President Museveni was left in shock on Wednesday following the visible clashes between the leadership of Kanungu district which is the home area of former Prime Minister John Patrick Amama Mbabazi.
The president who had gone to make a spot on assessment of the looming hunger in the area was received at a function marred by controversies that saw the district leaders including a minister leave without being introduced and saying a word before the president.
It all started when the Kinkizi MP James Kaberuka who colonized the microphone and appointed himself the days MC in Connivance with Chairperson LCV Canon Josephine Kasya who refused to observe protocol and spent more hours hoodwinking the president that the hunger was being mitigated by his support to tea farmers which sparked off disagreements in giving speeches.
Locals too complained of the MP’s behavior at the function in which he left out issues affecting Kanungu District like Electricity and the Road.
People were shocked when Kaberuka didn’t mention any thing related to that and concentrated on self praising with his group that is accused to mismanaging funds meant for tea nursery beds’ operators in the district.
Kaberuka who is blamed of conniving with Tycoon James Musinguzi Garuga to use people in their tea seedlings without paying them and not helping people in this hunger season, knew that if Hon Chris Baryomunsi the Minister of State for Housing spoke, he would alert the president about how money meant for projects to uplift people out of poverty has been embezzled by a group of people code named ”mafias” in the district .
President Museveni would be seen smiling as the local leaders tried to snatch the microphone from the lawmaker which tempted the president’s protocol team to intervene.
It is alleged that Hon Kaberuka had been put under restrictions from his main election campaign funded James Musinguzi Garuga not to introduce the Minister and the district councilors who support Museveni.
This is not the first time such wrangles happen publicly.
In Amama Mbabazi’s reign as Prime Minister, at a certain church function organized by Kinkizi Diocese, the church denied Hon Baryomunsi the area MP an opportunity to welcome the Premier and rather used a local councillor.
Political pundits from the area say, these wrangles are fueled by those who supported Amama Mbabazi and want to bring down who ever supported Museveni in 2016 Presidential elections.
“Even the President is aware that Hon Baryomunsi is being witch hunted by Mbabazi People and the ”Mafias” in Kanungu. That’s why he didn’t talk about them yesterday while in Kanungu.” A district leader who preferred anonymity told our reporter.
Its observed that though the government has spent a lot on tea, Coffee and Cow project to develop the area, there is no evidence of improvement thus those in charge of projects shield all emerging voices that are demanding for accountability and transparency in distribution.
The president ordered for the supply of more relief food Kanungu including 55000kg of posh, 50000kg of Rice and 10000kg of beans.
Museveni also gave the people of Kanungu an irrigation scheme from Ishaha river ,Ntungwa river ,and Kiruruma river, a project he had promised over ten years ago.