Former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi has said that he has no problem meeting President Museveni, insisting that he is the president, like any other person has the right to associate with others.
Mbabazi who has been silent following his failed 2016 presidential bid also said that he is going slow on politics since it is not profitable.
The flamboyant lawyer who is also former Kinkizi West MP has announced that he will concentrate his efforts on farming, adding that he has wasted his precious time in politics. He said that with farming, he will be a model farmer and save many from poverty.
“You know that I was in government for many years, but in politics, there is no profit. That’s why I decided to quit politics and join farming so that I can achieve my dream of saving Ugandans from poverty,” Mbabazi said.
Mr Mbabazi was on Sunday afternoon speaking to a group of people that had gathered in Buikwe district to receive him as he visited the farm of his former campaign agent Mr Charles Karangwa.
Mbabazi who was accompanied by his wife Jacqueline also explained his silence following last year’s presidential election.
“When my time for active politics was over, I decided to concentrate on my private work and farming and when the right time comes, I will communicate the results of what I have been doing behind the public life,” said Mr Mbabazi.
Although there was speculation that the former presidential candidate would bounce back as a cabinet minister in President Museveni’s government, Mr Mbabazi said that this is all impossible and he is not willing to join politics again.
He added that he is busy doing his private work as an ordinary Ugandan.
Meeting with Museveni
Mr Mbabazi also responded to media reports that he was involved in secret talks with the president, saying there is nothing wrong with talking to his former political ally.
“Museveni is the president of Uganda; he has the right to meet anyone including me. I have no problem meeting him as long as he wants to discuss the development of the country and needs my input,” Mbabazi said.
Asked if he had met president Museveni, Mbabazi said he has always met him on several occasions and wouldn’t mind meeting him very often although he denied being in secret talks with his former boss.
Mbabazi’s wife Jacqueline, dressed in casual attire told the Buikwe people that she was invited to visit the farm and wasn’t aware of addressing any crowd. She applauded Karangwa for his dedicated spirit in farming.
“I am very proud of our son Charles Karangwa because he is now a role model to many. You can see I came dressed ready to go to the farm which is now my job now and I appreciate his tireless efforts in farming because with farming, you can never go wrong,” the former head of the NRM women’s league said.
Charles Karangwa praised Mbabazi for showing him the light and advising him to concentrate on farming.
“When elections were done, I asked Mbabazi about what next and he sat me down and advised me to join farming to earn a living. I have not regretted why I supported him and why I joined farming,” Karangwa said.
