BY NELLY OTTO
MAYUGE
ROBERT Ntende the former MP Bunya South in Mayuge district has said politicians hailing from Busoga have reduced themselves to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s “ political back- up queen dancers”, who sing only tunes that pleases their masters as opposed to highlighting problems affecting the local people.
“…the population is fatigued with the current regime that offers piecemeal services, for example the road Kaitabawala to Mbulamuti has become Museveni’s theme song whenever he steps foot in Busoga…”,Ntende who has no kind words from Busoga politicians who always join what he calls ‘insipid and boring chorus’ rants.
Ntende, who represented the constituency in the 10th parliament as an NRM MP but lost to Iddi Isabirye in 2021 a few weeks ago, shocked the nation after announcing his defection to the opposition NUP.
Clad in NUPs trademark red beret, Ntende disputes the now common narrative by some experts which ranks Busoga as one of the poorest regions, arguing that it’s a distorted one by a section of gullible population.
He reveals that experts who conduct surveys and interviews commissioned either by the central government or NGOs always rely on information given to them as gospel truth and end up giving a wrong impression about Busoga.
“…some Basoga mistakenly assume that when you tell the truth, you will be denying the area of getting more funding from the government and NGOs,so they will claim to own nothing…”he claims.
He also claims that most people in Busoga under declare their age thinking they will have access to some of the imaginary funding schemes and donations targeting the younger age bracket.
On the public outcry about poor health service delivery in government health facilities, Ntende describes Museveni as a liar who knows the truth but prefers to use sentiments.
He says President Museveni should be in the best position to know that the hospitals are sick because he established a fully fledged Health Monitoring Unit (HMU) to support an efficient and accessible health system that works for all Ugandans.
Without mentioning names, Ntende accuses some of the prominent officials from Basoga occupying key positions of only thinking about themselves and families as opposed to speaking and lobbying for the ordinary citizens.
“…time and again you hear them saying everything is moving on well, the whole of Busoga and the people are happy with the government services and are behind you to give you maximum votes…”he charged.
The visibly irritated Ntende also says most of the political leaders from Busoga are too insecure and jealous with younger people with the leadership credentials whom they always lock out and select mediocre to parade before president Museveni.
Government deliberate efforts to keep the people poor because governing rich people is difficult but the vulnerable people will always clap and dance for you even if you just cough or sneeze.
On education, the NUP politician claims that most prime schools are out of Busoga and the traditional schools died naturally because they could not withstand competition.
Ntende says NUP as a revolutionary political party has a new agenda to transform Uganda for everyone to enjoy individual and corporate freedom, liberty and prosperity, away from the current arrangement where a few controls the wealth, leaving others wallowing in abject poverty.
“…you can imagine that most parents are frustrated that after selling assets like land in education, the children have no jobs and end up selling the remaining piece of land to buy motor cycles for bodaboda business…”he says.
What NUP promises in 2026?
Asked what his new-found party will do, Ntende promises that NUP will sweep all the four constituencies together with the district LC5 chair because its leaders speak what matter to the population.
“…while NRM politicians will be dancing and singing praise songs, we shall be asking the population to kick them out because of poor service delivery, corruption, nepotism, unemployment and poverty…”,Ntende vows.
His other comrade in crime who abandoned the ‘yellow bus’ in favour of the Magere-based party is Waira James Kywalabye ‘Majegere’ the former MP Bunya East who also lost to NRM’s James Kubeketerya in the last election
What you need to know about Mayuge:
Mayuge(formerly Bunya County) ,became a district by an Act of Parliament in 2000 has four parliamentary slots, namely Bunya East, Bunya West, Bunya South and the District Woman MP.
According to data available, the district has 13 sub counties and four town councils, namely: Mayuge, Magamaga, Bugadde and Bwondha Town Councils.
These sub counties form three constituencies: Bunya East comprises Kigandalo,Buwaya,Mpungwe,and Bukabooli ;while Bunya South has Malongo,Busakira,Bwondha Town Council,Jaguzi and Kityerera and Bunya West has Imanyiro,Bukatube,Baitabogwe,Wairasa,Magamaga and Mayuge Town Councils.
During the period between 2002- 2020,data available indicates the district population increased to more than 550,000 from more than 320,000,meaning the district population increased by more than 240,000 people.
More than half of the population (51%) is female, and due to the high fertility rate, it’s estimated that on average there are 6.2 children per woman and half of the population is children under the age of 15 years.
Until recently,Mayuge had a lot of political squabbles which polarized the district into two rival camps referred to the “Americans’ and the ‘Talibans” headed by the fugitive interim chairman Bakali Ikoba Tigawalana and the late Ugandan Shite Leader Sheikh Abdul Kadhir Muwaya,popularly known as Dakhtur who was assassinated by some unknown gunman in December 2014.
Tigawalana was convicted of murder which was upheld by the Court of appeal of killing his political rival Fred Musitwa Nume who had challenged his election over questionable academic qualifications.
Following the news,Ikoba vanished up to today where nobody knows although unconfirmed sources say he fled to Zambia but occasionally sneaks back to visit his family.
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