Six new ‘fishermen’ in Museveni’s Cabinet come with NUP baggage

Nearly two years after President Yoweri Museveni described his Cabinet for this term as “fishermen and fisherwomen” the public started pointing at the wrong decisions by some of the Ministers to find a contextual meaning to what the appointing authority said.

The President had told the national in June 2021 that as Jesus Christ named fishermen; Simon Peter and Andrew to become his disciples, Uganda’s new Cabinet had the same characteristics. In the Cabinet, Museveni had pulled surprises by appointing Katakwi District Woman Member of Parliament, Maj (Rtd) Jessica Alupo as Vice President while Robinah Nabbanja who had served as State Minister for Health in the previous term was named as Prime Minister.

But with the Karamoja iron sheets scandal engulfing a significant number of Cabinet Ministers, State Ministers, the Prime Minister, Vice President and the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, many Ugandan’s started relating the “fishermen and fisherwomen” reference to the events at the time.

While investigations exonerated the Speaker, the Vice President, the Prime Minister and other Ministers who returned the Karamoja iron sheets, the President fired Mary Goret Kitutu, Minister for Karamoja and Agnes Nandutu, State Minister for Karamoja in the recent mini Cabinet reshuffle. The two Ministers are facing trial at the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court together with State Minister of Finance (in charge of Planning), Amos Lugolobi who survived the Presidents whip.

Real fishing

While dropping Kitutu and Nadutu, the President introduced new faces to his Cabinet. He replaced Kitutu as Minister for Karamoja with one of his serving Ministers, Peter Lokeris who moved from the docket of State Minister for Minerals.  Lokeris was replaced by National Youth MP, Phiona Nyamutoro as State Minister for Minerals.

Other new entrants to the Cabinet list are; Gen Wilson Mbasu Mbadi who took on the docket of State Minister for Trade after being dropped as Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) a position now assumed by first son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Renowned events promoter and businessman, Balaam Atenyi Barugahara was appointed State Minister for Youth and Children; Kitgum Woman MP Lillian Aber is now State Minister for Disaster Preparedness; Sironko District Woman MP was sent to Karamoja as State Minister; and, former Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to the President, Dr Kenneth Omona is now State Minister for Northern Uganda Affairs.

During the swearing in ceremony at State House, Entebbe,  Barugahara, new State Minister for Youth and Children appeared with one of the top mobilisers of opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) in Masaka  city.

Barugahara said that Ali Katerega a city Councilor in Masaka was not the only one leaving NUP to join the NRM after being wooed by members of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) a civic organization sympathizing with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). PLU leader is Gen Kainerugaba who is now the CDF.

“This gentleman is Councilor, Dr Katerega of Masaka. We were in Masaka doing out patriotism lectures and tour, I and my colleagues, Frank Gashumba, Hon Kinyamatama (Rakai Woman MP), Hon GyavIira (Buyamba County MP), Toyota Michael and the rest of the other team members, Sarah Kiyimba and Councilor Bulegeya, we met a group of NUP people. They are Councilors-eight of them, they accepted to join the patriotic missuion” said Barugahara.

“However, we told them we told them that we don’t have a political party. We subscribe to the NRM. So, our organisation is properly to advocate for patriotism, for them they were doing de-patriotism, destroy the nation. They accepted to be with us. He (Katerega) said he would be happy one day when he meets you” he added.

The new Minister, who had told Journalists shortly after his vetting at Parliament that he would make a case for the release of young people in prison on political matters, informed the President that the eight councilors from Masaka, have been joined by six from Bukomansimbi District and five from Kalungu District.

NUP supporters

Dr Katerega used the chance to meet President Museveni to plead for the NUP supporters who have been in prison since the last general elections. The opposition party led by Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has always referred to its supporters facing several criminal charges as ‘political prisoners’. Dozens of them are facing trial in the General Army Court Martial while there claims many others remain incarcerated without trial after being “kidnapped’ by the State.

“I am here to request humbly that the NUP children, who were jailed, were misled. Your Excellence, I request that you bail them; this is the Eid-el-fitri that you can give the country. They are in different prisons. I can’t say they were arrested for nothing, some of them committed offenses, others were misled by the politicians we have. I am one of those who sit on a five-man team of NUP in Masaka city because I am a member of the Executive Committee. However, a lot of things have been done but those children were misled by politicians. Others burnt tyres, beat people, other utter abusive words.  When they are released, they need to be rehabilitated so that they love their country,” said Katerega who pledged to support the government going forward.

The President assured Katerega that he will look into the matters of those facing charges not related to capital offenses like murder and have them released. He tasked him to work with his fellow Councilors who have accepted to work with NRM to submit a list of those political prisoners and where they are jailed from.

“We have to critically look at the request of Katerega. Those who burnt tyres, it is not a big issue. The tarmac they destroyed has already been rehabilitated. Those who beat people, we may look into this. But, if they killed someone, that one will be handled differently. So, give me a list of those people, if you can indicate where they are jailed [and] if it is anything short of murder that I can see how to deal with” said Museveni.

There are reports that the President played a role in the release on bail of Makindye East MP, Allan Ssewanyana and his Kawempe North colleague, Mohammad Ssegirinya last year after spending nearly two years in prison on charges of murder in relation to the panga attacks in Masaka. NUP has always denied the line that there were negotiations to cause the release of the legislators.

Bobi Wine has already come out to distance the party the position of Katerega to request the President to release the NUP supporters that are in different prisons.

“You all saw a gentleman that came pretending to be a soldier of NUP and People Power. He was paraded by Balaam pretending to be speaking for us. We are not going to beg Museveni for our freedom because it our constitutional right,” Kyagulanyi said while addressing supporters at party headquarters in Kampala on Thursday.

It has always been the position of NUP that the continuous detention of party members is against the human rights principles because they are “innocent.”