For nearly three decades, Mr Sam Kutesa, the Foreign Affairs minister, has been the undisputed kingmaker in Sembabule District politics.
Politicians that made it in the various capacities in the district except his sworn nemesis, Theodore Ssekikubo, (Lwemiyaga County MP) always sought his endorsement.
Despite the political battles he has had to fight, the minister sailed through unopposed in all political contests.
The likes of Ms Joy Kabatsi, State minister for Works (who contested for the district Woman MP seat thrice and lost), vowed never to return to Sembabule politics as long as Mr Kutesa is alive.
When he announced his retirement from active politics last year, he fronted one of his daughters, Ms Shartis Musherure Kutesa, to contest for Mawogola North parliamentary seat, a position he has occupied for 26 years.
However, Ms Musherure was defeated by Mr Godfrey Aine Kaguta, aka Sodo, a younger brother of President Museveni, in the hotly contested party primaries conducted last week.
Mr Kaguta garnered 17,343 votes (46.3 per cent) while Ms Musherure got 16,104 votes (42.1 per cent).Mr Salim Kisekka came third with 4,272 votes (11.3 per cent).
However, Mr Kutesa has since contested the results and petitioned the NRM electoral commission claiming the election was marred by widespread vote rigging and some of her supporters were systematically disenfranchised.
Why Kutesa’s daughter lost
In the past few years, Mr Kutesa had fallen out with some of his former allies such as Ms Anifa Kawooya, the Sembabule Woman MP, and key campaigning managers such as Mr Benon Buroora.
Mr Buroora says the winds of change in the district are slowly but surely sweeping Mr Kutesa away.
“It is true he [Kutesa] has been the only bull in the kraal, but the winds of change have started blowing him away and I don’t think he will wield more power in Sembabule any more even if he is the district NRM chairperson,” he says
He claims Mr Kutesa used his influence to fail his political bid in 2016 where he was vying for chairperson of Lugusuulu Sub-county.
“I have personally been a victim of his political dominance. He [Kutesa] had instilled fear among residents and local politicians and nothing could happen in the area without his endorsement. But when Sodo expressed interest in the seat, we definitely knew that he is equally powerful and can challenge him,” Mr Buroora who is also the NRM chairperson for Lugusuulu, says.
He says after realising that Mr Kaguta can ably break Mr Kutesa’s grip on Sembabule, him and other NRM local leaders who are key in canvassing votes switched allegiance to Mr Kaguta .
“We started moving village to village campaigning for Sodo and telling people that we had ditched Mr Kutesa and gave them reasons. Since voters had for many years seen us moving with him [Kutesa] ,they believed what we were telling them,” he adds.
Mr Sulaiman Byaruhanga, an NRM supporter in Kyabi Trading Centre, says Mr Kutesa’s decision to front his daughter worked against him since many voters in the area loved his personality.
“He did a political miscalculation to front his daughter, if he had earlier consulted voters, he could have known their position, but it wasn’t the case,” he says.
Mr Byaruhanga adds that Ms Musherure lost because she was not connected to the residents since she grew up and studied in the US and only returned to the country three years ago.
He claims she doesn’t have her home in the area and thus is viewed as an alien who only wanted votes and would never return to the constituency.
Mr Vincent Kimbugwe, who stood against Mr Kutesa in 2016 NRM primaries and lost, says Mr Kaguta’s entry into Sembabule politics was a big factor in denying Mr Kutesa support. “Some of us who have contested against him have faced his wrath.
Standing against him has been like committing a crime, but Mr Kaguta has proved to the country that Mr Kutesa is challengeable, we are going to sit at a round table and review NRM in Sembabule and work together as young people,” he says.
Mr Kimbugwe says despite Mr Kutesa’s political influence and money, residents in Sembabule still have insufficient access to basic social services such as health, good roads, clean water and electricity.
“Can you believe that in this 21st century, our people in some areas still share water with animals?” he asked.
The role of an MP is to legislate and lobby for the constituencies. Government is charged with extending services to Ugandans.
Is Kutesa losing grip on Sembabule?
When Sembabule became a district in 1997 that is when Mr Kutesa’s political dominance started to manifest in the area.
Infighting among leaders started with one camp trying to outshine the other.
Within two years, the new district had had four district chairpersons.
The squabbles among district leaders have always been between two camps –one led by Mr Kutesa and another by Mr Ssekikubo.
The Kutesa group primarily comprises himself, Ms Kawooya and Mr Patrick Nkalubo, currently aspiring for Sembabule District chairperson.
The Ssekikubo group had other members, including Ms Kabatsi, who until recently chose to challenge Mr Ssekikubo in the NRM primaries and lost.
These unending squabbles are as old as the district itself, sometimes attracting the attention of the President Museveni.
In a struggle to shine out as victors, each group has concentrated on outdoing one another –something that has stifled development in the area, observers say.
With one more constituency created in the district recently (Mawogola West), local pundits say Mr Kutesa was not happy with the split, like he was to the previous ones.
“When more constituencies are created, it is very clear that his [Kutesa] area of control is reduced,” Mr Samuel Ssebwatot, a resident in Mawogola, says.
Mr Christopher Asiimwe, another resident, says Mr Kutesa has over the years built a strong and effective political base, which his opponents cannot easily dismantle.
“The Kutesa I know is still very strong and has money, don’t be surprised when you see him attracting new people to join his camp,” he says.
Mr Kenneth Mpehe, one of Mr Kutesa’s campaign mobilisers in Sembabule Town, says his candidate could have won the NRM primaries if the exercise was free and fair.
“The NRM primaries in Mawogola North like elsewhere in the country were not free and fair and there is overwhelming evidence that Sodo is a beneficiary of that fraud . We hope the NRM election disputes tribunal is going to hear our candidate’s petition and give a fair verdict, ” Mr Mpehe says.
Mr Ssekikubo says Mr Kutesa’s political influence in the district has been felt for so long, but seems to be fading.
However, he credits him for having lobbied for the district, but says the area still has many challenges, which they have failed to address due to unending intrigue and infighting between leaders.
“It is true we have fought battles against Kutesa, but it will be unfair to say that he has done nothing. He has made his contribution on different fronts and if he chose to retire, that is his decision.
For us, we are available and ready to move on and take our district to greater heights ,” he says.
When Ms Musherure started her political campaigns last year, Mr Kutesa said time had come for energetic youth like his daughter to take some leadership positions.
He asked NRM leaders to build the party structures from the grassroots rather than focusing on individuals.
“We can support individuals, but the most important office in Uganda is that of NRM village chairperson, that is the party’s foundation. So, my appeal goes to all leaders to ensure that they focus more on NRM grass root structures than individual leaders,” Mr Kutesa said then.
Mr Kuteesa could not be reached for a comment as his official lines were switched off.
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