Greater Kabale politics has always been controlled, regulated and managed in Kabale Municipality. At one time, all the leadership of greater Kabale, 90% homes were in Kabale Municipality. It was the NRM stronghold and the coordination centre for Kigezi region.
The Kigezi think tank of seasoned politicians, economists, business entrepreneurs and great scientists always met in the Municipality to influence politics of Kigezi and Uganda.
The fireplace, call it the campfire at the White Horse Inn Kabale, was Uganda’s number one decision making area which was unmatched neither equalled. Men would sit and decide on Kigezi, Uganda and look beyond to find global connections in intergovernmental organisations like United Nations (UN) and its sister organisations, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB) Africa Union (AU) and many others.
It was and still the centre of geopolitics in the East African region because of its geographical proximity to Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As White Horse Inn plan to celebrates 100 years this year, it carries a long story of the NRM leadership and Kabale Municipality the where Banyweine politics and culture are deeply rooted.
In the history of Uganda politics, there is no region where the think tank composed of great politicians like;- Rt. Hon. Ruhakana Rugunda, Rt. Hon. Amama Mbabazi, Hon. Shem Bageine, Hon. Stephen Bamwanga, Hon. Prof. Mondo Kagonyera, Hon. Prof. George Wilson Kanyeihamba, Hon. Gen. Jim Muhwezi, Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile (RIP) and Hon. Manzi Tumubwrinee (RIP), would sit together at one campfire to discuss issues affecting their region. These Bagezi from Kigezi branded Kigezi as the land of wise men.
This kind of bonding, unity and political entrenchment, attracted the attention of the president and made Kabale Municipality his second home. Apart from his presidential home in Makanga, he preferred to meet Kigezi politicians at White Horse Inn or Rugarama hill at the country home of Dr. Amos Nzeyi. You cannot mention all these people without mentioning John Bikanganga Rutakirwa Engabo ya Kigezi whose Palace is at Rwakaraba in Kabale Municipality.
After the president identifying himself with Banyakigezi, he raised great men and women in the NRM government. His love for Kigezi was not from the present politics but from the early NRM revolutionaries and freedom fighters where blood was shed before Luwero. Joseph Bitwari, James Karambuzi and David Kangire were shot dead in the broad day light in Kabale stadium and their tombs in the stadium speak more than words.
When opposition took over Kabale Municipality the heart of politics in the region, it made NRM members walk on angry footsteps with ugly faces for long.
It started as a joke when Hon. Aja Babyayanga won on the independent ticket for two terms. Hon. Dr. Kamara won on the FDC ticket and will complete his term this year. He is seeking for the second term. When he wins again, Kabale Municipality will have been in opposition hands for twenty (20) years. Kabale Municipality mayor is in the same category and this puts Kabale Municipality in red colour when it comes to government programmes and Party Leadership benefits.
The Municipality has become a no go zone area for NRM politicians and it is suspected that lack of NRM member of Parliament, is one of the reasons why city status is still in question.
Recently the president refused to host the NRM leadership regional meeting in the NRM hostile Municipality and opted for Rukungiri Municipality. The president has not attended International Community of Banyakigezi (ICOB) Convention in Kabale Municipality for sometime and when it was organised in Kanungu, he attended. It seems he doesn’t feel comfortable in the city which he called his second him in the hands of the opposition.
The Municipality people have made great loss in the time they voted the opposition.
This has raised concern from all stakeholders including voters. There is a search for the solution to bring back Kabale Municipality in the hands of the NRM leadership. This will be the time to gain all the lost opportunities. Maybe the government will be asked to work backwards to compensate all the lost opportunities. In the search for the solution, it has been revealed that FDC is behind all the tricks and dirty games to fail competent candidates . It is working hard to get NRM weak flag bearer who will lose in the general elections.
The FDC Party has joined Kabale Municipality NRM Primaries with force and anger after realising that NRM is going to regain it. It is suspected that, the FDC is putting in the NRM primaries more money to fail a strong candidate using the FDC monkey tricks, religion power and influence and the deal is almost through.
Unlike other areas in Uganda where NRM candidates have been left to compete favorably and the winner gets the flag, in Kabale Municipality it is a different game as tricks which have been failing the NRM are at play. Stakeholders have said that enough is enough, Kabale Municipality should be taken by the NRM member of Parliament and and the journey should begin by getting the right flag bearer. The FDC fronted candidates should be eliminated at the flag taking level. This has caused for political evaluation and assessment.
All the NRM candidates have been put on the political weighing scale to enable them get a right and competitive candidate, able to over compete FDC favorably and other agencies set to fight the NRM at Primaries and general elections.
The NRM competing candidates in Kabale Municipality include;- Hon. Joseph Mutebile, Hon. Aja Babyayanga, Hon. Byamungu Micheal Turyamureeba ak Rwasabutare and Hon. Shekh Kasim Kamugisha . These are also competing with the incumbent MP, Hon. Dr. Kamara who is at the centre stage to fail the NRM strong candidate. The political weighing scale was put to find the heavy weight candidate who will get the flag and take it to the Parliament amidst dirty games and traps ahead, at Primaries and general elections. So far, all of them are doing well and each with a controlled stronghold.
Among the four strong candidates in the race, three have ever participated in the last elections and one is a new entrant in Kabale Municipality members of Parliament political race. This has given a chance to stakeholders to deal with people well known in the Municipality.
On the political scale, Hon. Aja Babyayanga scores well because he was in the Parliament for ten years. He was on the independent ticket and his work is well known in the Municipality and Parliament.
Hon. Kassim Kamugisha got the NRM flag and lost it to Hon. Kamara. Kassim worked through all odds to get the flag and winning a man like Gen. Timothy Mutebile was not a joke. Hon. Joseph Mutebile has participated in the Municipality politics and comes from a family of great leaders and politicians. He is at the grassroot and well known by the common man and leaders. These candidates are well known politicians in the Kabale Municipality.
Hon. Aja Babyayanga who represented Kabale Municipality for two terms as an independent member of Parliament and who has come again and this time for the NRM flag, is looked at as a flag grabber or an opportunist who rejected the flag for the two terms and is looking for it as the last resort. His last campaigns to be elected as the NRM Chairperson for Kabale district, leaves him at the cross roads for the act. Some political leaders and voters say that he would have joined the party as a member and first get routed but not coming lead the party which he had abandoned and rejected for ten years. The big part of the NRM leadership and senior cadres, do not support him and this poses a challenge when he gets the flag and meets Hon. Kamara in the general elections who is more prepared than before and with multiple agencies behind him. Pulling Rushoroza and Rugarama hills plus the Municipality voters whom he has represented in the past, he may not be favored by all voters.
Hon. Kassim Kamugisha who lost the flag to Hon. Kamara and has been in the party, is seen as a good cadre who has been consistent throughout. Recently he stood as the NRM district Vice Chairperson and lost due to election irregularities. This tarnished his political carrier as a senior cadre and a leader in the faceof voters.. But he is still doing well and 90% of Muslimsare behind him. . When he takes the flag again, the same force which failed him is more than ready to fail him. Kabale Municipality voting is predominantly controlled by the Roman Catholic Church especially in general elections. It looks next to impossible for him to win Kabale Municipality without religion back up. As a good Muslim, there are limitations when it comes to religion back up and support which is a common norm in Kabale Municipality. This leaves him in balance and at the crossroads when he takes the flag.
Hon. Joseph Mutebile.
score card is threatened by Hon. Aja Babyayanga when he comes back as an independent candidate because he will sweep the city with his old supporters including some Catholics and Anglicans. He is used to win as an independent candidate and coming back after losing the flag is not a big challenge.
When the three candidates are technically eliminated., this gives chance and high competitive advantage to Hon. Byamungu Micheal Turyamureeba Rwasabutare, a new politician in Kabale Municipality race who doesn’t have any political damage of the past. Byamungu, a soft spoken and seasoned politician, is well known in the Municipality and one of most respected businessman in Kabale Municipality.
He rose from no where and captured the town through business ventures. Today he commands Kabale Municipality business community after climbing all ladders and beating all odds. He knows the common man and businessman better than anyone. He is well studied and studied recently, equipped with current issues in economics and geopolitics. He is a graduate of Economics and Business Management with a series of short courses in various disciplines. He is the founder and Chairman of Kabale Municipality Traders Association which he has led for the last ten years.
Kabale Municipality is a business melting pot, this gives him a big milage when it comes to mobilising Municipality people. He is the Regional Coordinator of Uganda National Traders Alliance (UNATA) and the Chief Executive Officer Kabale Catholic Traders Association. A man who started in bodaboda transportation, taxis, trucks, he ended up as a giant in produce.
Today he is one the biggest entrepreneurs in the region with a company dealing in different products and services. Byamungu Investments Ltd, deals in produce, real estate and management, transportation including tourism cars and apartments. He has employed and still employ so many people in his business. He has facilitatedd business incubation in Kabale Municipality. Micheal has not only accumulate wealth but also engaged in social corporate responsibilities where the issue of contesting got birth. He wanted to fight for the vulnerable and the disadvantaged.
Byamungu competitive advantage comes as a. result of his leadership in Kabale Municipality and his backing from the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican community where he has deep rots and without forgetting Muslims who are masters of trade in Kabale. Through financial support, he is a darling to other different religions in Kabale Municipality. When it comes to leadership support, as the Chairperson of Municipality Traders Association, he has been in almost every top meeting and corporate events.
He rubs shoulders with leaders almost every week. And unlike other candidates, he is a permanent resident in Kabale and participates in every social and cultural event whenever invited including attending Sunday service every Sunday. He has been serving and still serving on many committees. Some of the committees are Catholic Church institutions and organisations.
His manifesto which looks to be more realistic and achievable, creates a strong link with voters, local and national leadership. He seeks to address the challenges of power supply in Kabale which has made it so costly to run business in Kabale Municipality, limited access to affordable capital and poor implementation of government programmes.
The manifesto looks at bridging the missin gap of economic growth and business development; agro processing, empowerment of small scale and large scale business and strengthening the informal sector. He gives attention to tourism development, infrastructure and service delivery in Kabale Municipality.
Byamungu Micheal Rwasabutare has been rated as the only NRM candidate with the capacity
to win the NRM flag and defend to the end.
Hon. Dr. Kamara who is ready to fail the NRM in Kabale Municipality again, can only be challenged by Byamungu who is deeply rooted in Kabale business community, NRM leadership , Catholics and Anglicans who meet with him in different forums where he subscribes, give more scores.
A man who is not politically tainted and deeply rooted in the Municipality with heavy investments and businesses, has been sited as the the winner with a cause. He has the financial capacity to facilitate his campaigns and able to protect his votes.
He is seen a saviour in Kabale Municipality and ready to bring together all the social, political, religious and economic wounded hearts by providing realistic solutions.
Michael comes at the time when the president is waiting for Kabale Municipality voters to send him the NRM cadre.
All NRM lost opportunities including ministerial positions which were locked out because of Kabale Municipality opposition, this will be the time for rewarding. Kabale Municipality voters.
Kabale Municipality voters no longer have a political office in Kampala to meet and lobby. The time seem to be ripe and all powers are in the hands of voters.
Robert Tumwesigye
Kigezi Research Desk News
tumwesigye754@gmail.com
+256 772509393
