Keep clear of Nantaba, Karangwa fights- Sseninde warns Kayunga NRM leaders

The NRM Director for mobilization, Rosemary Sseninde has warned the party leaders in Kayunga against taking part in the fights between Idah Nantaba, the district woman MP and her political rival Moses Karangwa, the district NRM chairman.

“We cant go forward with such fights . Where two elephants fight, it is the grass to suffer. When those two(Kalangwa and Nantaba) fight, it is our people who suffer. When they fight and you are recruited into their fight, what do you gain?  It is their own fight. Even if they get power, you wont gain anything,” Sseninde said.

She was speaking to the party leaders from Kitimbwa and Kayonza sub counties in Bbaale constituency in Kayunga district  at Nalinya Irene Ndagire Secondary School on Wednesday morning.

Sseninde told the NRM party leaders that by engaging in fights and helping others fight their own selfish wars, there is nothing they gain and in the long run, the party will lose out.

“These infights are so deep that you don’t need to take part. Help us bridge the gap and unite the antagonising parties. If Karangwa or Nantaba wronged you, forgive them so we can move on as a party.”

She said that because of these infights, many of the party supporters have either joined the opposition or have voted the opposition in the previous elections.

“Even if you join the opposition, you will be looked at suspiciously. Stop blaming the NRM party yet you are the source of your own problems. If you are blaming NRM for poverty in your areas, what have you done to ensure the people you lead get interested in government poverty alleviation programs,” she said.

Sseninde asked the party leaders to develop the spirit of voluntarism that she said was the foundation of the ruling party but also warned against spilling the party secrets.

“This used to be one of our Meccas but because of infights, it is no more. Why do we spill our secrets to outsiders? We know there are some problems but there are also some good things. Let us stop infights that are breaking our party. Let us love our party.”

The fights

The fights in Kayunga especially between Moses Karangwa and Idah Nantaba continued even in the just concluded general elections.

For example, in the race for the Kayunga district Woman MP, Nantaba who came as an independent battled with Jackline Birungi Kobusingye, a daughter of to Karangwa.

Nantaba emerged victorious.

Speaking on Wednesday, Swalleh Kakeeto, the NRM flag bearer for Bbaale constituency in the just concluded election said the fights became pronounced in the race where the ruling party had more than five candidates, most of whom standing as independents.

He said that it was because of this division that they lost the election to National Unity Platform’s Charles Tebandeke.

“How do we get only six votes in one village? We could have won the NUP candidate if we were united. The total number of votes we got could have made us win if we were united. Let us go back to the grassroots and tell people we are united,”Kakeeto said.

Former area MP, Suleiman Kyebakoze Madada who came on the independent ticket in the just concluded election and lost to the NUP candidate said it is high time the infights are left behind.

“I ask that we forget the past. What happened in the past election should be the story of the past. Let us unite and canvass votes for the NRM candidate in the forthcoming byelection for the LC5 seat,”Madada said.