KAMPALA – The Member of Parliament for Kassanda South constituency in Kassanda District, Mr Simeo Nsubuga, has in a dramatic twist lashed at his own party, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), for abandoning him, hardly two years after spearheading the lifting of the presidential age limit.
Mr Nsubuga has earned many public enemies for vehemently supporting the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2017, which was tabled by Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi. The eventually removed the presidential age limits, paving way for President Museveni to rule for life.
However, speaking in his Kassanda South constituency at the weekend, the legislator, whose public hatred has seen earn special protection from the presidential guards, said his party has abandoned him as land grabbers evict his constituents.
“I have stood with NRM at a time when no one wanted to be associated with NRM, I have sacrificed so much for the sake of NRM, I defended the party when no one could, but is this what they are paying me?” Mr Nsubuga said.
He was referring to last week’s incident where about 200 homes in Nalutuntu Sub-county, Kassanda district, were razed by people believed to be working for Mr Abid Alam, a renowned businessman.
Mr Alam is said to have evicted the people despite the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire-led commission of inquiry into land matters issuing a directive against the move.
During the meeting with the evicted residents at the weekend, a visibly disappointed Nsubuga revealed that he has been abandoned as Mityana and the surrounding districts fall prey to People Power.
“In Kassanda North, Patrick Nsamba Oshabe is the People Power coordinator for greater Mubende. His deputy is David Kalwanga [Lukyamuzi] whose constituency, Busujju, borders mine to the south. East of my constituency is Mityana Municipality represented by Francis Zaake who is Bobi Wine’s [Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi] deputy. To the west is Kasambya represented by Gaffa Mbwatekamwa, also a people power coordinator,” he said.
“All these MPs except Zaake were NRM at the time we joined parliament [2016] but they have since denounced NRM and joined People Power, I remain the lone loyal NRM MP from this area but see what NRM is doing to me,” he added.
In response, his constituents asked him to denounce the NRM and join the People Power Movement.
“We have had enough of NRM, the best we can do now is to join either People Power or DP,” an unidentified woman shouted.
“It is high time we changed our allegiance from NRM to People Power, we can no longer claim that we can sleep or we are at peace; we are wholly behind you and ready to follow you to People Power,” another man said.
Mr Nsubuga attacked Ms Florence Kiconco, a presidential aide on legal affairs, for leading the eviction of his constituents.
“If NRM is to have any chance of winning in the coming elections, Kiconco must be removed from that office,” Mr Nsubuga said.
However, Ms Kiconco denied any role in the evictions.
“The last time I got involved in those issues was when the president assigned me and Muruli Mukasa (minister for Public Service) to do an investigation – that was many years ago, we compiled a report and handed it to the president. Since then, I have not stopped there. I have not been in touch with any of the leaders in Kassanda. I have been at the forefront of fighting land evictions and my record is clear as regards land evictions,” Kiconco said.
She threatened to sue Nsubuga for making baseless claims against her.
