Minister Bahati faints in Kabale, blames political rival

Bahati momentarily lost his bearing in Ndorwa West during a fundraising before recovering to lecture his opponent and voters

David Bahati looked dazed and lost his balance. He was due to hit the ground with a thud when his aide reacted faster than Olympic sprinters at the blocks.

They pulled a seat for the junior minister for industry, who recovered and pulled himself together to fire a staccato of accusations at his political opponent.

Minister Bahati, the Ndorwa West MP, was speaking at a fundraising function at Kahungye Catholic Centre in Ndorwa West of Kabale District where he spent the day warning his rival Eliab Naturinda Mporera and directing security to restrain his political mobilisation.

The salvo of blames could have convinced many that the minister was faulting Mporera for his fainting episode.

Bahati criticised Mporera and district counsellors who supported the lawyer's early campaigns.

"The councillors that I have heard instead of supporting us the leaders to bring development to our people, they are instead doing the opposite," Bahati said.

"I don’t know what’s wrong with them. What's wrong with you, are you really normal?" the man who had just fainted queried the mental health of others, oblivious of the deep irony of the moment.

Well, politics does that. It does.

The minister further warned his opponent to leave the "big seats" for the incumbent leaders, adding that upstarts are not able to handle politics and deliver to the people.

“You leave big things for us. What we want is to do something small and when time comes, you be behind me, even when it's time for politics you vote me, that’s what we want from you," Bahati said.

He accused Mporera of starting the race before the start gun had gone and directed the Kabale Resident Commissioner to take serious actions against politicians jumping the political road map gun.

“RDC, we have not reached in campaign period. I have heard of some people diverting boda boda riders, what if I also decided to bring boda boda riders here, would we have had the fundraising? he said.

"It’s not time for voting and the laws are there. If you want to contest invite people at your home and consult them but this issue is putting up a procession does work.

"RDC I have told you if you don’t stop them, me I will use my powers to stop them."

At the same function, Mporera was initially denied a seat at the high table where the minister was seated, though he was later given one.

Mporera was also denied the opportunity to speak at the event by the MCs, allegedly on Bahati’s orders.