The ruling National Resistance Movement party’s powerful Central Executive Committee has been summoned by President Yoweri Museveni to State House Entebbe to discuss a save-face solution to Odrek Rwabogo’s dossier calling his father-in-law a ‘strongman’.
Sources privy to the matter say that the dossier leaked on Monday has caused uneasiness in State House, with some top NRM members and Museveni’s trusted aides calling for disciplinary action against the first son-in-law.
The RedPepper reported that Rwabwogo who married the first daughter, Patience Museveni and have several children together is reportedly said to have authored a strong-worded dossier titled ‘Are strongmen a hindrance or facilitator to institutional growth, successful political transition’, which political analysts say is aimed at unmasking President Museveni as a political leader who rules by force and runs an authoritarian or totalitarian regime.
Rwabwogo said Africa’s strongmen must start adjusting to constitutional demands, not constitutions adjusting to suit their needs and poured his contempt on those long serving presidents who he claims have monopoly for wisdom and paralyze reasoning by frustrating inspired actions from followers.
The dossier reportedly says in part, “Unlike Singapore, Uganda (1986), Rwanda (1994) and Ethiopia (1991) provide a good case study in how
” strongmen in various ways first grow, then progressively retarded and in some cases replaced and eventually become the very institutions they meant to build.”
And top NRM party bosses and Museveni handlers have reportedly vowed to drag Rwabwogo to CEC to explain why he described his father-in-law as ‘a strongman’.
“He has done everything wrong. I am just thinking that he was quoted out of context but if it is true and he has come out to the public and caused that screaming headline, then he is simply bad mannered,” one of the members of the first family said about a local daily’s story about the anarchy in State House published on Tuesday.
READ: ‘Museveni and his age mates must go,’ Odrek Rwabwogo blasts father-in-law
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How Rwabwogo fell out with Museveni
The tensions began with Odrek Rwabwogo’s desire to assume the Vice Chairman position within the ruling party NRM. This particular post was also contended over by Brig. Matayo Kyaligonza and Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, prominent cadres within the party.
With the help of Minister without Portfolio, Haji Abdul Nadduli, the two stormed the President’s office contending Rwabogo’s political aspirations were fuelled by his father- in-law.
Museveni denied the allegations and in response held talks with Rwabwogo to discuss his decision to run for a higher position within the party yet he lacked political experience equivalent to LC Chairman status.
The NRM chairman decided to cancel Rwabwogo’s nomination application, an action that was not taken lightly by Patience Rwabwogo, the President’s daughter. In protest, Patience did not escort her father while taking back his nomination forms to the NRM secretariat at Kyadondo.
The political corridors have it that Rwabwogo’s political aspirations were actually fuelled by the First Lady Janet Museveni and not the President.
Museveni said, “I know Rwabwogo is a husband to my daughter and he is my son-in-law, but NRM is not a family entity. He has never been an LC1 Chairman, who will accept him as NRM Vice Chairman? I will not accept that to happen.”
“We created posts and leadership for the youth. What does Rwabwogo know about NRM for him to be the Vice Chairman of the party? That is impractical.” That is what the President said during a CEC meeting in which he dismissed his son-in-law’s political aspirations.
Now there are reports that last year, President Museveni met his family members in Rwakitura; his wife Janet Kataaha, children Gen. Muhoozi, Patience Rwabogo, Natasha Karugire, Diana Kamuntu, his brother Gen. Salim Saleh and other members of the inner circle. However, Odrek Rwabwogo was usually missing and has since become defiant that he nolonger attends Museveni family meetings anymore. He is said to have even transferred his business interests to Burundi and South Sudan where he enjoys close ties with crisis stricken presidents Pierre Nkurunziza and Salva Kirr.
