The Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) has said the fall-out between President Museveni and the ruling party’s Secretary General, Mr Amama Mbabazi, is costly for the country as already seen in the depreciation of the shilling.
UPC, one of Uganda’s oldest political parties that twice held the mantle of power, observed that huge expenses are being incurred in a bid to counter Mr Mbabazi’s supposed presidential ambition.
The party spokesperson, Mr Okello Lucima, told journalists during the weekly press briefing yesterday that the cost of the February NRM parliamentary caucus retreat at Kyankwanzi; the money given to MPs to popularise Mr Museveni’s sole candidature and the mobilisation drives across the country to review the NRM manifesto performance have no economic value attached.
He also said the payment for these activities cannot be traced to NRM accounts. “Where did the money come from? We have no record of Museveni selling his cattle at Rwakitura or Kisozi; NRM has no source of income and even if NRM MPs contributed Shs4m, it wouldn’t add up. And, as if that isn’t bad enough, they gave out over Shs100m to MPs,” Mr Lucima said.
He added: “The UPC party is confident that the money did not come from the NRM treasury but believes it is public money, given that government reserves are now depleted.”
Mr Lucima warned Ugandans to prepare for economic hardships in the coming few months because the money being given out by NRM would soon further devalue the shilling, citing the current appreciation of the dollar against the shilling. He blamed the NRM for creating this situation by giving out money without value attached it.
However, NRM Deputy Spokesperson Ofwono Opondo last evening dismissed UPC’s assertions.
Mr Opondo told the Daily Monitor that the accusation that NRM raids the national treasury is an old song that has not been substantiated by the Opposition. He also suggested that UPC is not competent to comment on matters relating to the economy.
Mr Lucima further warned NRM members not to take the forthcoming party’s national delegates conference on December 15 lightly because Mr Mbabazi, whom they are trying to fix, may put up resistance.
“On December 15, last year…is when President Salva Kiir lost power in the party to his colleagues led by Riek Machar but instead of acknowledging defeat he went ahead to stage a military coup and the implication of that is still ongoing,” he said.
UPC vice president Joseph Bossa warned that whatever goes on in NRM has serious implications for the country politically and economically. He said when there is uncertainty in the leadership of the country, foreign investors take precaution.
He said this is about to happen if the bickering between Mr Mbabazi and Mr Museveni is not checked.
“When they are frightened, they withdraw the money which is in Uganda and take it out,” Mr Bossa said.
Asked by this paper whether there is any advice UPC can give NRM as far as Mbabazi-Museveni fight is concerned or any lesson NRM can learn from UPC in light of the conflicts between UPC founding leader Milton Obote and his two secretaries general; Grace Ibingira and John Kakonge, Mr Bossa said theirs was an ideological contest over which path the country should take.
“The Museveni-Mbabazi fight is purely struggling for the top job. Ours (Obote, Ibingira and Kakonge) was a democratic revolution and it is not history repeating itself but history punishing those against it. And every other day that passes, NRM glorifies UPC. We are not surprised that they are now replicating everything and, for example, we made this party constitution in 1974 and NRM is seeing sense in it now as they want to amend theirs to give powers to the party chairman like we do,” he said.
The Daily Monitor
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