Big interview: "No one in NUP is indispensable" says Sseggona

Some political analysts have claimed that Uganda’s political system is totally broken to the extent that there is a lot that has gone wrong, and very few positives left.

As such, the opposition believe that the only solution to Uganda’s problem is the removal of President Museveni from power but the question that eludes the finest of Uganda’s political leaders and pundits is when and how he will leave the political stage.

The Nile Post spoke to Medard Lubega Sseggona, the Member of Parliament for Busiro East on a number of issues including challenges the opposition faces. 

Excerpts below:

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In his address regarding the security situation in the country, President Museveni rebuked security forces for violating the rights of Ugandans. Do you think he was honest?

How would you accuse President Museveni of being honest? First of all, has he ever been honest? Did you expect him to be honest? Because we have been talking about the human rights violation in the country. You remember when they [severity forces] beat up journalists and they showed him the photo of a journalist that was clobbered by his security forces and he said the journalist was suspected to be a camera thief, so that thing hurt me so much.

We have thrived on violations of human rights and on hitting people. Do you want to tell me that he {the president} is now old enough to know that beating is bad? It was a statement of political convenience. He was not honest.

The opposition has tried to dislodge President Museveni from power but it failed. In your view, what could be the biggest challenge the opposition is facing in removing  Museveni from power?

The army, the police have all concluded that it’s about him [Museveni]. He thrived through rigging the elections and use of that machinery, that is the only challenge. Otherwise when it comes to the votes we have defeated him before like in the recent elections, we defeated him. We need to work together as the opposition in order to remove President Museveni from power.

As the chairperson of the Public Account Committee (PAC) in Parliament, you promised to scrutinise the list of Covid-19 relief funds. How far have you gone with the task?

70% of the job is done, so we are still working, we are left with fact developments and then we shall release the report.

When you compare NUP with your former party, did you make the right move?

I am contented and the future is bright. My thinking, my work and my effort is to make sure that NUP survives for a long time until it captures power, so I don’t have time to be the prophet of doom like those who think the party won’t survive for long.

You are running for the presidency of SC Villa but your competitor claims that since you are in the opposition, you won’t be able to have a good working relationship with the president who is viewed as a chief financier of sports. What is your take?

Because of having a good relationship with the president, is SC Villa back on top where it used to be? Given a chance I will recruit President Museveni into SC Villa if he wants to support football and if he wants to support my team but what has that got to do with running a sports club, it has got nothing.

There are two different things and I will have a good relationship with everybody supporting football in the country. We need to do more funding and give more attention to sports and that is one of the things I intend to lobby for in the government and also elsewhere as president of SC Villa.

You were appointed to head a committee in charge of amending the NUP constitution. How far is the process?

Everything is going on well. We are moving very well within the terms of reference. That is the job we were assigned to do, so we are committed and something good will come out.

Having contested as the Member of Parliament for Busiro East for three consecutive terms, should we expect you to seek another term come 2026?

How can I be a Member of Parliament throughout? There will be an election where I won’t contest, God willing, I am still around as you know we are in the struggle. As long as this struggle remains, I will continue serving and contributing through various ways and through various offices. It could be as a member of Parliament, it could be as the president and it could be anything else. Just keep me in your prayers.

The opposition has on several times criticised the way the government handled the second wave of Covid-19. In your view, how best should the government prepare for the third wave?

This government survives in panic, it has no coherent and contingent plan in the fight against Covid-19. They think they shall keep locking up the country, it has failed to do vaccination aggressively. Hopefully if they do aggressive vaccination, we will end this business of lockdown.

Your name was mentioned among NUP members who were expected to be appointed the Leader of Opposition. Were you disappointed when someone else was appointed to lead the opposition in Parliament?

It was not a contest and I am not a disappointed. I am a very happy guy and I am happy with the leadership that was appointed. I could as well vote Mathias Mpuuga and he could have voted for me so I have no disappointment. I have no regrets .

Where do you see NUP in five years to come given the fact that many people think that Bobi Wine overshadows the party?

The party can survive without him, the same way he can survive without being in the party. We work together, we build NUP as a party and his contribution towards the party can’t be underestimated .We have agreed as a principle that in NUP nobody is indispensable. All of us combined will do a great job but when one of us dies ,do we close the party?.