Lwemiyaga County MP, Hon Theodore Ssekikubo has vowed to combat competition from President Museveni’s brother and his group opposing him. On Monday, chaos erupted in Lwemiyaga when area MP Hon Theodore Ssekikubo attempted to enter a meeting organized to rally NRM officials in support of former Minister Joy Kabatsi as the next Member of Parliament.
The police intervened in an effort to prevent Ssekikubo and his team from reaching the venue at Lwemiyaga Primary School as he argued that as the area MP, he had a right to know what was happening.
When police efforts to block him failed, they resorted to using tear gas to keep him and his followers out of the venue. According to local residents, the gathering was organized by the Patriotic League of Uganda with the cooperation of retired army officers Maj. Gen. Phenehasi Keitirima and Brig. Emmanuel Rwashande, under the leadership of President Museveni’s younger brother, Michael Nuwagira Toyota.
The purpose of this meeting was to garner support for Joy Kabatsi, the former State Minister of Animal Husbandry. The goal is to replace Ssekikubo, who is approaching 25 years of service as the area MP next year.
“What do you want from us? Why don’t you just let me unseat Ssekikubo for you because he is very difficult to remove,” Joy Kabatsi remarked.
However, one local noted that this meeting was meant for the residents of the area. They were surprised to see attendees from as far away as Kiruhura and Lyantonde, which led some to hesitate in attending. Furthermore, they condemned the police’s use of tear gas on the people of Lwemiyaga, arguing it was unjust to protect non-residents at their expense.
When questioned about the incident after the chaos, the MP remarked that it is still premature to initiate election campaigns.
Meanwhile, the movement against Ssekikubo aims to remove him over alleged misconduct in his constituency, including land grabbing, a claim he denies.
“I received a message inviting local leaders from the LC II, LC I, up to LC V and Member of Parliament. They claim they are discussing land issues and have raised various accusations against me; I’m here now, ready to address all the allegations made against me,” stated Ssekikubo.
Additionally, the MP, who was expelled from the NRM, faced inquiries regarding his attendance at a meeting where he had not been invited. He explained that in addition to being an MP, it is his village, and even if he weren’t an MP, he is still a resident of the area.
Ssekikubo further stated that even the President allows local leaders to attend meetings in his village when he is present, so he doesn’t comprehend why they are treating him this way. It should be noted that his electoral campaigns in Lwemiyaga have been tumultuous throughout all five of his candidacies. It remains uncertain if the campaigns will differ next year.
However, some individuals criticized him, suggesting that if he wished to hold a meeting, he ought to organize his own and exclude those who denied him entry to theirs.
