By Najib Mulema
It is no longer a secret that cabinet Minister for Kampala Beti Olive Namisango Kamya is apparently the most hated politician in Uganda.
Well before officially joining President Yoweri Museveni’s NRM, Kamya was a staunch member of the opposition and she had her own anti-government political party known as Uganda Federal Alliance, after quitting Forum for Democratic Change after disagreeing with the party’s leaders.
Kamya was a darling and a role model to many opposition figures during the times she was on the side of Dr Kizza Besigye, articulating issues that related to the aspirations of the common Uganda. She really proved a force to reckon with in fighting for the oppressed.
During that time, there was no way you could talk about strong opposition figures in the country and you leave out Kamya.
A regular on radio and television shows, Kamya fell out with FDC after she was denied to rise to the party’s secretary general position (FDC voted for Alice Alaso), before, she asked to replace the late Sulaiman Kiggundu as the party’s chairman (position went to Sam Njuba).
She quit FDC, formed her own political vehicle the Uganda Federal Alliance, arguing that Uganda’s problem was putting too much power into the hands of one person, the president. She worked towards restoring power to regional government organised as federal states.
SO, in 2011, she aspired to become a president, competed with Museveni, and Besigye for the top seat, among others in the presidential elections, and of course she performed miserably poor.
No one can actually put a finger to when Kamya fell into President Museveni’s arms.
However, on 6 June, 2016, Museveni appointed Kamya as Minister for Kampala, a move that did not surprise many, but angered several people since she was still counted on as an opposition leader. Museveni says he was making a government for national unity, also picking from Democratic Party Nakiwala Kiyingi to occupy the Children and Youth state docket.
Since, Kamya has promised Museveni that she will ensure Kampala votes NRM by 80% in 2021.
However, City Hall is proving tough for the former Rubaga north legislator. Beti is now seen as an emblem of Museveni’s cruel face – fighting Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, and she has not spared the once hated KCCA executive director Jennifer Musisi, who has not taken a backseat, and enjoying the show from far.
Beti is now a political oppressor; she unwaveringly dances to the tunes of her boss.
Upon her appointment, disgruntled opposition members came out to condemn Kamya for accepting such dangerous position citing that it was Museveni’s trap and indeed it has manifested that it was really a dead-fall to tarnish Kamya’s credibility. May be she should have listened to these voices.
Since she stepped into office, Kamya has done more harm than good. She has come out with several ‘lazy’ orders in the name of stabilizing and uplifting Kampala as a city to the ‘standards of New York’ not forgetting her endless fights with Kampala city Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago on who should be the ‘boss’ of the other.
Lately, the embattled minister has picked a ‘war’ with the city Executive Director accusing her of not following orders and doing government work in media-not forgetting that the two ladies serve the same master.
Further the more Kamya is the lady behind all the blindfolded evictions in the city using her decrees to oppress the poor city dwellers. On several occasions she has uttered out uncalled for statements in favour of her shoddy actions.
Recently a certain group of NRM youth released a list of best and worst performing ministers in this ‘Kisanja Hakuna Mchezo’ and Beti Kamya was named as the worst performing minister in this term which I may say it wasn’t by coincidence or surprise.
At the moment, Kamya is the most criticized politician due to her unpropitious actions and this leaves her with no choice apart from being the most hated politician on the pearl of Africa.
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