The ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM is in deep panic after it emerged that their candidate for the Uganda North America Association-UNAA Presidency has moved closer to formally enter an alliance of convenience with the opposition National Unity Platform(NUP), the biggest opposition party against President Museveni’s regime.
Ugandans in North America are slated to meet between 1 and 5th September for their annual convention which will climax with electing new leaders for the next two years.
Ms Henrietta Nairuba Wamala, in power since 2019 will not seek re-election after successfully seeing out her two constitutionally accepted terms but has already identified herself with Lambert Etibot as an ideal successor.
Lambert, who has been widely seen as the official candidate of the Uganda’s ruling side, has had a hard time with voters, emanating specifically from her close relationship with Ms Nairuba who has widely been accused of swindling the organisation’s finances like they were her own.
As Secretary General to the Organisation under Nairuba, Etibot has not been spared either in apportioning blame for the scandalous UNAA tenure between 2019 and 2023.
Forinstance, a Whistleblower report in June pinned the controversial UNAA President of siphoning as much as $150,0000 funding to the organisation by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. The money was allegedly intended for boosting community activities and facilitating the formation of NRM diaspora structures, which incidentally, were in existence already.
There was also another scandal recently unearthed regarding the intensely contested virtual convention of 2020 where close to $ 300,000 is estimated to have been swindled by the greedy beaks of those in control.
Owing to outcries from Ugandans over the above financial impropriety, the Kampala regime has re-considered funding decisions for Etibot’s campaign, prompting him to desperately seek a lifeline even if it calls to ‘clutch at a serpent’ amid the growing threat from Patrick Ogwang who has effectively positioned himself as the reformer.
As the threat posed by Ogwang continues to grow more realistic than earlier anticipated, NRM’s Lambert Etibot appears willing to any length to find a lifeline, even if it means severing ties with the party that made him.
As such, the Nairuba team, acting on behalf of a drowning Etibot have already dispatched emissaries to convince NUP’s Charles Muvawala into becoming the camp’s running mate.
Already, Etibot’s camp boasts of an ally in NUP’s Elvis Henry Nsereko,who despite being a self proclaimed NUP member enjoys the backing of Etibot as he seeks re-election as Treasurer.
According to highly placed inside sources, Ronnie Lwanga and Timothy Nyonjo, two of Etibot’s most trusted campaign Aides have been deployed to woo Muvawala. This, if successful would be betrayal to current VP, Joanne Bavuga who is NRM leaning and Etibot’s running mate. It has, however, been rumoured that a more ambitious VP in Bavuga poses a future threat to Etibot since its been public knowledge that she harbours presidential ambitions for the next elections in 2025.
Assume, keeping her under check become a top priority for Etibot while also tapping into the support that Muvawala enjoys from Massachusetts where most Ugandans reside.
Whether or not Muvawala agrees to the NRM man’s proposals remains to be seen. Besides being a proud member of the opposition, Muvawala has been an outspoken critic of the Henrietta regime, often joining g voices demanding for transparency and accountability.
“Fraudulent activities have infiltrated UNAA to the extent that members have abandoned the organization. Whoever takes leadership of UNAA wants to steal and go. There is alot of mismanagement not only on finances but everything, “- Muvawala was quoted by the media calling out Henrietta over the financial mess exposed by a Whistleblower.
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