Why the NRM is losing grip in the Elgon region
By Julius Odeke
7th February 2011
There is a question that is lingering in the minds of both the opposition and the ruling NRM. That question is whether the NRM is losing its grip in the Elgon region?
Answering that question also needs strong hearted people; not the fainted ones! Because the moment NRM diehards know that your opinion contradicts their findings, then you will be branded an enemy of the party. Yet that may not be the case. As the saying goes, “it’s only yours who can blow out a speck out of your eye”.
The truth is that the NRM has lost its grip on Bugisu region; a region that was in the same love bed with the NRM for years. If the NRM wants to capture it, then its lieutenants need to pitch camp in Bugisu for at least two days and drum up genuine support and stop ferrying sugar-coated crowds that don’t know the pain of supporting a party in difficult times. If they can’t do that, then they should forget Bugisu region.
Opposition candidate Rtd Col Dr. Kiiza Besigye recently received resolute support when he visited Mbale town and other neighbouring districts. Mbale Town offers a litmus test to every political activity in Bugisu because it embraces Bagisu from all their four districts of Sironko, Mbale, Manafwa, and Bududa.
The FDC/IPC support ranged from Kadodi traditional dancers to market vendors who turned up to give Besigye a heroic welcome. The wide streets in Town seemed like nothing. These people did everything to show that they have shifted their political camps from NRM to opposition. And when I talk of opposition, I mean FDC/IPC because they are the ones commanding mammoth crowds currently.
But what went wrong in Bugisu which has the second highest number of NRM historicals after western Uganda? After all this is an area where Elgon 13; a rebel group that was allied to the then NRA operated against Obote’s forces. The truth is that despite this region’s support for the NRM, it still has the highest number of poor people according to the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and Statistics report for March 2010.
This is coupled with the fact that the opposition is reminding the people here that they can never benefit from the NRM government because it lacks the will to fight poverty. Many people here believe that government programmes like NAADS and prosperity for all are mere ‘kiwani’. The NRM is also let down by its lieutenants like Beatrice Wabudeya and Michael Werikhe whose core work is to cruise around Mbale town in heavy fuel guzzlers to engage in divisive politics.
This is sharply contrasted with the fact that FDC’s strongman Nandala Mafabi has capitalized on their weakness by penetrating deep in the villages on foot to mobilize villagers to participate in community work. Nandala even contributed money for the community to clear a road that leads to Wabudeya’s home; an act that makes the locals think Nandala Mafabi is the best leader who does not segregate the caterpillars from the mushrooms.
There are other minor things that I even feel bad to mention. But I will mention them so that when the NRM loses, they will have no one to blame. Word going round is that in Budadiri West where Wabudeya is contesting against Mafabi, every home has more than one grave but Wabudeya’s signature doesn’t feature in the condolence books more than 20 times.
On the other hand, villagers have failed to count how many times Nandala has attended burials. They say that the moment a person dies in any village, Nandala has made it a habit to share the sad moments with the bereaved family by sleeping on dry banana leaves for the whole night in that home. He does this while preaching FDC’s manifesto to the locals and telling them how the NRM manifesto will not help them. As this happens, Wabudeya is nowhere to be seen.
Secondly, even though Wabudeya is the Minister in the office of the President, [a Ministry that vets NRM cadres for the juicy posts in government] no person in Budadiri has benefited from that. Wabudeya cannot claim to have helped any person in Budadiri. Even with the State House scholarships that are given to NRM faithful, not a single student in her district has benefited.
The NRM also did a big miscalculation when it suspended Nandala Mafabi and his board members from Bugisu Cooperative Union [BCU] even when it knew that he was a revered figure throughout Bugisu for his efforts to revive the union. BCU is to the Bagisu what the Kabaka is to Baganda. The Bagisu therefore interpreted Nandala’s suspension as an attack on them and have therefore vowed to punish the NRM during elections.
When the Bagisu cultural head Wilson Wamimbi called for a meeting to discuss issues affecting BCU, not a single NRM candidate or official attended. This gave the opposition an upper hand to campaign against NRM.
Save for Minister David Wakikona who seems to be having an edge over his opponent, most NRM politicians are fighting to avoid the political wave that swept Teso in 2006. In fact even Wakikona might not survive because Bugisu voters don’t look at personalities but at parties. END. Please log into www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
Mr. Julius Odeke is a journalist based in Mbale
