{UAH} TENSE MOMENTS: Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi in Deep Trouble as Donors contemplate on Slapping a Travel Ban on Him ahead of Rumors that His Sacking is Gaining Momentum
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TOUGH MOMENTS: Mbabazi (L) is said to have become a big load for President Museveni
Nervous moments abide in the corridors of power as rumors continue to circulate that Ugandan Prime Minister Rt. Hon Amama Mbabazi is about to be sacked.
There are strong suggestions that the donors who recently froze aid to Uganda are contemplating slapping a travel ban on Mbabazi if President Museveni fails to sack him.
It's believed that the hitherto super minister has lost the close relationship he previously enjoyed with the appointing authority.
The fallout between Mbabazi and Museveni has been building momentum gradually, but sources revealed that both parties have taken the frosty relationship as a top secret affair to avoid the excitement that will follow when it comes to the attention it will draw from the nation.
Amama-M7 Rappo
Amama has been President Museveni's most favored pal of all the bush war time members of the NRM. They met in the 70s when Mbabazi had just graduated from law school and together, they formed FRONASA to fight the despotic regime of Gen Idi Amin Dada.
When Gen Idi Amin was overthrown in 1979 Museveni was appointed Defence Minister in the UNLF government while Mbabazi assumed his position as the Director of legal affairs of the UNLA.
And on Museveni declaring war on the Obote government in 1981, Mbabazi did not join the direct fighting but opted to work externally for the NRA rebel outfit based in Nairobi. During the struggle, his comrades accused him of swindling the monies meant for the war.
They gave him a nick name of Karya-sausage (means sausage eater) to describe the luxurious life he enjoyed in Nairobi. But he defended himself saying that he was actually eating millet leading to his other nickname of Karyaburo that is used in his circle of friends.
When Museveni shot to power in 1986, Mbabazi was appointed to the most sensitive cabinet positions of government. He was the first to assume the Defense ministerial position which had been held by President Museveni for many years.
He was Minister of Security, Director of External Security and many other sensitive posts. Karyaburo has enjoyed himself serving in cabinet for the last 27 years to the envy of his bush war colleagues many of whom have either been sacked or given insignificant positions.
Things Fall Apart
But things seem to have fallen ajar and practically got sour for the cocky man from Kanungu in the recent years as his popularity suffers a systematic decline.
Mbabazi seems to be the most hated man by both the opposition and within the ruling NRM party.
On several occasions President Museveni has refused to shake hands with him even when the media is around to capture the snub spectacle.
In fact NTV has been running a clip where President Museveni arrives and finds an eager Mbabazi waiting to shake his hand but the President tactically brings his hand forward but on second thought, decides to raise it in the guise of waving to the crowd.
Meanwhile the embarrassed Mbabazi walks alongside the President but the message of that spectacle is sent - the two most influential men in NRM seem not to be on good terms anymore.
And this has been caused by a number of indiscretions which can entirely be placed on Mbabazi's head.
Personalizing NRM
Mbabazi's failings started when he decided to stand for the controversial post of Secretary General of the NRM party. He was challenged by the likes of former Vice President Prof Gilbert Bukenya, and the confrontational retired Major General Kahinda Ottafire.
During the proceedings of that NRM delegate's conference held at Namboole stadium, President Museveni learnt a lot about Mbabazi's weaknesses and evil schemes. Almost all the senior members of the party were against him. They fed the President with all sorts of acidic dossiers.
The low cadres told the President that Mbabazi was not fit to serve as Secretary General because he had so many other sensitive positions. They also categorically told the President that the man was arrogant, elitist, unapproachable and aloof.
He couldn't serve in as Secretary General since the post required someone who is a people's person, down to earth, amiable and without other pressing duties, they argued.
The NRM delegates decided to show the President how much they hated Mbabazi with passion by booing him down when he stood on the podium to give a speech.
The President was overwhelmed by the unpopularity of his man. But he chose to let the ballot box decide.
And Mbabazi managed to, against all odds; win the post as Secretary General of the ruling party amidst strong accusations that he heavily bribed the delegates with hefty envelopes.
While Otaffire was beaten to second place and Bukenya to the third, the animosity grew stronger. Otaffire went on the airwaves and accused Mbabazi of making the NRM party a family affair by placing his wife Jackline and daughter Nina Mbabazi in sensitive party responsibilities and positions.
Otaffire grew so incensed that he spoke to local radio stations about the whole personalization of the NRM party by Hon Amama Mbabazi.
Premier Posting
When President Museveni appointed Amama as Prime Minister, the situation became even more complex for the Kinkizi man since he now held two very senior positions at the same time.
There were outcries from the party faithful for Mbabazi to quit the post of Secretary General and concentrate on Premiership for the sake of maximizing service delivery. But Amama clung on.
There were rumors that he was clinging on both posts because he was building a power base to takeover top chair. His 'election' as Secretary General was therefore used for extending tentacles around the country at grassroots level, while his posting as Prime Minister helped him to wield influence in the executive.
He was the same person accused of propagating mafias in the party by former Vice President Prof Gilbert Bukenya.
His thirst for power was confirmed when he categorically told opposition leader Dr Kiiza Besigye on a radio talk show to shelve his presidential ambitions and not to jump the cue of leadership when people like him had not got their chance. All this never attracted the attention of the President.
Corruption Saga
But President Museveni started to get incensed by the number of corruption allegations leveled against Amama. At first it was the Temangalo issue where he was accused of having used his superior position to influence NSSF to buy his land at an inflated price.
Then, came the oil bribery allegations which were then found to have been based on forged documents
There was also the CHOGM funds scam where Mbabazi's name came out for particular mention. The President has been on Karyaburo's side on all those corruption allegations apart from one; the swindled monies from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
The OPM Scam
Although one accounting officer, Geoffrey Kazinda was recently convicted and sentenced to five years in jail for the billions of OPM monies lost, it's highly believed that Mbabazi had indirect hand in the saga.
While many people have been rightly calling for the prosecution of the permanent secretary in the OPM Pius Bigirimana, there is incontrovertible evidence that shows that Mbabazi was at fault about what transpired.
It's said that Pius Bigirimana reported the fraudulent Kazinda to the authorities and even recommended that he be moved out of the office.
But Mbabazi reportedly used his position as Prime Minister and queried why Bigirimana was recommending the interdiction of Kazinda.
Kazinda stayed on and swindled billions of shillings leading to the staling of so many government programs around the country.
We have been told that this annoyed the President so much that he stopped talking to Mbabazi. The Kazinda and OPM scandal has since led to the cutting off of aid by the donors amounting to billions of dollars.
It's even said that President Museveni is now being put to task by the donors why he is keeping Mbabazi as Prime Minister when he is the person who has political responsibility for the fraud that took place in the OPM.
There has been strong suggestion that the donors want to serve Mbabazi with a travel ban because they regard him as the 'most corrupt' official of the NRM government.
Now President Museveni is in a catch-twenty two situation on whether to sack his man or let him continue to tarnish the image of his government.
The only thing delaying Mbabazi's sacking is the negative impression it will create. If President Museveni fired him, it will appear like a crack down on all members of the bush war NRM historical members.
This plays directly in the hands of the cynical opposition. Otherwise it's a tense moment in the corridors of power.
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