Sir Simon Muyanga Lutaaya
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has publicly clashed with First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga during a tense National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). The disagreement came as the party discussed the contest for the position of First National Vice Chairperson (Female), where Kadaga is competing against Speaker of Parliament Anita Among.
Kadaga, frustrated and emotional, accused the party leadership of sidelining her despite her decades of loyalty. She reminded delegates that she started her political journey in 1999 as an LC1 chairperson and has never abandoned the NRM. “I have been a member of this party since its beginning. I have never joined any other party. My loyalty is unquestionable,” she said, pointing out that Among had only been active in the NRM for three years.
She also warned that if the position is put to a contest, it could create political backlash in the Busoga region, where she is highly respected. “If this position goes to a contest, it will cause serious problems in my community. People here might think you are fighting not just me but the whole region. That is not good for the politics of Uganda,” Kadaga said. She recalled her removal as Speaker of Parliament as a public humiliation, which she feels shows the party’s unfair treatment of her.
President Museveni, however, pushed back strongly. He dismissed Kadaga’s claims and warned her against presenting herself as the only political power in Busoga. “Rebecca, you are wrong to say anyone is hunting you. And it is not correct to give the impression that, without you, we wouldn’t have the support of the Basoga. Busoga does not belong to you,” Museveni said.
The President also reminded delegates of his long-standing role in defending the Basoga people, recalling how his forces in the NRA and FRONASA protected the region and punished those responsible for past atrocities. He mentioned prominent Busoga leaders such as Ali Balunywa, who was killed under Idi Amin, and Shaban Kirunda Nkutu, a former minister executed by Amin’s soldiers. Museveni stressed that linking personal political ambitions to an entire community was misleading and unfair.
The heated exchange ended with the NEC deciding that Kadaga and Among will face off in an election at the upcoming national delegates’ conference. This battle is expected to be closely watched, as it will not only test the unity of the NRM but also reveal how regional influence affects the party’s internal politics.
