because I don’t always want to grant things mileage which they don’t deserve. What I want to tell you is that Kaluya is nothing in NRM and the party will continue to thrive,” Walubi boldly said.
On Saturday morning before the start of the event where Kaluya declared his membership in NUP, information circulated on social media platforms that police had surrounded the home of Hon Kaluya intending to arrest him, but later this publication learnt that it wasn’t true.
Kaluya later told Daily Express that security had summoned him for interrogation but deliberately turned down their call.
The function went on uninterrupted throughout, though the NUP leadership in the district and the supporters who attended were so suspicious that police would anytime turn down their long-awaited function.
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