By KT Reporter
On NBS TV, Charles Rwomushana demonstrated why he thinks the NUP candidate for lord mayor position Ronald Nsubuga Balimwezo is naive and clearly unfit for the job he is seeking to have.
Rwomushana was on Barometer this week with Balimwezo and after listening to him, he warned voters in Kampala not to waste their time voting for a man who doesn’t even understand what is at stake.
Rwomushana accused Balimwezo of talking too much to appease Kyagulanyi and for blindly blaming Erias Lukwago for things no lord mayor can do and succeed in Kampala under the current environment for as long as Museveni is the president.
He criticized Balimwezo for blaming Lukwago yet he has also been an elected leader in Kampala for many years and still failed to deliver much for the people of Nakawa.
Rwomushana demanded to know why Balimwezo as area MP and LC3 chairman earlier on, didn’t stop the URA headquarters from being constructed in Nakawa when it didn’t have an approved plan from KCCA. He advised Balimwezo to realize that there are strong cartels of powerful people wanting a slice of the city who no lord mayor can stop for as long as Museveni is president.
He saluted Erias Lukwago for realizing all this and resorting to using the office of lord mayor as a platform to keep making alarm on the thieves and advocating for the issues of the common man. He said that noise which Lukwago keeps making isn’t in vain. It makes it risky for the thieving cartel members to finish off the city.
Rwomushana also wondered why the same Balimwezo claims he made roads in Nakawa division yet at the same time says he was a lame duck mayor without devolution of powers from city hall to the divisions.
He also wondered why when Wandegeya and Busega markets are constructed, it’s Museveni and NRM who take the credit yet its only Lukwago who is blamed when floods kill people and also when the city gets filled with potholes.
Balimwezo was in the studio and was asked who between Nubian Li and Paul Mugambe he will be voting for to become the new mayor for Nakawa. Without even first thinking about it, he said “I will vote for Nubian Li because he is the one the party has given me.”
Rwomushana said: “guys this is the wrong person for the job. This mind he has can’t add any value to the office of lord mayor and the voters of Kampala should never be duped to vote such a man to be their lord mayor. I’m surprised he can even come here and blame Lukwago for the boda-boda mess in Kampala as if he doesn’t know where the real power resides. He is so naive he doesn’t even know that a mere RDC can stop the lord mayor from organizing boda-bodas.”
DP secretary general Gerald Siranda was also in the NBS studio and said he was disappointed to see Balimwezo praising a political novice like Nubian Li and de-campaigning a serious leader like Paul Mugambe who has been his colleague and fellow leader in the politics of Nakawa for all these years.
Balimwezo claimed that the position of lord mayor is very powerful and that when he was the mayor of Nakawa he one time chased away engineers from NWSC who had come to break up a road to put water pipes. He said he received a phone call from the minister of water but he ignored and stood his ground.
Rwomushana asked which minister this was and Balimwezo naively responded “Aisha Sekindi.” Rwomushana responded with “come on poor guy you had better become serious because I though you had defied a real minister like Kahinda Otafiire.” The panel members concluded that Balimwezo was a very simplistic guy who has no capacity to properly understand what is at stake in Kampala.
Rwomushana also defended Lukwago’s stand on Nakivubo channel’s redevelopment. “There is nothing wrong with an elected leader like Erias Lukwago insisting on transparency because if you are Ham and you have a good plan to develop that place, why don’t you follow the process and have your plan vetted properly instead of running to get favour from Museveni at state house?”
He added that by asking the hard questions on Nakivubo like he did on Shimoni land, Lukwago demonstrates that he understands the office of lord mayor is a platform to be used to defend the interests of the poor people in Kampala as opposed to making deals for personal enrichment.
Balimwezo claimed to have Korean investors who he will bring and turn solid waste and kasasiro in Kampala into electricity and other things. He also claimed he has personal garbage trucks and he only needs the post of lord mayor to do more. Rwomushana suit him up immediately as being very naive.
“There is nothing great you are going to ever do in Kampala and the deep state lets you for as long as you are from the opposition. That’s why Mubarak Munyagwa had an investor when he was Kawempe mayor and he was blocked by the state. Let’s not take Kampala voters for fools and begin duping them on obvious things.”
Saying Lukwago was right to avoid wasting his time coming to NBS to debate with Balimwezo because he is a man of very low standards, Rwomushana added: “Just tell the truth that you just want a job for yourself to cut deals at city hall on behalf of your bosses at Kavule and lead a better life as an individual. Otherwise, there is nothing of value you are going to do for the people of Kampala if you don’t understand that the best you can do is to use it as a platform to amplify the grievances of poor people who the deep state members don’t want to be in Kampala.”
Siranda criticized Balimwezo for becoming blind about Paul Mugambe’s good qualities which are well known to him and going on to market Nubian Li simply because he fears to annoy Hon Kyagulanyi and his wife Itungo. Siranda said this shows that Balimwezo is a cheap loose politician who is cowardly, fears foot soldiers and isn’t principled as he thought he was. He saw him as a man who is full of flattery because that’s what NUP leaders at Kavule like all the time.
He demanded that Balimwezo explains what makes Nubian Li a better mayor for Nakawa and all Balimwezo said was that “I will be mentoring Nubian Li to become a good mayor for Nakawa after getting the votes.” Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
