President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni has been in power for nearly four decades. As expected, some of the Ugandans pushing for his exit are his tribes people, the Banyankore of Western Uganda.
But a government official has warned Banyankore wishing Museveni exit that they will regret when Mzee, as the 80-year-old long serving president is fondly referred to.This official feels that Uganda has become so much divided on political lines.
The divisive politics, according to Catherine Kamwiine, the Resident City Commissioner (RCC) of Mbarara, a city of over 260,000 people, according to the recently released 2024 census figures.She described Museveni’s opponents as noise makers, reminding them that past regimes did not treat Ugandans well and that they should be avoided.
RCC Catherine Kamwiine feels that there is need to emphasize to young people why they should keep supporting the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and its leader Gen Yoweri Museveni.
Unhappy with some Banyankore who complain that they have not benefited from the Museveni government, RCC Catherine Kamwiine argued that people should not take for granted the peace that the NRM has ushered into the country because it was rare in the previous regimes of terror.
She was also concerned that districts in regions like the north have begun overwhelmingly voting Gen Museveni and his NRM, with the ruling party candidates garnering more votes than in some Western Uganda areas such as Mbarara.RCC Catherine Kamwiine vowed not to allow people plotting to make Museveni and his ruling NRM lose further ground in Mbarara City.
“Some Banyankole noisemakers do a lot of politicking to spoil the soup, fighting against their party. I want to assure them they won’t survive as long as I am still the RCC of Mbarara,” Kamwiine was quoted by The Daily Monitor as saying in a meeting with officials from the Office of the President on October 11.
“Some Banyankole say they haven’t achieved anything from this government and forget the peace they enjoy. I lost my father to politics when he was found carrying iron sheets, which were treated like weapons. We need to remind the youth why elders continue to support Museveni.”
Kamwiine further warned that the Banyankore would lose their status when Museveni exits State House, and generally the political stage.
“I want to inform these Banyankole that they will no longer be superior like before when this regime collapses,” she was quoted as saying.
“They want Museveni to leave power, but they won’t be happy after he has left.”
President Museveni has previously said that he is comfortable without Banyankore around him, warding off allegations of tribalism.The Banyankore are Uganda’s second biggest tribe, having a few millions of people and therefore a key voting block.