KAKUMIRO, Uganda – Concerned residents of Kakumiro District have appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to intervene and end the growing political rivalry between Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja and State Minister for Works, Hon. Fred Byamukama.
The residents claim that the reported infighting between the two senior leaders has negatively affected service delivery and development efforts in the district, as the leaders are allegedly more focused on political supremacy than lobbying for projects that would benefit the people.
According to several residents interviewed by this publication, the disagreement is centered on claims over who enjoys closer ties with President Museveni, a situation they say has diverted attention from pressing development needs.
Mzee John Bangizi, a retired teacher in the district, said residents are not interested in the political status of their leaders but rather in the tangible benefits they can bring to the area.
“We do not mind who among them is closer to the President because we do not benefit from that relationship directly. What we want are development projects that can improve our lives,” Bangizi said.
Another resident, Simon Abaho, expressed concern that leaders are spending time on activities that do not directly address the district’s development challenges.
“Instead of lobbying for government projects, some leaders are concentrating on organizing football matches and bringing musicians to entertain people, yet key development projects remain lacking,” Abaho said.
He further blamed what he described as interference by influential figures within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), claiming that candidates whom residents believed had the district’s interests at heart were sidelined during political processes.
“We are disappointed because our preferred candidates were fought by powerful people in government, and some positions were declared unopposed. Many residents are still hurt by what happened,” he added.
Efforts to obtain comments from both Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja and Minister Fred Byamukama were unsuccessful, as repeated phone calls to the two leaders went unanswered by press time.
Meanwhile, this publication has learned that political tensions remain high in Kakumiro, partly fueled by the recently concluded NRM party structure elections, which have reportedly deepened divisions among local political actors.
Residents are now calling on President Museveni and the NRM leadership to promote unity among leaders in the district to ensure that development and service delivery remain the top priority.
