In a series of posts on his X platform, first son and Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, made shocking revelations as to how, NUP president, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, was propped up by the state.
“It was actually our idea (me and other Generals). We convinced Mzee that we can use [Kyagulanyi] to remove Besigye from being kingpin of the opposition. After we supported him with alot of money (and he succeeded) he started abusing us,” Gen. Muhoozi stated in one of the posts.
This revelation offered credence to earlier claims by opposition politicians notably the Kimanya-Kabonera MP, Dr Abed Bwanika, and former Rubaga North MP, Moses Kasibante, who have consistently raised suspicions on how NUP secretary general, David Lewis Rubongoya, and treasurer, Benjamin Katana, left the government to join the opposition.
Katana used to work with the Internal Affairs ministry while Rubongoya was part of President Museveni’s inner security ring.
“Can Rubongoya be kind enough and tell us his point of departure with Gen. Museveni? He is not talking about it like all the others who have fallen out with Gen. Museveni,” Kasibante wondered.
Far from his usual self, Kyagulanyi did not respond to Gen. Muhoozi’s revelations save for one post that he (Kyagulanyi) said would not take likely as it potentially threatened his life.
Is this a confirmation of Gen Muhoozi’s claims? We look back at Kyagulanyi’s emergency as an opposition leader.
Until June 2017, the NUP supremo was a popular musician, known by the stage name, Bobi Wine. He gave a short at politics following the court’s nullification of Apollo Katinti’s election as Kyadondo East MP.
Kyagulanyi went on win the seat with a landslide. To win this seat, Kyagulanyi received support from different circles including senior military officers such as Generals Salim Saleh, Muhoozi and Kale Kayihura who at the time commanded the police as Inspector General of Police.
Despite the NRM having former MP, William Sitenda Ssebalu as it official candidate, Kyagulanyi received Museveni’s financial support. Kyagulanyi leveraged his friendship with former Youth and Child Affairs minister, Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, to get Museveni’s support. Nakiwala had a year earlier named Kyagulanyi as the club ambassador for Express FC.
In going to Museveni, Nakiwala wanted the head-of-state to use his powers as NRM chairman to endorse the ghetto president as the official NRM candidate.
Once in Parliament, Kyagulanyi courted various opposition MPs, and soon declared his ambition to run for president in the 2021 elections, and subsequently launched a hate campaign against opposition kingpin, Dr Kizza Besigye.
Through speeches and social media commentaries, Kyagulanyi made direct and sometimes veiled attacks on Besigye whom he accused of stalling the liberation struggle because he was not “serious about dislodging his comrades” from power.
Kyagulanyi’s gangs also physically attacked Besigye as he left Masengere House in Mengo, after appearing on a Saturday morning talk show on CBS FM.
During the wake-up to the Arua trial where Kyagulanyi and President Museveni met, Dr. Kizza Besigye had planned, showed up to stand surety for Kyagulanyi.
However, a team of lawyers after consultation from Kyagulanyi opted not to have Besigye as a surety on grounds that it would offer the Kasangati doyen political mileage.
By Entebbe Post
English 