By Hakiim Wampamba
President Yoweri Museveni has underscored the contribution of his long-term comrade John Patrick Amama Mbabazi despite their brief disagreements that led to his challenge of the Museveni on the 2016 general polls ballot lending credence to the famous saying
‘in politics, there are no permanent enemies."
"I got some differences even with Kategaya and Mbabazi but I cannot forget the contribution you made in the past or you will make tomorrow. Even with Kategaya we got some differences at some point, but I asked him, do you still believe in East African Integration? I told him you come and become Minister of East Africa because for me I know what I am doing,"Museveni said during the 50th marriage anniversary for Mbabazi and his wife Jaqueline at Kampala Serena Hotel.
Mbabazi’s relationship with Yoweri Museveni started going sour when he sought to challenge Museveni for the flag bearer position within the ruling party by legally challenging the rules for contest station of the same position through his lawyers.
Having failed at this, in 2015, he announced his ambitions for presidency.
He went onto the ballot in 2016 under in the Go Forward Movement getting a blow not only at the ballot, but also at the Supreme Court.
Even with this Museveni commended his contribution to the struggle.
"We should audit the contribution of everyone from who did what, at what time and that is why, we need to congratulate Jackie for being with us in the struggle to re- orient Uganda to a right direction, "Museveni said.
Mbabazi returned from his long holiday of silence in on February, 16, 2022, having rekindled his relationship with Museveni to announce that he had been appointed chairman of the African Global Security Foundation.
The soft spoken, former Premier Rukahana Rugunda also spoke highly of Mbabazi.
“Mbabazi was a super prime minister and the filling his shoes at the OPM was a little hard . “
Analysts say that it was just a matter of time for JPAM to return home, burying the hatchet with his once adversary, vindicating the say that in politics, there are no permanent enemies.