The minister for presidency, Esther Mbayo has on Friday said that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party lost in Buganda region because of the involvement of Mengo gov’t and the Catholic church in the previous presidential campaigns.
Mbayo alleges that the premier of Buganda Kingdom, Katikiro Charles Peter Mayiga, some officials from the Mengo gov’t, and, the catholic church promoted tribalism and religious sentiments in the recently concluded elections by directly campaigning for Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert aka Bobi Wine and his NUP party.
“In the electoral campaigns, Buganda was involved, the Katikiro campaigned for the opposition asking people to vote for Ripen ‘Red’ Coffee,” Minister Mbayo said. “The Catholic church was also involved, Archbishop Lwanga openly campaigned for opposition.”
The ripen coffee according to the minister symbolises the Red colour used by the National Unity Platform party.
Mbayo made these remarks while releasing a program for the NRM liberation day which will be celebrated on 26 January at the State House Entebbe.
On Saturday January 16, President Museveni, the NRM chairman also the president elect in his victory speech at his ancestral home in Rwakitura said that Buganda kingdom voted basing on tribal lines something he alleged made his party lose most of the MP seats in the region.
In the concluded elections, Museveni and his NRM party scored poorly to NUP in the districts of Buganda region in both presidential and parliamentary elections and continues to lose more seats in ongoing Local Government polls.
The loss is according to the president and many NRM people, attributed to the influence of the Catholic church and Mengo government on agitating for a political change in favor of NUP.
However, Katikiro Mayiga denied the allegations stating that they are “Cheap talks.”
The Katikiro was attending to journalists on Wednesday after casting his Kampala Mayoral vote where he told reports that gov’t is engaged in cheap talks alleging Buganda for decampaining NRM.
Mayiga who dismissed the allegations wondered how Kyagulanyi, a Muganda would win in Busoga region particularly in Kamuli district where the speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Rabecca Kadaga comes from yet he is not a Musoga!
“…that is cheap talks and I would advise them (the government) to desist from that,” Katikiro Mayiga said. “Kyagulanyi was voted in Eastern Uganda, Western, Central and in Northern so were other candidates.”
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