I Can’t be in Charge of Uganda’s Richest Class & Be a poor Minister-Says Anite

On Saturday at the glamorous event that was held to celebrate the grand opening of Bamus Sarovar Portico hotel along Gaddafy Road, behind Ham Towers Makerere, UBC Deputy MD Maurice Mugisha, who was emceeing at the event, uttered stuff which inadvertently portrayed investments minister Evelyn Anite as a wealthy person.

Without intending any harm, Maurice Mugisha made reference to Arua City’s biggest and best hotel (La Confidential) which is owned by Anite. He commended Bamus hotel owner Hajji Badru Muwanga (also owner of Luuka Plastics), who keeps diversifying his business portfolio, for joining the league of big investors in the hospitality industry where Minister Anite is a big player too.

Within no time, an impression (as was referenced by subsequent speakers) was created that Evelyn Anite is among Uganda’s wealthy class. When it was her turn to speak, Evelyn Anite casually accepted being wealthy and explained that this was all because of hard work and the fact that she had over the years been inspired by some of Uganda’s very best entrepreneurs exemplified by Hajji Badru Muwanga who she said she had been learning from for all these years.

In her usual sarcasm, Anite wondered how she can be a Minister in charge “of all these rich people” for 10 straight years and doesn’t end up becoming rich also. “I’m not a poor person because for all these days years, they have been rubbing their wealth off me and in the process I became rich also. I can’t be poor.”

Anite’s sarcastic confession cracked up people and caused prolonged laughter in the room as she signaled some of the Kampala Bagagga kwagalana group members present (Godfrey Kirumira, Tom Kitandwe, Hajji Badru Muwanga, Henry Lubwama etc) to step forward and join her in taking a group photo.

Saying she was very much inspired by the love and solidarity the Kirumira group members always exhibit by being there for each other whether in happy or sad moments, Anite asserted that the Kampala-based native Ugandan investors had helped her and other senior cadres to amplify and demonstrate President Museveni’s consistent messaging that it’s possible to become rich and succeed at creating wealth and employing many others without having to go under the lake or stealing public funds.

On another light note, Evelyn Anite heaped plenty of praises onto President YK Museveni, while calling on the audience to clap for him to appreciate the enabling environment he has sustained in Uganda to the advantage of local tycoons like the Kirumira group members; sarcastically making it clear she was determined to do all she can to keep winning favors of the appointing authority (aka the big man from Rwakitura) who is expected to unleash a new Cabinet list or lineup in the coming days or weeks. Anite casually said she is still young and energetic, implying it won’t be bad at all for the H.E to deploy her into an even more consequential Cabinet role.