The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has finally breathed a sigh of relief after businessman Moses Karangwa abandoned his petition challenging the election of State Minister for Microfinance, Haruna Kasolo, as the party’s Vice Chairperson for Buganda.
Mr Karangwa, who had filed a petition before the NRM election appeals tribunal, had persistently contested the outcome of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) race, insisting that Minister Kasolo’s victory was illegitimate.
His refusal to concede defeat had triggered weeks of tension within the party, sparking chaotic incidents that threatened the NRM’s image, including the violent assault of singer and vocal Kasolo supporter, Ms Jennifer ‘Full Figure’ Nakangubi, at the party headquarters along Kyadondo Road.
Ms Nakangubi was lured to the offices under the pretext of attending a mediation meeting chaired by party Electoral Commission boss, Dr Tanga Odoi. Instead, she was brutally beaten, leaving her with visible injuries that later circulated widely on social media, igniting outrage among the public.
She has since filed a criminal case against Ms Justine Namere, the spokesperson for Karangwa’s campaign team, accusing her and her husband of aggravated robbery and attempted murder. Police have been tasked to summon and investigate Ms Namere, with senior government officials urging law enforcement to handle the matter impartially.
The ugly fallout was seen by many observers as a continuation of the bitter rivalry between Kasolo and Karangwa, which had given hope to some defeated NRM primary candidates. These candidates anticipated exploiting Karangwa’s grievances by rallying around him to finance proxy wars against Kasolo-backed contenders in Buganda.
Even President Museveni reportedly took note of the escalating dispute as Karangwa went on the offensive, criticising senior party leaders such as Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka.
However, on Saturday evening, the political standoff was brought to an end when Mr Karangwa announced he was dropping his petition.
Addressing reporters at the NRM headquarters in Kyadondo, flanked by a group of loyal supporters mostly from West Nile, Mr Karangwa conceded that he had failed to present compelling evidence to back his claims. Though visibly disappointed, he acknowledged that the petition had reached a dead end.
Minister Kasolo, who was accompanied by his lawyer, Mr Mukasa Mbidde of the Democratic Party, welcomed Karangwa’s decision and described it as an endorsement of his leadership in Buganda.
“Now that this is behind us, we must focus on mobilising the region to deliver victory for President Museveni and all NRM candidates, especially in Buganda where the opposition has gained ground in recent years,” Kasolo said.
He also issued a stern warning to a section of NRM delegates from West Nile whom he accused of fuelling divisions within Buganda.
“How can leaders from West Nile want to decide who becomes Vice Chairperson for Buganda? They already have their own Vice Chairperson elected by all of us at Kololo. This interference is both unnecessary and provocative,” Kasolo argued.
The Minister went further to call for urgent reforms in the NRM Constitution to ensure that regional Vice Chairpersons are elected exclusively by delegates from their respective regions.
According to him, the current system, which allows candidates to be voted by party delegates nationwide, undermines the will of the people in those specific regions and makes campaigns unnecessarily expensive.
Mr Mbidde praised Karangwa for finally withdrawing the case, noting that it was a wise and inevitable move.
“There was nothing he could achieve with that petition. It was incurably defective and unsupported by evidence,” the lawyer remarked.
Kasolo’s victory over Karangwa, and the latter’s eventual concession, now paves the way for unity within the NRM ranks in Buganda.
Party insiders say the development re-energises Kasolo’s mandate to consolidate support and deliver electoral wins for the ruling party in Kabaka’s backyard, a region that overwhelmingly voted for the opposition in 2021.
Email:homelandnewspaper@gmail.com
