Who is who in NRM CEC? BY BENON HERBERT OLUKA L-R: NRMs Singh Katongole, Amelia Kyambadde, Haji Galiwango and Amama Mbabazi Over the last two weeks, the central executive committee (CEC) of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has taken centre stage in the power struggle between Chairman Yoweri Museveni and Secretary General Amama Mbabazi. Benon Herbert Oluka introduces the leadership structure of the ruling party and profiles the members of CEC. During their October 18 meeting at Nakasero State Lodge, CEC members had arguably their most heated exchanges in recent past, and showed their power by prevailing on embattled secretary general Amama Mbabazi to go on leave for three months. CEC is the second highest policy organ of the NRM after the National Delegates’ Conference, or NDC (the NDC has a standing committee called the National Executive Council, which deals with policy matters on its behalf). Below CEC, in respective order, are the district conference, sub-county conference, parish conference, the branch and the cell. According to the NRM constitution, the NRM CEC is mandated to perform 11 functions. They include providing and exercising political leadership in the country, formulating policy for consideration by NEC, supervising the day-to-day conduct of the organisation’s activities, appointing organisational functionaries from amongst members of NRM, propagating the NRM policies, and recommending to NEC, NRM candidates seeking nomination for the offices of national chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary general, deputy secretary general and national treasurer and presidential candidate for NRM. Others are advising the chairperson and the National Executive Council in the performance of their functions; implementing the decisions of the National Conference and NEC; ensuring that all organs of NRM function properly and implement the policies and decisions of NRM; as well as prescribing rules and regulations for the functioning and operation of special organs and caucuses. CEC MEMBERS 1. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, 70; NRM national chairperson A member of CEC by virtue of being party chairperson, Museveni is the most influential member of the ruling party. In the two times that NRM has elected a flag bearer for the presidency, Museveni has emerged unopposed – largely due to his overbearing influence on NEC. 2. Moses Kigongo, first national vice chairperson Since he served as vice chairperson of the National Resistance Council (NRC), and by extension the speaker of the de facto parliament, Kigongo has not served in any formal government office. And yet he remains one of the most influential members of the ruling NRM party. Kigongo is seen as unwaveringly loyal to President Museveni. 3.Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, 58; second national vice chairperson Kadaga has been conspicuously absent from the recent NRM CEC meetings. However, the Kamuli Woman MP does not see eye-to-eye with Mbabazi and has recently been in Museveni’s bad book for warming up to calls for her to stand for president. 4. Mike Mukula, 58; vice chairperson, East The MP for Soroti municipality is trying to win back President Museveni’s favour after a series of political missteps. A former state minister of Health who was sacked following a Global Fund corruption scandal, Mukula courted further controversy when he told US embassy officials that Museveni is grooming his son to take over the presidency. Mukula has also previously declared that he intended to stand for president against Museveni. His attacks on Mbabazi are, therefore, seen as face-saving efforts rather than a strong ideological position. 5. Abdul Nadduli, 71; vice chairperson, Central A former member of the NRA who retired from the army at the rank of lieutenant, Nadduli’s political career had been limited to Luweero district where he served as chairperson. In 2010, Nadduli was elected as NRM vice chairperson for central region. Recently, his attempt to stop Mbabazi from appearing at a church fundraiser in Luweero was meant to catch the eye of the president but left him with egg on face. 6. Sam Engola, 56; vice chairperson, North At the time NRM was a pariah organisation in northern Uganda, Engola’s support for the Movement system was staunch and unwavering. The Erute South legislator has served as a Constituency Assembly delegate and as MP since 2001. Engola, a businessman with close links to senior NRM figures, is seen as a strong Museveni ally. 7. Maj Gen (rtd) Matayo Kyaligonza; vice chairperson, West Kyaligonza, RO 036, is a member of the UPDF High Command, which is recognised by the 1995 Constitution. Although Kyaligonza served intermittently in the CA and Parliament, he has had his run-ins with the Museveni government, at one point being demoted in the army. At some point, he was linked to a plot to overthrow Museveni’s government, although he was not arrested. His woes with the establishment have seen him serve largely in foreign missions as Uganda’s ambassador to Kenya, and Burundi. 7. Francis Babu, 66; vice chairperson, Kampala Former Kampala Central MP Babu has seen his political stock fall in the recent past from minister to mayoral aspirant to a politician without a base. Babu blames his woes on Mbabazi who he says frustrated his stab at the mayorship in 2011. Although he would not be caught backing Mbabazi, Babu, also husband to the speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Margaret Zziwa, has made his feelings known that he would like to see Museveni retire from the presidency in 2016. 9. Janet Grace Akech Akorimoe; vice chairperson, Karamoja The former Woman MP for Abim and – before the creation of that district – Kotido has also previously served as a resident district commissioner. She lost the Abim district seat in the 2011 elections. Little has been heard from her in the recent NEC meetings. 10. Amama Mbabazi, 67; secretary general Until he started casting glances at the presidency, Mbabazi was seen as President Museveni’s blue-eyed boy, loyalist extraordionaire, executor of the president’s most sensitive assignments, and, well, president-in-waiting. However, accusations of corruption and unpalatable personality traits tended to damage his stock among ordinary Ugandans and within NRM. Since he was sacked as prime minister, Mbabazi has managed to win over some of his critics with his calm behaviour. Winning support across the country – and votes for that matter – is likely to be the greatest test, though, for the political acumen of the embattled Kinkiizi West MP. 11.Amelia Anne Kyambadde, 59; national treasurer Until her maiden foray into politics in 2010, Kyambadde had worked closely as an assistant to Museveni for decades, eventually rising to the position of Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to the president. The Mawokota North MP, who became cabinet minister immediately she got to Parliament, was also seconded to the role of treasurer. Her long association with Museveni means she has the clout to speak her mind on some issues, such as when she opposed the ring-fencing of the NRM flag bearer position at a previous NEC meeting. Nevertheless, she remains a strong Museveni ally. 12. Dorothy Hyuha, 52; deputy secretary general Hyuha served as legislator from 1996 to 2011, when she was defeated in the NRM primaries. She only became a cabinet minister in February 1999 and held onto her political career by the coattails through her election as NRM deputy secretary general. Without a local constituency, President Museveni appointed Hyuha as Uganda’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, a position she still holds, and which keeps her firmly in the pro-Museveni camp. 13. Singh Katongole, 47; deputy national treasurer A businessman for the better part of his working life, Katongole is an NRM Johnnie-come-lately, who somehow managed to edge his way to the political high table. Katongole, who had also found his way to Parliament under controversial circumstances before court kicked him out, was seen as a close Mbabazi associate. However, the recent change in the political tide has apparently seen the Ugandan-of-Asian-origin shift his allegiance to the Museveni camp. 14. Justine Kasule Lumumba, 42; NRM chief whip The Office of Chief Whip is the maiden political office in government for the Bugiri Woman MP, who is a teacher by profession. She is a loyal Musevenist within NRM CEC. 15. Jim Muhwezi, 64; chairperson, Veterans League Muhwezi, a retired major general of the UPDF, was a key member of the NRA bush war. However, after a corruption scandal when he was minster of Health, Muhwezi was cast into the shadows. Recently, however, he has re-emerged as a key Museveni strategist. He has led the attacks on Mbabazi, apparently in part due to a personal feud between the two. 16. Kirunda Kivejinja, 79; chairperson, Historical Leaders’ Forum A veteran of the NRM, Kivejinja has a neutralising effect in the often-polarised NRM CEC meetings of the recent past. Kivejinja does not back Mbabazi, but has spoken out against the sole candidacy bid, saying it will kill off internal democracy in the ruling party. 17. Hassan Basajjabalaba; chairperson, Entrepreneurs’ League Before he openly joined politics as chairperson of the entrepreneurs’ league, Basajjabalaba was better known as the controversial hides and skins businessman for whom the president was always ready to open the Bank of Uganda cash vault. In turn, Bassajabalaba has returned the favour by bank-rolling the ruling party at crucial times, such as elections. In the Museveni-Mbabazi feud, however, Basajjabalaba has emerged as a Mbabazi sympathiser, often backing the beleaguered secretary general in meetings when his chips are down. 18. Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, 67; chairperson, Electoral Commission Recently appointed prime minister, Dr Rugunda had served in nearly every cabinet position, including twice as Health minister. A member of the NRA/M External wing during the bush war, Dr Rugunda has been described by President Museveni as a loyal NRM cadre who would not protest even when less senior people were appointed to more senior roles. Dr Rugunda does not have a constituency, having relinquished the Kabale municipality seat to Serapio Rukundo at the request of Museveni. However, Museveni has continued to keep him in government, trusting him with sensitive roles such as head of the government team to the peace talks with LRA and ambassador to the UN when Uganda chaired the UN Security Council. 19. Dennis Namara, 28; chairperson, Youth League Namara serves at the helm of his party’s youth league and as senior presidential adviser on youth affairs. He was also seen as a close Mbabazi associate until President Museveni began to drive a wedge between the two. At his wedding early this year, Namara had invited only Mbabazi but Museveni told his secretary general they would fly to the event together. Since then, Namara’s hands have been tied and he has quietly shifted his allegiance to Museveni’s camp. 20. Jacqueline Mbabazi, 60; chairperson, Women’s League A wife to secretary general Amama, Jacqueline had kept in the political shadows for a long time, despite her election in 2010 to the NRM’s second most influential policy organ. Behind the scenes, however, she had previously held senior government positions at the National Enterprise Corporation, Uganda Revenue Authority (commissioner) and Luweero Industries Limited (managing director). Since the purge on Mbabazi began early this year, she has been the most outspoken defender of her husband, even confronting the president directly sometimes. 21. Charles Bakkabulindi, 55; chairperson, Workers League The Workers’ MP has served as state minister for Sports for the better part of his parliamentary career. He is seen as a defiant Mbabazi supporter who has continued to back the former prime minister. 22. Kabakumba Labwoni Matsiko, 48; chairperson, Institutions League The disgraced former minister for the Presidency was a high- flying member of cabinet until she resigned, following allegations of corruption during her tenure as minister of Information and National guidance. She has largely kept out of the spotlight during the recent heated NRM NEC meetings. 23. Fred Mukisa, 65; chairperson, Elders’ League Although Fred Mukisa did not participate in the NRA bush war, his association with the NRM government began immediately it captured power in 1986. Prior to 1986, Mukisa worked as a head teacher in Kenya, where he had fled. He then returned to Uganda in 1986 and began mobilising for the NRM in Busoga sub-region. He rose through the ranks from a Resident District Commissioner, a deputy director in the Movement Secretariat and, eventually, to an MP and a state minister for Fisheries (twice). Mukisa was defeated in the NRM primaries ahead of the 2011 general elections. He was recently elected, under controversial circumstances, as Katukkiro (prime minister) of Busoga kingdom. [email protected]
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 05:55:18 +0000
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