By our reporter
Motor-mouthed former Press Secretary to President Yoweri Museveni, Tamale Mirundi, has blasted the outgoing state Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and antiquities Hon Kiwanda Godfrey Suubi for being a novice and less affluent on matters relating to politics.
Mirundi’s scathing attack stems from Kiwanda’s interpretation of NRM party nominees to the Parliamentary Appointments Committee a list of which includes former ministers. In an interview with NTV last week, Kiwanda who is also NRM Vice Chairperson for Central region stated that the nominees still have a chance to appear on Museveni’s cabinet list, something that Tamale vehemently disputes.
Among the nominees is outgoing Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Hon Frank Tumwebaze and health state minister Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu. The list has been widely perceived as the first indication that there will be changes to cabinet but also raised questions on whether the listed members have missed out on the opportunity to be named ministers.
Speaking to this website, Tamale Mirundi asserted Kiwanda is ignorant on the matter because there is no way president Museveni could appoint anyone for a particular office and thereafter (withdraws) names that same person for another position. He claims the fate of the ministers named on NRM’s list is sealed and they shouldn’t expect to appear on the forthcoming cabinet list.
“How can the president submit your name as a member of the appointments committee and after sometime withdraws it? This can come from a head of people like Kiwanda a senior four drop out” Tamale Mirundi said.
Mirundi also boasted that him, a graduate in political science and a Masters Degree holder, is above such reasoning. “Unlike people like Kiwanda who do not know the dynamics of parliament, I am a student of political science and I have a master’s degree. I can tell you, those people should prepare for life out of cabinet” He said.
Tamale’s interest in the subject matter however stems from his long-standing rivalry against Frank Tumwebaze who he constantly accuse of being behind his fate and eventual fall-out with state house in 2014.
“So, therefore, Tumwebaze’s chances of becoming a minister are over and he knows it. He should be nursing his wounds.” Mirundi added.
What others say:
Bugiri Municipality MP (also a lawyer) Hon Asuman Basalirwa says a nominee for such a position can opt to turn down the appointment and therefore it is not yet over for the ministers to retain or be named on Museveni’s next cabinet list.
He however noted that for one to turn down such an appointment, one must have guarantee that he or she will be named minister otherwise there is a possibility of losing both.
Hon Nuwagaba Winfred (Ndorwa MP) also a lawyer and former shadow Attorney General said the appointment to the parliamentary committee cannot stop the president from changing his mind and name the members on his cabinet list. Nuwagaba noted that such an incident has happened before where parliamentary committee members have been named ministers and all they need to do is to drop the committee position to take up cabinet positions.
Nuwagaba said it actually happened to Hon Frank Tumwebaze when he was a chairperson of a parliamentary committee -an assertion we could not independently verify.
