Its Now Clear NUP Has no Plan to Counter Museveni’s Son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba

Muwanga Kivumbi had raised expectations and set the pace on Thursday when he promised to make a fearless speech showing how the NUP foot soldiers were to counter provocations by general Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s PLU.

With the likes of Sylivia Namutyaba and Gorete Namuga taking to social media to claim that Museveni was under too much pressure from America to stop the drone operations, many foot soldiers got excited and looked to a Monday press conference at Kavule where party leaders like Muwanga Kivumbi would make blazing speeches targeting the chief of defense forces.

Muwanga had said Museveni and his son are at their weakest and that he had come from Kitalya prison with a good formula which NUP can use to force them out of the chair.

But Muwanga was on Friday intercepted in Mpigi and taken away by men in a white drone. This was on Friday while driving to Kampala to prepare for his Monday press conference at Kavule.

At the venue he intended to speak from, NUP elected leaders gathered on Monday, many of them timid and seemed unconfortable as the day’s MC Aisha Kabanga introduced them.

Many foot soldiers were present but were disappointed at the cowardice their leaders showed. Many MPs and councilors seemed too scared to even chant the people power slogans, just in case the MK army is nearby.

The likes of Betty Nambooze who built their entire political careers on mocking Museveni, were nowhere to be seen yet this is the day foot soldiers expected to hear their guidance on how they can fearlessly counter the PLU strongman and rescue Muwanga.

None of the MPs present had guts to say anything to the journalists. Everyone seemed scared of attracting the wrath of general MK, just in case his watchman Daudi Kabanda had planted his spies. Only Joel Ssenyonyi spoke in his capacity as LoP and party spokesman. Supporters expected a clear update on Muwanga Kivumbi whereabouts and what’s being done to rescue him but none came their way.

The disguised condemnation of his rearrest only came from secretary general Rubongoya, who also spent more time talking about miss tourism Bunyoro and the LC1 elections. Habib Buwembo used to be a fearless fighter while in FDC but he too didn’t risk criticising general MK for Muwanga’s rearrest.

Buwembo actually didn’t say anything about human rights violations. He only talked about LC elections. Aisha Kabanda comes from Butambala and she is a good friend of Muwanga Kivumbi but she was too scared to criticize the military over what happened to him.

Unlike Erias Lukwago the lord mayor emeritus who used to defend human rights violations victims, because he believed he had a platform as city mayor, the new Muroodi Balimwezo didn’t say anything about what happened to Muwanga Kivumbi. The supporters expected that he is a fearless man who would ask about Muwanga’s whereabouts and demand for his release. He didn’t say anything in that line.

He seemed too scared to say anything critical about the NRM government. Already state house is ready to look after Balimwezo and make sure he is happy and comfortable up to 2031, for as long as he continues being peaceful and not very critical of the general CDF like Lukwago was.

Balimwezo, who was introduced by Aisha Kabanda as a very big man in the government, only talked about LC1 elections and requested all NUP supporters to participate peacefully without creating chaos.

Rubongoya took the same direction and only asked the gathering to pray for Muwanga Kivumbi and other political prisoners. He too didn’t mention the name Muhoozi or even criticise the government.

Rubongoya instead thanked the Katikkiro of Buganda Mayiga for being a fearless leader who criticized the drone disappearances of leaders during the last week Lukiko meeting at Bulange. The likes of Lutamaguzi Semakula, who many foot soldiers take to be a fearless militant, were nowhere to be seen.

The former Nakaseke MP must be in Kasangombe hiding under his bed while avoiding being interviewed by the media cameraa on the MK issue.

Many NUP MPs these days even fear to be invited for TV/radio talk shows in case the moderator asks them MK-related questions.

It’s now clear that even Kyagulanyi’s rabadoba style can’t save such NUP MPs anymore from being squeezed by general MK in case they bring kimberembere and Daudi Kabanda learns about their media interviews.

At first it were only NRM insiders fearing Kabanda but now even NUP MPs fear him a lot after seeing what he did to Jimmy Akena and his wife Betty Amongi. They are only comfortable doing interviews to media platforms which Kabanda can’t access, because they now know him to be the eyes and ears of the CDF.

Joel Senyonyi the LoP was there at Kavule and he is the only one who tried to criticize government about the Muwanga issue but he was careful not to mention the name Muhoozi Kainerugaba or that of any other member of the first family.

He must be scared of the Denis Namara bill which PLU wants to use to remove him from the office of LoP which brings him a lot of money and a very big convoy.

Joel asked Ugandans to participate in LC elections and also questioned the timing of government hoes that are currently being given out to people in villages and the field operations by Nameere and minister Balam. He said that he will raise the issue in parliament because the tours and the hoes are aimed at compromising voters to elect for NRMs to LC1 positions.

Even on social media as the press conference was being streamed by tik tokers, the abusive NUP foot soldiers were not vocal as always. MK supporters of PLU were dominating the comments sections because the Kyagulanyi foot soldiers were too scared to counter them.

Its now clear that Museveni doesn’t need to close down the internet and social media in order to rule a quiet country of subdued and cowed citizens.

The internet is on but few are willing to risk abusing first family members because of fear to be picked and treated like Erias Lukwago or even Muwanga Kivumbi.

The foot soldiers operating online need a fearless leadership that inspires them not to be scared of MK but from the Monday press conference at Kavule, it was clear that NUP won’t be in position to offer that inspiration anymore.

Many of its leaders now fear to mention the name Muhoozi Kainerugaba or that of any first family member. Senyonyi expressed disappointment that some NUP foot soldiers were now blaming Muwanga Kivumbi while blaming on using very strong language in his Butambala speech on Thursday immediately after court had released him on