Wolokoso: Mafabi asks Kadaga for job When Budadiri West MP Nathan Nandala-Mafabi chaired Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, he was always so busy ‘squeezing’ government officials that Hope Mwesigye, the former minister for Agriculture, once called PAC a torture chamber. But since he was dropped as leader of Opposition, Mafabi does not seem to be very busy. And so it was with some humour – but also understanding – that Mafabi recently asked Speaker Kadaga to appoint him to chair a committee, something MPs don’t do often. “Madam Speaker, let us set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the rot behind the capitation grant and I am ready to chair it for only five days,” Mafabi said, attracting laughter from MPs and the speaker. Did Nnaabagereka snub Mbabaali? Lwengo district NRM Chairman Muyanja Mbabaali was one of the people who “generously” contributed towards the success of the Kabaka’s 21st coronation anniversary in Sembabule last week. When his name was read for the Kabaka’s recognition, Mbabaali moved from his seat to shake the Kabaka’s hand. Against the cultural norm, Mbabaali did not prostrate before the Kabaka but, instead, extended his hand which the Kabaka shook. Mbabaali did the same for the Nnaabagereka Sylvia Nagginda, who, however, kept her arms folded. This attracted murmurs from the gathering, with some wondering whether Buganda’s queen was trying to teach Mbabaali to respect cultural norms. Dr Biteks shows rare bravery Mbabara Municipality MP Medard Bitekyerezo (Biteks as he is fondly called) is proud of his bravery. As Muslims celebrated Eid-el-Fitri last Monday, Biteks’ constituency received a guest in the names of former Vice-President Gilbert Bukenya, who caused quite some panic within the NRM leadership. For instance, the junior minister for Animal Industry, Lt Col Bright Rwamirama, is rumoured to have fled his Isingiro North constituency when he heard that Bukenya was headed there. But not Dr Biteks. “At least I was brave; I did not run away from my constituency like Rwamirama,” Biteks was overheard telling colleagues at Parliament last week. “When I found him at the mosque, I invited him as an MP to speak to the Muslims, but Rwamirama fled.” Politics is a strange animal. One minute someone is your vice-president; the next, you need courage to be seen fraternising with him! Ssekitoleko the ‘deputy husband’ Once one becomes an NRM MP, the next best thing is for President Museveni to appoint him/her a minister or a deputy minister. But when that does not happen, it seems, there are other ‘things’ one can ‘fall into’. Take Nakifuma MP Kafeero Ssekitoleko, who is now a deputy spouse, according to what Wolokoso witnessed last Tuesday. “Yes deputy husband; how are you today?” one legislator (name withheld for security reasons) greeted MP Ssekitoleko at Parliament. Not one to deny incontrovertible truths, Ssekitoleko simply replied: “I am happy and not complaining, my friend.” Now Wolokoso was left wondering: if Ssekitoleko is deputy husband, who is the senior husband? And what is the name of the ‘ministry’? But anyway, this is probably just wolokoso. Church mouse grabs cop’s coin A Shs 500 coin may not mean very much to many of you, but to an honest police officer, this can be a very big deal. Last Wednesday, as Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II visited Sembabule district as part of his 21st coronation anniversary, a police officer in Lwemiyaga dropped his coin as he directed traffic at the junction leading to Ntusi Catholic parish. As fate may have it, the coin rolled off the road into the grass. In a show of solidarity, several police officers joined their colleague to search for the coin. But after several minutes, the coin was nowhere to be seen. Soon, orders came for the cops to move to the next venue where the Kabaka was heading, and you should have seen how dejected they were as they walked to a waiting police truck. One officer joked that a church mouse from the Catholic parish had probably wandered into the grass and stolen the cop’s coin! Sorry, Afande! Bagiire speaks ‘Lusoga English’? Like him or hate him, Buyaga West MP Barnabas Tinkasiimire is one man who tells you your mistake to your face without worrying about repercussions. Tinkasiimire was recently in Parliament’s committee on ICT when Chairman Vincent Bagiire (Bunya West, NRM) said something he did not quite understand. “Has the chairperson spoken this word in Lusoga or in English?” Tinkasiimire asked in a committee which was meeting officials from the Uganda Communications Commission. Tinkasiimire went on to state that the chairman should have said “subsided” not “subsidized”. Bagiire was gracious in admitting his error – British English: “So, I thank you honourable Tinkasiimire; that is the very reason why I put you near the chairperson because I want to enjoy your advice.” Museveni not a “born-again” It is not just because President Museveni has a born-again family: somehow, many people tend to think of the president as a born- again Christian. But he is not, and the reasons are very practical. “I used to be a born-again but in 1964, people forced me to quit this faith because they misinterpreted the biblical teachings.” he told Muslim leaders at State House Entebbe recently. “There is a biblical teaching which essentially indicates that God can feed birds which don’t work. So, people those days asked themselves that: ‘if God can feed birds, what of us?’ leading them to become lazy.” Museveni urged his guests to be hard-working, saying he had delayed to meet them because he was from his “garden” in Gomba. observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33121:-wolokoso-mafabi-asks-kadaga-for-job&catid=34:news&Itemid=114
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 22:30:31 +0000
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