Late evening on Monday, March 20, 2023, a one pseudo writer Kelvin Patrice writing for the Watchdog Uganda an online news portal owned by my brother and friend Micheal Ssegawa the Deputy RCC for Jinja North wrote a provocative article on Busoga’s political supremacy.
In the piece, the writer seeks to project Bukooli Central Legislator and Parliamentary Commissioner Solomon Silwany as the emerging political ‘bull’ in the kraal in Busoga after what he calls “down fall” of former Speaker Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga and former NRM Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba who the writer says is ‘hanging in balance’ to mean a diminishing political relevancy for Lumumba.
“Just over two years ago, former Bugiri Woman MP Justine Kasule Lumumba was basking in full importance as she manned affairs at Kyadondo Road- the headquarters of the country’s ruling party-National Resistance Movement (NRM). For the ten years in charge of the ruling party, whoever would guess that the then NRM supremo could struggle to keep afloat in future could have been mistaken for a mental case, but that’s the reality” he wrote.
The article is written with too much hate and bias intended to downplay the political significance of Lumumba and showcase Solomon Silwany above the rest. Even haters know that the political weight of Lumumba and Kadaga is still unmatched in Busoga. An emerging mobilizer of recent times has been Hajji Idd Isabirye and Milly Babalanda the Minister for the Presidency and this even Solomon Silwany knows and testifies.
Silwany has performed well in his constituency over his two terms in Parliament and is a darling of many in his area. This is possible because he has enjoyed a peaceful area without antagonism from either Lumumba or Wafula Oguttu who he replaced.
Despite though, it is unimaginable to seek to promote Silwany and destroy Lumumba unless one seeks to provoke Lumumba into battle against the Parliamentary Commissioner. It is understood that some disgruntled supporters of JKL who feel she wasn’t properly deployed in OPM have been telling her to return to Parliament as an MP. The dilemma has been where she should seek mandate. Against Asuman Basalirwa in Bugiri Municipality or her own political daughter Kevina Wejuli Taaka the Bugiri District Woman Mp or Bukooli North of Baka Mugabi or in Bukooli Central where Solomon Silwany is.JKL has remain silent and left everyone guessing her next move. The article therefore comes to provoke the battle and perhaps stupidly to insulate Silwany from the Lumumba political might that he knows very well. If JKL is deflated as the writer seeks to prove, why waste time on her even to write a piece about her!
JKL qualifies to stand in any of these Constituencies since she has establishments and political bases in all.
Busoga must reject this kind of politics that seeks to build fresh political tantrums that kept Alhaj Kirunda Kivejinja and Rebecca Kadaga enemies for life. Silwany is a close pal of Speaker Anita Among who also calls Lumumba politely and passionately “My sister”. The intention is to threaten Silwany and draw in the Speaker who will have to decide between the two allies. This will effectively return a women war that Busoga had seen off.
We must seek to promote both JKL and Solomon Silwany for Busoga to reap. In fact, Silwany’s power has been in his neutral character that he wasn’t sunk deep into past political dirt that has characterized Busoga over the years. Now that he seeks to enter this or so it is imagined according to the ‘Kelvin Patrice’s’ article, he must avoid provoking JKL and her loyalists into drawing swords.
How does a well-intended writer document the good contributions and performance of Solomon Silwany in Bukooli Central but seek to vulgarize an indelible mark of JKL in the whole of Bugiri, leave alone the national and international scene.
Whatever Lumumba did not do as Secretary General let others do but reserve her for future reference as a legacy she enjoys. Both Busoga and Solomon Silwany my good friend and brother must reject the idiocy of dishonest supporters who are leading him into battle with Lumumba. This is bad for the NRM, bad for Busoga and must be resisted with utmost strength. The writer must declare that he is writing free from influence from JKL’s haters are disappointed that JKL’s name missed in the iron sheets saga.
Say no to a third wave of political bickering that will awaken old souls into battle. Idd Isabirye must reign in now to retore sanity. Over to you Kelvin Patrice!
