Bugweri, (UG):- The deputy spokesperson of the Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) Mr Waiswa Alex Mufumbiro has asked the Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon. Anita Annet Among to stop attacking the former speaker and Minister for East Africa Affairs Rt. Hon Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga and stop speaking ill against her.
Mufumbiro who was speaking at the burial of the late Counsel Ramathan Waiswa, the younger brother of Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu told Speaker Among that the people of Busoga treasure Kadaga as their mother and those dragging her name in the wars at parliament should backoff.
“…as I wind up, in Busoga we are for Kadaga and I wanted to put that clear because some of you fear. If there are some irregularities going on in parliament, they should not be linked to Kadaga since you fought her out of speakership and kindly leave her to serve where she is peaceful. I also to alert Busoga legislators to leave Mama Kadaga alone,” Mr Mufumbiro said before aiming a dig at the NRM government for underdeveloped infrastructure in the Busoga Sub-region.
At the same function, the NUP deputy spokesperson also echoed to the former leader of the opposition in parliament and now commissioner Hon Mathias Mpuuga that he will not stop talking about the alleged shs500m which he purportedly received as service award.
Mufumbiro’s comments stemmed from earlier controversial statements by Speaker Among at her marital home in Buyende during the NRM Register Exercise where she veiled a message that ‘old women from Kamuli’ were fighting to return to the speakership office, something which was interpreted by the audience being directed to Kadaga, the Woman Member of Parliament for Kamuli district.
Counsel Waiswa died with his driver Waiswa Ronald in an accident on Wednesday that occurred in Pallisa district when their car failed to negotiate a sharp corner and overturned several times killing counsel on the spot while the driver died upon reaching a health center.
Various political leaders from all levels, religious leaders, members of parliament from various corners of the country, lawyers who have been working with the deceased led by their body of Uganda Law Society and local residents poured in the home of Hon. Katuntu for burial of his brother, where the Speaker of parliament Rt. Hon. Anita Among was the chief mourner.
The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Pallisa district Mr. Majidu Dhikusooka, who is among the people who responded to the scene immediately after the accident said the accident was due to speeding after testifying to mourners that the car passed them at a terrible speed, and learnt about the accident in the next minutes. He urged all drivers to avoid speeding something he said has taken a number of lives.
Hon. Katuntu was grieved by the death of his brother whom he described as a reliable brother whom he trusted.
While sorrowfully addressing the mourners, Hon. Katuntu disclosed that he had earlier made a will which had tasked his brother with some responsibilities but he regrettably said he would have to revise his will since his brother had died before him.
“This is a day I didn’t think about in my life that it will happen, I want to tell you that I had already designed my will but I will have to revise it because God has changed what I wrote. I have lost many people but I have never been in this mood, because I thought Waiswa would take care of my family if I died,” Hon. Katuntu shed tears before appreciating Speaker Among for standing with him during the sorrowful moment.
The district chairperson Bugweri, Hajji Shafic Faraji Muziransa requested the speaker Rt. Hon. Among to help them and advocate for the elevation of Busesa Health Center IV to a district hospital saying the facility cannot currently offer essential services to the community.
He also cited the lack of a mortuary at the facility. Hajji Muziransa also requested the office of the speaker to follow up on the road equipment which was assigned to the district but is still being held in the capital Kampala.
Meanwhile, the former leader of the opposition in parliament and now commissioner of parliament Hon. Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba fired back at Mr Mufumbiro saying people with great wisdom are always not wordy and urged him to speak politics in the right places as intelligent politicians do.
He commended Hon Abdul Katuntu for nurturing counsel Waiswa into a responsible legal person, citing that Katuntu’s wisdom is not doubtable to produce people with the characters of the deceased.
“…in parliament, we delight in people who listen to others even when they don’t agree with them. Wise people don’t speak a lot and that was Ramathan, he could speak a few words like Hon. Katuntu behaves while guiding parliament. It is very difficult to find a wise person speaking while shouting,” Hon. Mpuuga said before inviting the speaker to relay her message.
The speaker in her last remarks at the funeral pledged shs100m to the leadership of the Islamic faith in Bugweri district to construct their headquarters and also pledged to follow up the matter of elevating Busesa Health Center IV to a district hospital. She assured the district chairperson that the road machines were budgeted for by parliament to cater for road works in the district.
“I thank Hon Abdul for drafting the anti-homosexuality amendment bill 2023, and this prompted me to send him to the PAC. We also have some members of parliament like Hon Baroda Kayanga Watongola of Kamuli municipality in Busoga whom I have sent to serve in a number of offices and this alone is an indication that we don’t segregate. We are all one people and we know where to do politics from,” RT. Hon. Among said.
The speaker also pledged a job for the widow to support her in bringing up the three children left behind by the deceased. “I want to pledge, when you leave here, kindly bring Mutesi to me and I will give her a job to look after those children. Let her come to my office and I will give her a job.”
The Assistant Mufti of Uganda in Busoga Muslim region (Regional Kadhi) Sheikh. Dr. Hussein Muhammad Bowa later led the prayers and the deceased was buried at 4:30 pm.
Meanwhile, DailyExpress has learnt that the deceased driver who was with Counsel Waiswa will be buried today Friday, April 5, 2024, in Bukoova, Luuka District.
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