PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has criticised foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa and Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo for dividing instead of uniting the people they lead.
Meeting 10 people from each camp at State House Entebbe on Wednesday night, sources quoted Museveni as saying: “Kutesa, whom God gave the authority to lead the people of Sembabule, should unite them instead of dividing them.”
Kutesa did not attend the meeting, reportedly because of commitments in Sembabule.
Turning to Sekikubo, who was present, Museveni blamed him for fighting and causing mayhem in the party primaries, sources said.
In defence, Sekikubo reportedly said that was the only way he could protect himself and his supporters who were being harassed by Kutesa’s.
The Sembabule situation remains tense.
The sources added that the meeting agreed that the postponed party primaries in Sembabule district be held tomorrow as declared by the Movement’s electoral commission.
Each group was asked to restrain themselves.
They also agreed that fictitious villages, which have been queried by each group, be cancelled.
The President yesterday dispatched his aides to ensure the decisions were implemented. Kutesa’s group, led by Hanifa Kawooya, included Patrick Nkalubo, who is contesting against Sekikubo, Dr. Elly Muhumuza, contesting against LC5 chairman Herman Ssentongo, Dez Byuma and Gerald Kawooya.
Sekikubo’s group was led by his father Samuel Mwagalwa, presidential legal adviser Joy Kafurah Kabatsi, Ssentongo, councillor Ishaq Ntumwa, who is contesting against Kutesa, Fatuma Namugula, Haji Mustafa Ssennyondo, Ponsiano Katongole, George Ssendawula, Faith Mbeera, and Charles Gwaza.
Museveni on Tuesday met Sekikubo’s team and asked them to pick 10 people for dialogue with Kutesa’s 10 representatives.
Kutesa yesterday said: “I am tired of appearing in the news with Sekikubo. I have important things to do on the ground. I will not keep responding to Sekikubo.”
Sekikubo said the meeting was fruitful because the President knew the problems of Sembabule before hand, and he outlined incidents he felt were problematic. “He said both of us are senior members of NRM. We gave him memoranda which he took, containing bad cases of ghost villages, over 37 in one sub-county, which receive electoral materials and he promised to deal with it,” Sekikubo said.
“He also warned the other side against the threat of using extra-judicial methods of sorting me out if the NRM top leadership does not sort me out because there is the Police and courts of law,” he added.
The MP said he also pointed out to the President the big presence of guns in the area. He said a video tape of the last poll violence was screened. But it was stopped midway on the President’s orders as he did not want to see more of the mayhem.
