Mbabazi speaking at his niece’s giveaway
Former prime minister Amama Mbabazi says he is back for an active role in the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s affairs.
He was Tuesday meeting NRM councillors from all five divisions of Kampala: Nakawa, Kawempe, Rubaga, Makindye, and Kampala Central.
Mbabazi, who was representing President Museveni, told them he has never left the NRM party despite his disagreements with the President.
He said it was those disagreements that made him contest against him as an Independent candidate in 2016 General Election.
“I am NRM. Those who thought that because I contested against our chairman that I left NRM are wrong because they do not know what they are talking about. I was among those who started NRM so why should I leave it, I cannot,” he is quoted by Daily Monitor as saying.
“I have been silent and I have my issues. I will not discuss them here today but time will come, we shall sit together as NRM and talk about them.”
Mbabazi said he cannot abandon President Museveni despite the disagreements.
“Museveni and I, there are certain times we do not agree and it caused the other problems you witnessed in 2015. But me, I can never leave him. I have spent 50 years with Museveni in the struggle,” he explained.
He added: “When I had a wedding at my home, I told Museveni that ‘even if we disagree, it will not take me out of NRM. If I have been with you for 50 years in the most difficult conditions, I will not part ways with you because of the disagreements I have with you today. But if I have disagreements with you, I tell you.’”
President Museveni sacked Mbabazi as prime minister on September 18, 2014 after a long silent power struggle between them.
Later President Museveni said he sacked Mbabazi because he had gotten involved in “divisive politics”.
During the NRM National Executive Committee meeting at Namboole in 2015, Mbabazi was removed as the party’s secretary general.
He later contested against President Museveni as an independent in 2016.
In 2018, President Museveni and Mbabazi spoke fondly of each other during the traditional giveaway of Mbabazi’s niece Bridget Birungi to Andile Ramaphosa, the son of South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa.
In 2019, Mbabazi was seen having a good time with the President at his Kisozi farm in Gomba district.
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