By Joan Pounds
In a speech at a low-key launch of his new party, Party for National Unity, (PNU), in Kakiri on Friday, former Vice President Gilbert Bukenya announced he would be quitting the ruling NRM party later this year to concentrate on ending President Museveni’s 30-year rule.
The launch was mainly attended by his Busiro North
Gilbert Bukenya shows off his new party's symbol
constituents who he called to update on his political programme, especially on why he would not seek re-election as MP and the need for change in the country’s politics.
“I have been MP for this area for four terms; that is more than enough. I think we need to find someone to pick from where I have stopped,” Bukenya said.
Each of his guests was given a PNU membership card. His new party is the outcome of an alliance between Bukenya and leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which he hopes to ride on to clinch the joint opposition presidential candidacy under The Democratic Alliance (TDA).
Although he does not deny his association with PNU, the presidential hopeful told The Observer that he will remain a member of the NRM until later this year.
“I will leave NRM [in October], and concentrate on activities that will bring about change in the governance system of our country,” the former VP said.
Being one of the registered subscribers of NRM, Bukenya said the ruling party will have to wait until he decides to write to its leadership and the Electoral Commission (EC) to announce his departure. For now, he said, no one can expel him from NRM. He also rubbished threats of disciplinary action from the NRM secretary general, Justine Kasule Lumumba.
“The secretary general I know is Amama Mbabazi; I stood with him and he defeated me for the post,” he said. “The NRM I respect is the one where members participate in the election of its leaders. These maneuvers of one man appointing the leadership at the secretariat are dictatorial.”
Besides being an NRM MP for Busiro North, Bukenya is also the party’s chairman for Wakiso district.
“We have to combine efforts to address the governance issues in our country; one party cannot break up this system, we need to inform our people especially in the rural areas about the need for change,” he said.
TIRED GOVERNMENT
Once a sworn admirer of President Museveni, Bukenya is highly critical of the failing social service delivery system, a breakdown in the security system that has led to widespread killings in the country, nepotism and rising corruption levels in government. He said those are signs of a tired government. He said Museveni is worse than late President Idi Amin.
“He [Museveni] has previously referred to his predecessors as buffoons and swine but his actions are similar…” he said.
“We have to save the country from destruction, we want a quality Uganda; for example, during Amin’s time, the quality of education and healthcare was wonderful…,” Bukenya said.
MEETING MUSEVENI
Bukenya said he privately met the president in London early this year, but declined to divulge details of their discussion.
“I have talked to him before and the discussions have not brought up anything fruitful,” he said. “I don’t want to talk to him for purposes of electioneering and after the elections, everything goes back to square one.”
If he is to talk, Bukenya said, Museveni must first denounce the Kyankwanzi resolution that proclaimed him the NRM sole presidential candidate, effectively shielding him from internal competition.
NRM SPEAKS
However, deputy NRM spokesman Ofwono Opondo claimed on Saturday that Bukenya was only trying to divert the ruling party.
“[Bukenya] wants us to discipline him so that he can attract sympathy support [but] his schemes are in futility,” Opondo said.
For his part, deputy NRM treasurer Kenneth Omona suggested Lumumba could lodge a complaint with the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), but even then, that will be for purposes of fostering party discipline.
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