A growing number of Kampala city traders subscribing under the ruling party have issued a passionate appeal to NRM Entrepreneurs League delegates, urging them to block Hajj Hassan Basajjabalaba from returning as chairman of the league on the Central Executive Committee.
The traders say Basajjabalaba’s long trail of scandals ranging from fraudulent land transactions to questionable compensation deals has stained the image of the business community and crippled the Entrepreneurs League’s credibility.
Speaking to reporters at Kikuubo on Saturday, Mr. Gerald Nsubuga, a textile dealer, said the league under Basajjabalaba had been reduced to a “private cash machine” for him and his associates.
“We have been abandoned to high taxes, poor market conditions, and unfair competition from imports. The only time we hear from him is when another theft scandal breaks out,” Nsubuga lamented. “The Entrepreneurs League is not his personal business empire. Delegates must rescue it from the fangs of a man only known for stealing.”
Ms. Proscovia Namatovu, a cosmetics trader in Owino Market, said she had never seen him champion the plight of ordinary traders.
“Where was he when KCCA evicted vendors without compensation? Where was he when URA increased taxes on imported goods? Leadership means standing with us in our struggles not hiding until another election cycle,” Namatovu said.
The traders say the Entrepreneurs League should be a platform for advocating fair policies, securing affordable loans, and building strong business networks not a shield for corruption.
Hajji Musa Kiggundu, a long-time electronics importer, accused Basajjabalaba of tarnishing the league’s image before international partners.
“Do you think serious investors will take us seriously when our chairman is always in court over fraud? Delegates must choose someone who can open doors, not someone who shuts them with scandal.”
With the NRM Entrepreneurs League elections due on August 25th, many Kampala traders say they will mobilize to ensure their regional delegates are fully aware of Basajjabalaba’s record before casting their votes.
“We don’t want another five years of theft and silence,” Nsubuga said firmly. “We want a leader who works for all traders, not just for his family and kinsmen in Ishaka.”
Traders also expressed anger that despite holding the league’s top seat, Basajjabalaba had not initiated a single major policy to ease their cost of doing business. Instead, they say, he used the position as political cover while advancing personal deals in markets and public land.
Several delegates from Kampala Central told this publication they had received reports from other regions such as Busoga and Karamoja also mobilizing to block him. This emerging alliance, they say, could mark the first time in years that traders unite across regions to reject a candidate on grounds of integrity.
“This time the vote will not be about loyalty to individuals,” said a delegate from Nakivubo who preferred anonymity. “It will be about saving our league from collapse under a man whose only legacy is scandal.”
