On Friday, the Kyabazinga of Busoga William Nadiope Gabula IV, was appointed an Ambassador for special duties in the office of President Yoweri Museveni. With a nod to the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga’s bloodline, Gabula’s three million Basoga subjects will not be worried about not financially supporting their King as he now has taken a job to make a living for himself.
The Speaker Kadaga – President Museveni – Kyabazinga special relationship, after all is in a very special quandary. Museveni ’s “Ambassadorship” rhetoric has horrified almost all of Busoga and Ugandan traditionalists the Kyabazinga will be unacceptably answerable to hundreds of his subjects at the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Ministry of the Presidency.
All this puts Kadaga in an impossible spot: How can she easily endear herself to her people in Busoga if their King is humiliated.
Kadaga’s $5.5 million (Shs 19.8 billion) helicopter adds a further complication. Considered a more significant need of hers by Chris Obore, the director for communication and public affairs at parliament – the chopper’s inclusion in next financial year’s budget for parliament has pitted Ms Kadaga against her powerful political boss, President Museveni.
Kadaga reportedly told the commission during a meeting that a helicopter would ease her work and enable her to monitor government programmes across the country, a privilege only known to be constitutionally enjoyed by the man from Kiruhura.
However, sources close to President Museveni told The Observer that he is opposed to parliament buying Speaker Kadaga that chopper. Museveni was reportedly first briefed by intelligence officers before he met ministry of finance officials, including Keith Muhakanizi, the secretary to the treasury.
Intelligence told the president that the helicopter might be used by the speaker for “political mobilization purposes.”
But the president appears to have objected to the chopper idea largely on the basis of whether it is a priority now. The president is the only government official with fulltime access to an official helicopter.
On some occasions, other high-ranking government officials such as the vice president, prime minister and speaker have had to use a helicopter provided by the Uganda Police Force to move across the country.
As she seeks to get her chopper and leave vehicles for lesser Ugandans, Ms Kadaga will be wary of the uneasy relationship the Executive and Parliament endured during her first term as Speaker with Mr Museveni at some point singling her out besides former premier Amama Mbabazi for criticism over the 2012 messy EALA elections that ended with the NRM candidate Dora Byamukama losing out on the race for EALA speaker.
Museveni was also strongly opposed to plans-backed by Speaker Kadaga to recall Parliament in 2013 to debate the disputed death of the Butaleja Woman MP Florence Nebanda, warning in a meeting with NRM MPs that the House would be “recalled over his dead body”. Parliament and the Executive were also locked in a standoff over a clause in the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Act, 2012[then Bill] that sought to give the line minister unchecked powers to issue or revoke oil licenses. Under pressure from the Executive, Parliament passed the law with the disputed clause.
Maybe, just maybe, Speaker Kadaga will get her chopper and perhaps so easily as Parliament passes and appropriates the budget; so, since it is their proposal, they will easily pass it.
