Big Interview: "I am ready to defeat Nabakooba, again and again," says Joyce Bagala

Last week, the High Court in Mubende nullified Joyce Bagala's election as the Mityana Woman Member of Parliament and ordered for a by-election, following a petition filed by her opponent, Judith Nabakooba.

Speaking to the Nile Post in an interview, Bagala said despite all the challenges she is facing now, her zeal to bring about political change in the country remains unshaken.

Excerpts below:

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The High Court in Mubende nullified your victory as a Mityana Woman Member of Parliament. How do you feel about the court ruling?

I was not satisfied. I don’t know why he [the judge] decided the way he decided but it was obvious, many lawyers have looked at the judgment and it is outrageous. So I was not satisfied with the court ruling.

You said you are going to appeal the court ruling, aren’t you worried about the costs and all the expenses that go along with this?

This is a struggle, why do you want me to think more about the costs than justice? This is the struggle for justice. It has not just started now, it has been here for years. If you want justice, we shall pursue justice .Why do you want me to be more worried about the cost than justice?

Why don’t you wait for the by-election rather than appealing against the court ruling if you are confident of winning the race?

I am ready for both. I said this is a struggle, the struggle to save all institutions of this country from the junta. We will pursue all the legal avenues to get justice and I am sure that I will win the by-election. We have been telling you all the time that we want to expose the rot in the system and we are doing everything possible.

You know many times, people have been asking why is it that every time the judges made the ruling, it doesn’t come in your favour and that is ‘why you say the justice system is wrong’.It is not about the judges, it is about the system.

This is about Uganda, it is not about an individual, It is not about Joyce Bagala. This is about everyone who should enjoy the right to justice.

What if you don’t get the justice you want. What will be your next move?

The issue is to expose the rot in the system with the view of correcting, with the view of making this country better,that is our struggle. The thing is, it is not about me winning an election .It is about having a better country.

How ready are you for this by-election?

A hundred percent more prepared for this by-election. As I have told you, it is about the struggle to liberate Uganda and I have always been ready .

Even before I became a Member of Parliament, even when I was a journalist, I was always ready. I was always willing and I was always committed and I am still committed to the struggle to liberate this country.

For me, this is about my contribution to this country, so I am ready, more than a hundred percent.

You have been traversing northern Uganda with the leader of the opposition. How far have you gone with the recently launched legislative agenda?

We have regional tours. We started with the Acholi sub region, we were there for three days. We met cultural leaders, we met religious leaders, and we met politicians. We met people and children who were affected by the nodding disease sydrome.

We went to Elegu border and we assessed the situation there .The programme is going on well and we are going to come with a report of our findings .There are issues of health there, there are issues of corruption and many other issues. We are going to make the statement on the floor of Parliament.

Recently, the Inter Party organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) wrote to the leadership of your party seeking for a physical meeting. In your view what must be fulfilled for the party to join the forum?

As NUP, we don’t need to be persuaded. When we talk about transparency, when we talk about justice, when we talk about fairness, what is there in IPOD for the NUP? We are for the people because even the people who are there, they are saying it is a table for tea. There are things that we put on the table and we are saying why are we joining IPOD when a hundred of our people are still in jail?

There are things that need to be worked on. The decision to join IPOD will be taken by us depending on what the situation is .For now we have not seen the reason to join [IPOD].

In your view, how best can the opposition confront the issue of removing President Museveni from power?

In all ways possible and especially in ways that are legal. The issue is so many Ugandans keep on asking that the opposition has been trying to remove the president, all in vain. We shall continue with the struggle. We will not stop. Just because he did not go yesterday doesn’t mean he will not go. Who said the struggle is going to take one day or two days? Who set the time for the struggle?

The opposition will continue to engage in all legal and constitutional activities to change the governance of this country.

How can the struggle of removing president Museveni from power be achieved if the opposition is not united because NUP has refused to join People Front Transition (PFT) and IPOD which are seen as platforms that can bring the opposition together?

Let me tell you working together does not necessarily mean that you should belong to the same outfit because it is like you are saying, I should not be working with FDC because I am not a member of FDC. It is like you are saying I should not be working with DP because I am not DP yet there could be issues that bring us together, issues where we can agree.

This is what I would like to tell Ugandans, we agree without any doubt that we need change. It doesn’t matter how you do it as long as it is constitutional.

I think the media simply wants to create a controversy, collusion between change agents. It is okay for each of us to be in our own outfit but work towards the common goal.

What are some of the challenges that you have encountered as you serve the people of Mityana district?

Mityana district has four constituencies, Mityana South, Mityana North, Busujju and Mityana Municipality. I could say the area is a bit vast compared to constituency MPs as opposed to the district. The district is larger.

So for example, if it takes one week for the constituency Member of Parliament to go through the entire area.It would take me four weeks to do that. Even the cost of doing that work is quite high.

I cannot say that I have a lot of challenges because it has just been five months and the term is five years.

I cannot say it has been so difficult, but generally speaking, all women MPs issues to do with the vast area of responsibility compared to our constituency counterparts.

Your last word to the people of Mityana district.

I love them so much .I am very grateful to the people of Mityana district, not only Mityana, to the people across this country. Ugandans have shown me overwhelming support and love and people across political divide. Even the people in the diaspora, I am very grateful and I don’t take it for granted. I am here, I am ready. We will win this.