By John Okello Lapok
The mood in NRM as regards 2026 presidential election has continued to heat up.
With the recent launch of president Museveni’s 2026 bid by vice president Maj. Jessica Alupo alongside Ministers Severino Kahinda Otafiire and Vicent Ssempijja in the remote district of Mitooma, more bigwigs including NRM 2iC Haj. Moses Kigongo have followed suit.
The actions of those bosses have since spread like wild fire with more districts now coming on board. One such districts that has passed the sole candidate deal is Bugisu’s Sironko District led by Lomolo as the NRM chairperson. The district recently passed the motion to have CiC Museveni rule for another Kisanja. In this detail, we reveal why of all districts in Bugisu, Sironko was the first to pass it.
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Our Inspectors informed us that this district is actually still grumbling thinking that Gen. Museveni will one day throw something to them. In case he doesn’t do this under this current term, they hope to get something in the next term.
The reasons for this are many but our Inspectors outlined some of them but in summary, they actually relate to job placement of many of Bugisu sons and daughters.
To begin with, Sironko during the liberation war experienced a local rebellion that is said to have been an auxiliary force of the NRA led by Museveni. The rebel force baptized as Elgon 13 was led by Wadada Musani. Musani was a member of the Vietinam Solidarity Committee led by Dan Nabudere who operated a shop called Lumumba progressive bookshop in Mbale.
Now state minister Magode Ikuya was said to have been the shop attendant and it is here that several revolutionary youths including Maumbe Mukwana, Museveni, Musani, Chango Macho used to come to read socialist literature. When Museveni chose to wage a guerilla war in 1981, he together with Musani and Mukwana allegedly agreed to a strategy where the Musanis would base on Mt. Elgon under Elgon 13. It was stated that all was well until Musani was netted for treason during the time of 1985 peace talks in Nairobi as he tried to cross over to Kenya to participate.
When Museveni took over power, Musani was released and he immediately appointed him a Special District Administrator for Kumi district. Musani prior to the war, was said to be close to Kirunda Kivejinja, Bidandi Ssali and Kintu Musoke.
“All his associates were later appointed to bigger positions in government but Musani’s chapter seems to have ended at only an SDA. Bidandi became minister, Kirunda minister and Musoke prime minister” says an Inspector.
ENTER 2006
In 2006, president Museveni faced a challenge of defending his victory as his rival Kiiza Besigye petitioned court to annul his victory. Museveni lined up a team of lawyers among whom was Sironko’s Barrister Peter Magomu Mashate who’s a London based lawyer. Mashate worked alongside counsel Owiny Alphonse Dollo (current CJ), Kasirye, Dr. Byamugisha, Johnmary Mugisha and Peter Kabatsi to defend Museveni and finally, court led by Benjamin Odoki upheld his victory.
We’re told whereas all others have since progressed to bigger positions, Mashate remains on katebe to date doing private practice. And yet, back home his sub-clan the Bayobo are also said to be facing marginalization by another sub-clan the Bawalasi who have dominated all political seats in Budadiri West. We’re told the Bayobo who make 50% of the population in Budadiri West have now agreed to push him to parliament in 2026 to raise their voices.
He will be facing FDC’s Nandala Mafabi who has ruled this seat since 2001. We’re told these two sub-clans in the 1990s had a mutual agreement to make the MP seat rotational but this stopped with Dan Nabudere (CA delegate and a Muyobo) and David Giruli (1996-2001) and a Muwalasi. Since then, hon. Nandala has been the MP.
IRENE MULONI
The woman MP for Bulambuli is from Sironko and is a Muyobo but married in Bulambuli. The people in Sironko we’re told are not satisfied as to why she’s not in cabinet in spite of her success story in turning around Uganda’s Electricity sector. She’s the lady who ran then UEB and laid the foundation for future electricity supply industry in the country.
Muloni would later be appointed as minister for energy before she was dumped after losing her MP seat. Now that she’s back as an MP, those of Sironko are allegedly wondering why she’s merely loitering in the corridors of parliament without any leadership responsibility. An engineer by profession, Muloni represents a small fraction of women of her generation who studied engineering as many of them those days allegedly shunned such fields and went for arts.
FELISTUS MAGOMU
She’s she former head of the NRM electoral commission. Her reign however, went in world book of records as she presided over the nastiest primaries in the history of the ruling party. The president later knifed her and she has since remained on katebe. However, according to Sironko people, removing Museveni from the chair now will only send her to total drain hence their decision to keep him around as they anticipate her deployment.
BUGISU AT A GLANCE
Bugisu as a sub-region has had ministers among whom include Beatrice Mukaye Wabudeya, Irene Muloni, James Wapakabulo and a line of a few state ministers. Majority of these however, have roots in Sironko district.
“Currently, we have only one full minister Gorreti Kitutu and she’s heading a special region ministry not a national service sector! Another minister Dominic Gidudu is also a state minister heading a special interest docket of elderly! We therefore, have to endorse Museveni early enough to show our loyalty and the fact that we still expect something bigger from him” says an Inspector.
Our Inspectors added that ‘Bugisu has stood with Museveni since the days of fronasa, VSC and throughout the bush war. This war destroyed our lives and property especially when Elgon 13 waged a war in our area’
Watch the space!
