Thousands of people have flocked the streets of Mbale town chanting pro- Museveni slogans in support of his sole candidature that was endorsed at the NRM retreat in Kyankwazi last year.

The demonstrations come in the wake of an impending visit to Mbale by the former Prime Minister John Patrick Amama Mbabazi tomorrow, and  people have been mobilized from all the surrounding Districts of Manafwa, Sironko, Budadiri, Bududa, Butaleja, and Palisa to protest against Mbabazi’s decision to contest against Museveni, the current chairman of the NRM.

According to a source that spoke to Eagleonline, the region’s prominent NRM leaders are gathered at the Mbale cricket grounds and these include Connie Galiwango, Woman MP Mbale, Simon Mulongo, (Bubulo East), Micheal Werikhe, (Bungokho South), Rose Mutonyi, (Bubulo West),  Yahya Gudoi (Bungokho North), Irene Muloni (Bulambuli Woman), and the LCV chairman of Mbale district Bernard Mujasi.

The source further says there are also processions of people dancing around the whole town and shouting that Mbabazi should not travel to Mbale because they do not need to see or hear from him. Also, boda boda riders, taxi drivers and touts and some businesspeople have abandoned their work to join the anti-Mbabazi demos.

Mbabazi, who announced last month that he would compete in the party elections for presidential flag bearer, has declared he would tour the country to present himself to the electorate, starting in Mbale.

But the police say the ex-Premiers move is illegal, describing it as ‘early electioneering’.

And now in Mbale many of Mbabazi’s supporters are said to have crossed to Museveni’s camp, notable among them Muhamood Masaba, who has been one of the coordinators of Mbabazi’s task force in the eastern town. He now says he had ‘made a wrong decision and is back home’.

According to the source, people in Mbale are saying that Mbabazi’s structures that he had created in Mbale during his days as Minister for Security and Secretary General of NRM have been dismantled and his supporters have crossed over.

And reading a statement signed by all District NRM chairpersons and NRM MPs from the Elgon region, the Minister of Energy and Minerals Irene Muloni noted that the group is opposed to Mbabazi’s aspirations.

“We will not participate in any of Mbabazi’s activities when he comes to Mbale tomorrow,” reads the statement in part.

The Bungokho South MP Michael Werikhe said that Mbabazi and Museveni have worked together for long and that the former has not revealed what bad Museveni did to him.

“He should take his war somewhere else not in Bugisu,” Werikhe said with his Bungokho North counterpart Yahya Gudoi, concurring.

“We should go back home and tell the people that we don’t want to fight and that Mbabazi should not take his personal ego into fights in Mbale,” Gudoi said.

Not to be outdone Bubulo West MP Rose Mutonyi Masaba, said Mbabazi will know his fate tomorrow when he goes to Mbale.

“Let us say no to Mbabazi. Are we fools to allow him in Mbale?” Mutonyi asked. Simon Mulongo of Bubulo East wondered why Mbabazi did not start his countrywide tour from his home district of in Kanungu.

“Can he tell us why he chose Bugisu and Teso or he was chased from his home,” Mulongo wondered.

The Mbale LC V Chairman Bernard Mujasi, the unity and fruits of Museveni’s leadership are known, “so Mbabazi should not cause disunity in Bugisu,” Mujasi said while the State Minister for Trade, James Mutende Shinyabulo emphasized that the people of Mbale are comfortable with Museveni and that he is still loved.

In a related development the Director of Operations in the Uganda Police Force, Andrew Alex Kaweesi is in Mbale trying to ensure that security is not compromised although the crowds seem unruly. There is also heavy deployment of policemen in the whole town and business has come to standstill as people are running up down, the source says.

Meanwhile, by the time of filing this report it was not clear if Mbabazi would cancel the trip since he has always insisted that the police have no right to stop him from consulting since he is an aspiring candidate.

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The Democratic Party (DP) is going to punish all its members who have been sabotaging party activities.

Speaking to the press at the party offices, the DP President General Mr. Norbert Mao said all the undisciplined members would face the wrath of the party’s disciplinary mechanisms.

“DP is not a violent party but various steps will be taken to thwart hooliganism. There is no room for hooliganism in DP,” said Mr. Mao. His warning comes two weeks after a group of youths attached the DP headquarters and destroyed property.

Mao, who has been off party politics for some time now, also lashed out at members of SUUBI, an offshoot of renegade members, branding them ‘fanatics that have open mouths but closed minds’ and saying they had caused chaos in the party.

“They claim to be DP but their actions are different; a party member must comply with party decisions. They rebelled against our decision,” Mao said before comparing SUUBI to  Kabaka Yekka (KY), a chaotic political group of the 1960s.

He also wooed back disgruntled members, but hastened to say that only those that upheld party principles would be welcome.

Mao revealed that the party’s Constitution was amended making Uganda Young Democrats (UYD), DP’s youth wing, and a recognized party organ. “The UYD is under DP,” he noted. Many prominent leaders have passed through UYD and Mao himself was once a member of the UYD.

Speaking about running for presidency, Mao said that he is fit to run again since he has the experience.  “I am still strong to lead the party; my level of understanding is so high compared to those (SUUBI),” he said.

The Democratic Party, the oldest political party, will hold its Delegates Conference tomorrowat Katomi Hotel, and one of the issues on the agenda is reconciliation and dialogue.

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Controversy at Uganda House is not about to end soon and the latest to emerge from the Uganda Peoples’ Congress headquarters is that the party’s newly-elected president is a ‘puppet’ of President Yoweri Museveni.

According to former UPC boss Olara Otunnu, Jimmy Akena is a beneficiary of financial support from president Museveni and therefore, an enemy of the party.

“Did Mzee Obote leave money for him, or is it Mama Miria? His source of finance is evidently the president because Akena does not have a business that makes all that money,” Mr.Otunnu said.

He added: “Hon Akena has evidently become a puppet to President Museveni; all the activities he is engaged in are  null and void because they are illegal,” Mr.Ottunu said adding: “These activities are  attempts of taking UPC by force and impunity on behalf of Yoweri Museveni.”

Asked for evidence regarding the allegations, the former diplomat pointed out two other reasons that link Akena, who is also the Lira Municipality Member of Parliament, to the president.

Otunnu said that Akena receives favors from police and other state security officials who help him invade Uganda House, the party headquarters.

“The role of the police in all this is another factor, when police was called to throw out (Akena’s) intruders, they instead turned on us and locked us outside,” Otunnu said.

He added: “State operatives armed with pistols also stormed the party headquarters and helped Akena force the Electoral Commission to announce him president-elect, which is against the party Constitution.”

According to the UPC party constitution, one is called president elect after approval by the delegates’ conference; this is after going through the district quota elections. Akena won in the district elections but is yet to be subjected to the delegates’ conference according to Ottunu.

On July 1^st 2015, Mr.Akena in his capacity as president elect of UPC convened a consultative meeting which was supposed to consist of the delegates conference members but the section opposed to him says the people in attendance that day were not members of the Delegates Conference.

During this meeting, Akena was sworn in as party president, something Otunnu maintains is illegal, while emphasizing that Akena has no right to call for a delegate’s conference.

“In the party Constitution, it’s only the president with legitimate power to call for a Delegates Conference; Akena is not president so I shall convene a legal and properly constituted delegate’s conference soon,” Otunnu said.

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