By Chris Mugasha
KAMPALA/MITOOMA: Although they have not been ‘seeing eye to eye’ in their home district-Mitooma, the former Mitooma district NRM Muhangi Wilberforce Byaboneka and the deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa have put aside their misunderstandings to ensure that Mitooma retains the Deputy speaker’s position.
Byaboneka who has always blamed his loss of the Mitooma district NRM chairmanship position on Tayebwa has issued a statement declaring his support to Tayebwa despite the misunderstandings which he described as “our petty grievances.”
Byaboneka is a known strong alie of the Minister for Internal Affairs Maj. Gen.Kahinda Otafiire. It is not yet clear whether Byaboneka and his ‘Boss’ Otafiire are on the same page.
The position of the Deputy Speaker has already become a centre of debate after Iddi Bassajjabalaba a son to the City Tycoon Hassan Bassajjabalaba announced his intentions to unseat Tayebwa. Both Iddi and Tayebwa hail from Western region-Greater Bushenyi sub-region in particular.
Reports indicate that the NRM’s top organ the Central Executive Committee (CEC) recently sat and endorsed Tayebwa for the Deputy Speaker’s position but it remains unclear whether all the in-coming elected MPs will buy the idea of endorsement.
Below is Byaboneka’s statement;
A common sense statement
Brothers and sisters, there is a saying in our local dialect “ngu enyin ’emwe zirwana nizorekana ebyina”. I bitterly disagreed with my brother Thomas Tayebwa and it was for obvious reasons.
However, the position of the Deputy speaker is a very strategic office that can be deliberately used by the holder to cause an impactful change in the lives of the people in his/her community and beyond, and steer development for the betterment of all citizenry.
Therefore as Mitooma people, I argue everyone who can influence any elected member of parliament to do so, in pursuit of the support of our brother Rt Hon. Thomas Tayebwa to retain his position of the Deputy Speaker in the 12th parliament.
Let our petty grievances that we can handle locally not be extrapolated to the national level.
Muhangi Wilberforce Byaboneka
(Former NRM Chairman – Mitooma district)
End
