Ruhaama platform irks Ms Museveni

By PEREZ RUMANZI

Posted  Friday, August 17  2012 at  01:00

In Summary

Undermined?. Ms Museveni accuses district and sub-county councillors and LC3 chairpersons of undermining her authority as the area MP by demanding for service delivery through platforms.

The Ruhaama Constituency MP and First Lady, Ms Janet Museveni, has reportedly criticised leaders in the area for creating a forum to discuss development challenges without her knowledge.

In a closed door meeting with area leaders at Nyarutuntu, the headquarters for Ruhaama County on Monday, Ms Museveni reportedly accused area councillors, LC chairpersons and other leaders of undermining her authority as the area MP, by creating a forum to demand for service delivery behind her back.

Ms Museveni also demanded for the disbandment of the platform dubbed Eishazi rya Ruhaama, which the leaders contested.
“The First Lady has been misinformed by her close aides in Ntungamo that we have formed a platform to fight her, that we want to bring someone to stand against her in 2016 which is not the case,” Mr Denis Muhumuza, the Itojo Sub-county councillor and chief platform mobiliser, told Daily Monitor on Wednesday.
Mr Muhumuza further added that the purpose of the platform is to discuss development in the area and is not politically motivated.

The forum, which started at the end of last year, has convened several times and deliberated on issues like creation of Ruhaama District from Ntungamo and tarmacking of the Ntungamo-Mirama Hills road.

However, a source, who attended the closed door meeting, says Ms Museveni was reportedly irked by the demand to create Ruhaama District without first consulting her .

“If we are to bring out anything related to Ruhaama, I believe there is your member of parliament where these ideas can pass. Why then do you have to go out and form those so called organisations? We cannot allow this to continue,” Mr Muhumuza quoted Ms Museveni as saying.hare This Story

The Ruhaama Sub-county chairperson, Mr Tom Rwomushana, who was also in the meeting, said many of them were angered by Ms Museveni’s misconception of other people’s ideas.

“Does she feel she is the only person to plan for us? We too want to discuss our ideas. We have talked about this road for a long time. We can’t keep quiet as we are also being criticised by our people,” Mr Rwomushana said.

The Ntungamo District chairperson, Mr Denis Singahache, confirmed the meeting took place but declined to disclose the details.

Ms Museveni’s political assistant George Bakunda also acknowledged that the meeting was chaired by the First Lady who was not happy with the conduct of the area leaders.

“That group is serving its interests and not programmes of the MP. The MP is not happy with what they are doing. She said there should always be one leaders’ meeting which she should chair,” Mr Bakunda told Daily Monitor yesterday.