By KT Reporter
Veteran Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze Bakireke has mounted a passionate defence of her political record and personal integrity amid renewed controversy over claims that the government funded her medical treatment abroad.
Speaking at St. Joseph Nantabulirwa grounds, during a rally led by the National Unity Platform Presidential Candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, Nambooze struck an emotional but defiant tone, recounting the physical and political toll she says she has paid in the course of serving her constituents.
She credited Kyagulanyi and fellow opposition figures for standing by her during what she described as one of the darkest moments of her political career when she sustained a serious back injury while on parliamentary duty, insisting that the injury was a direct consequence of state actions.
“Thank you for exchanging blows for me. They would have killed me,” Nambooze told the crowd. “Even when I was admitted abroad, you came and visited me. But now they want me to kneel and thank my tormentor who broke my back. That will never happen.”
Nambooze rejected suggestions that she should express gratitude to the NRM Government for her treatment, arguing that the responsibility for her medical ordeal lies squarely with the state. She questioned the moral authority of a government that struggles to provide adequate healthcare for ordinary citizens, yet expects public praise when leaders seek treatment abroad.
“How do you have a government that cannot treat broken bones?” she asked, wondering what options remain for ordinary Ugandans who face similar medical challenges.
The controversy intensified last week when Anita Among, while campaigning for Yoweri Museveni in Mukono, publicly claimed that the government facilitated Nambooze’s overseas treatment at a cost approaching one billion shillings. The remarks sparked debate both locally and online, with critics questioning why Nambooze had previously denied receiving government support.
The issue has also exposed tensions within opposition ranks. Nambooze recently walked out of a television talk show when fellow opposition MP Abed Bwanika suggested that engaging the state can sometimes be necessary to resolve political challenges. In the statement, Bwanika hinted at her treatment abroad, yet when it came to cases involving detained activists, the same Nambooze objected to dialogue.
Today, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyony, also dismissed Speaker Among’s claims as misleading, arguing that any money used for Nambooze’s treatment ultimately came from taxpayers. He maintained that the same system now claiming credit was responsible for the injury she suffered.
Ssenyonyi also criticised what he described as preferential treatment of foreign investors through tax exemptions and free land, while local entrepreneurs continue to struggle.
Kyagulanyi used the rally to urge supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation through phone calls, messages, and door-to-door engagement as polling day approaches. He warned of alleged state interference within opposition ranks and accused the ruling establishment of sponsoring candidates to undermine officially endorsed opposition flag bearers.
Praising Nambooze’s resilience, he said many opposition figures had been compromised over the years, but she had remained steadfast.
Meanwhile, Mukono North MP Abdala Kiwanuka, popularly known as Mulimamayuni, urged voters to remain at polling stations after casting their ballots and to resist intimidation by security operatives, remarks that underscored the tense political climate.
As campaigns gather momentum, Nambooze faces stiff competition in Mukono Municipality from a crowded field that includes Rev. Peter Bakaluba Mukasa, education entrepreneur Hannifer Nabukeera, and NRM’s Sarah Daisy Ssonko Nabatanzi, among several independent contenders.
Mukono Municipality is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched constituencies as the country edges closer to polling day.
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