Museveni’s Visit to Busoga Escalates Political Feuds in the Region

President Yoweri Museveni’s four-day tour of Busoga region to assess the performance of the Parish Development Model (PDM) has deepened political tensions among leaders in the region, exposing longstanding rivalries.

The visit, which began in Namutumba District, brought to the surface bitter disputes between Woman MP Mariam Naigaga and State Minister for Urban Development Persis Namuganza, both of whom have been at odds since the 2021 elections.

The feud became apparent on the first day of the tour when Namuganza accused the organizers of excluding her from the list of speakers at the event. Namuganza alleged that the omission was a result of "bad politics" orchestrated by her rivals.

First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga intervened, explaining to the President that Namuganza, as PDM coordinator for Namutumba District, should be allowed to present her report.

"Your Excellency, I am the overall coordinator of PDM in Busoga subregion, but we divided the region into three sub-divisions, with Namuganza, Lukia Nakadama, and I sharing coordination responsibilities," Kadaga stated before inviting Namuganza to speak.

In her speech, Namuganza expressed her dissatisfaction with the exclusion. "Thank you, Rt. Hon. Kadaga, for the opportunity, though I was removed from the list of those to speak today. It is unfortunate, but I appreciate your consideration," she said.

Namuganza also accused the event organizers of deliberately removing Christopher Mutalya, a key PDM beneficiary from Bukono constituency, from the program. After hearing her concerns, President Museveni assured her that he would return to visit Bukono in May.

The political divide was further exposed during the main PDM rally held at Kamuli Youth Centre, where supporters of Kadaga booed Kamuli Municipality MP Baroda Watongola after President Museveni mentioned her name.

The President was responding to a request from Watongola to allow municipal authorities to use Shs1 billion of the road fund to purchase a bulldozer.

As soon as her name was mentioned, the crowd erupted into boos, prompting Museveni to promise a private meeting with Watongola to discuss the matter.

Additionally, a dispute arose over the interpretation of the President’s speech. While Kadaga’s team had arranged for former RDC Robert Mutemu to serve as the interpreter, Bugabula South MP Maurice Kibalya took over, angering Kadaga’s supporters.

The political landscape in Busoga is currently split between two factions: one aligned with Rebecca Kadaga and the other loyal to Speaker Anita Among. The 2021 elections marked the genesis of the feud between Namuganza and Naigaga when Naigaga, then part of Kadaga’s team, supported Emmanuel Maganda in a bid to unseat Namuganza in Bukono County.

Although Namuganza later reconciled with Kadaga, Naigaga switched allegiance to Among’s camp, intensifying the rivalry.

Museveni’s visit, intended to focus on development, has inadvertently highlighted the deep divisions among leaders in Busoga. With the President pledging to return in May, it remains to be seen whether these tensions will be resolved or further escalate.