By Timothy Nsubuga

17^th Oct 2011:

Mbabazi: Is he behind the NRM power struggle?

The ongoing oil corruption scandal involving three top cabinet Ministers that appears to be consuming the ruling NRM government is less about fighting corruption but about an internal NRM power struggle that President Museveni himself had bottled-up for nearly a quarter of a century, top NRM ideologues have said.

The Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa, and the less powerful Internal Affairs Minister Hilary Onek a.k.a “OILnek” [formally Energy Minister] were thoroughly humiliated before parliament last week following the tabling of documents [by Youth MP Western Gerald Karuhanga] that allegedly showed that the trio had pocketed millions of Euros in bribes from major oil multinationals operating in Uganda.

Youthful first term NRM MP speaks out

Speaking to Uganda Correspondent at parliament of condition of anonymity, a young NRM party MP, who admits that he has ambitions of becoming a Minister, said he is totally convinced that his fellow MPs who are pushing for the censure of Kutesa and Mbabazi are fighting a wrong war, one which they can never win.

“…I joined NRM when I was 18yrs.  I am now in my mid-thirties.  What is happening in our party now was inevitable.  The President has done a great job.  But he has also failed to prepare the party and the country for life after him.  What is happening now has nothing to do with fighting corruption at all; that is sadly a lost cause.  It’s about a power struggle that has been sparked by speculation that the President’s health may be failing”, the young MP said.

“…And you see, Hon Karuhanga [Youth MP Western – Ed] and his group don’t know that they are being used to fight political battles from which both they and the country will be the net losers.  For a start, the documents Karuhanga presented in parliament are all forgeries.  No court of law can convict the three Ministers on the basis of those documents”, the MP added.

Veteran NRM cabinet Minister speaks out

Like the young NRM MP, a soft spoken full cabinet Minister from Ankole, who also preferred not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said some of them, especially those without presidential ambitions, have long known and in fact warned that an internal NRM power struggle was bound to erupt.

“…Listen to me young man.  Don’t think all of us are blind and stupid.  Some of us who don’t have presidential ambitions have always warned the President about this.  We told him that it’s dangerous for us [as NRM – Ed] not to have proper opportunities and mechanisms to identify potential successors to the presidency.  He has completely refused to address our concerns”, the greying Minister said.

The Minister also suggested that Museveni may have his own succession plans.  “…May be he has his own plans.  But I don’t know if he has ever shared it with anyone within the party.  As expected, this has created underground succession camps that are fighting each other instead working together to ensure that we retain power when the President retires or dies”, the Minister added.

When FDC ideologue agreed with NRM ideologues

Mr. Sam Akaki, a senior member of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change [FDC] party, also agrees with the two NRM ideologues who argue that the current oil bribery allegations have absolutely nothing to do with the government’s commitment to fighting corruption, especially in the public sector.

“…Nothing, absolutely nothing will come out of these corruption cases.  After all, the “Supreme Judge” of “the real Supreme Court” of Uganda General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has already declared that his men have no case to answer.  Kutesa, Nasasira, and Rukutana are from the inner circles of the NRM.  They are “untouchables.  It would be a pleasant surprise if they were convicted but I am not hoping to be proved wrong”, Akaki predicted.

Akaki also says that over the years, Museveni has found a very simple and yet clever way of using the Ugandan opposition parties, the media and the press, and the donors as hungry dogs by throwing pieces of dry bone at them [e.g. Mabira giveaway, Bukenya prosecution, oil kickback allegations etc] merely to excite them.

“…These smokescreens have proved to be very effective in diverting attention away from the fundamental issues of the day like the economic crisis that is biting the country at the moment.  When one smokescreen expires, he will create another one, and another one, until the next election, which in itself, is another smokescreen for the opposition, the media, and the donors”, Akaki said.

The fact that this oil corruption debate is heated is beyond doubt.  What we don’t know for sure is exactly how it will end.  END.  Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.