{UAH} Pojim/WBK: Mbabazi opens ‘war’ on state spies in his camp
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Mbabazi opens 'war' on state spies in his camp
Former prime minister Amama Mbabazi has established a parallel intelligence structure to fight against infiltration by "enemy forces", sources within his camp told The Observer this week.
The development, sources told us, comes after some of his coordinators in various parts of the country and youth supporters were lured, with cash incentives, to leave him.
"He is concerned about the rate at which some of the people are crossing to the other side," one of the sources told us.
Many of the people being targeted by security and state operatives are those that campaigned for him when he sought to become secretary general of NRM in 2010. To this end, some of Mbabazi's old structures, many established by his wife Jacqueline, have either been compromised or destroyed, sources said.
The most affected area, sources told us, is eastern Uganda, where Mbabazi intends to start his consultative meetings. We reported last week how some members of NRM Poor Youth, a group allied to Mbabazi, had been lured by money to leave him. On August 22, while meeting some members of the NRM Poor Youth at his campaign office on Plot 29 Nakasero road, Mbabazi implored them not to be tempted by money.
"He said we should not sacrifice our values for little money which cannot last you a lifetime," said Isa Kato, the coordinator of the group.
Mbabazi's parallel intelligence structure, sources said, is modeled along the state's intelligence organisations such as External Security Organisation (ESO), which Mbabazi once headed, and Internal Security Organisation (ISO). It starts from the parish level up to district. Its major task shall be to provide political and other intelligence to team Mbabazi.
Sources said it will also vet mobilisers who will be recruited by Mbabazi and train them on how to mobilise support and guard his votes during election. The leadership of the structure has not yet been revealed but sources told us that it comprises former security operatives.
Relatedly, Mbabazi is in the process identifying people to constitute a national taskforce as he tries to stem criticism about his family's close involvement in the campaigns. While family members will be part of the team, they will operate from the background.
CONSULTATION MEETINGS
Meanwhile, team Mbabazi Tuesday resolved to start consultation meetings on Monday, August 31. He had initially indicated he would go to Mbale on Wednesday but by Tuesday evening, he had not yet got a written clearance from the Electoral Commission.
On August 13, Mbabazi wrote to the EC about his consultative meetings and last week the electoral body said the presidential hopeful is free to consult Ugandans on his presidential bid.
"On our part, he is free to consult but has to clear with the police and also to notify the local leaders in those areas where he plans to hold the meetings," Jotham Taremwa, the EC spokesperson told us.
Taremwa also pointed to the law under which Mbabazi's first attempt at holding consultative meetings was blocked. Section 3 of the Public Order Management Act, 2013 empowers the Inspector General of Police or an authorized officer to regulate the conduct of all public meetings.
But a member of the Mbabazi campaign team said last week that under the Presidential Elections Act (2005), they are only required to inform local police and local government leaders in the respective districts. But police indicated that it may not allow the consultative meetings.
"He has not written to us, and any form of a meeting must be guided by the police under the Public Order Management Act [POMA]," police spokesman Fred Enanga told The Observer.
Mbabazi's first attempt on July 9 was blocked by the police, and the presidential hopeful was arrested at Njeru in Buikwe district on his way to the eastern district of Mbale.
Meanwhile, sources told us that the EC has allocated Mbabazi the symbol of a chair, despite his preference for a watch or a bicycle. Mbabazi was told that the watch symbol was allocated to another presidential hopeful, Prof Venansius Baryamureeba.
ekiggundu@observer.ug
sadabkk@observer.ug
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