The former chairperson of Kamuli District Proscovia Salaam Musumba may be nursing wounds from her loss of the Kamuli District Woman Member of Parliamentary bi-election, held a fortnight ago, but that is not about to end her political career, she has vowed.
In an exclusive interview with The Sunrise, Salaam said that she had just ended one race, but had also started another one; closed one page in her political life, championing efforts that will give Uganda a new President come 2021.
Musumba said that although she feels a sense of bitterness arising from what she describes as a highly rigged election, she remains unfazed.
She said she is motivated by Article 102 of Uganda’s Constitution which sets the age limit to any Presidential contender at 75 years, therefore ruling out the possibility of President Museveni contesting for the seat in the next general elections.
Musumba alleged that her loss to Rehema Watongola was masterminded by President Museveni by bribing voters.
“This must have been the most expensive election ever organized by the electoral commission in Uganda simply because the regime ensured that they deployed a great number of Mambas and soldiers across the district on top of splashing cash and goodies for purposes of rigging me out of the race,” said Musumba.
Consequently, it goes without saying that Musumba’s presidential search agenda 2021 is vengefully intended to hit Museveni and the NRM where it hurts most, namely unseating president Museveni whom according to reliable sources with the ruling party is not ready to relinquish the presidential seat.
“Don’t count me out yet. I am going to champion efforts that will bring the next President of Uganda. Of course with the Constitutional background that the current President will be expired by the time we elect the next President in 2021, ” Musumba said before adding that: “I am therefore going to spend time mobilizing, networking, sensitizing Ugandans to achieve that noble objective.”
But when asked rumours of possible clandestine efforts within the ruling party to amend article 102 of the Constitution to remove the Presidential age limit and allow Museveni to stand beyond 2021, Musumba says she is not bothered.
“Whether President Museveni will stand or not, there will be a next president after him come 2021 and that is what this mission I am going to champion is all about,” Musumba emphasized adding that
“Uganda is for all Ugandans and it is far much bigger than Museveni. This is the mistake our politicians have been making in a long time, tying everything to Museveni.”
Despite her avowed opposition to President Museveni’s imperial presidency, some of her followers have started to lose hope in her statements and have likened her to former critics turned NRM linch pins in Kampala and now ministers Beti Kamya and Nakiwala Kiyingi.
But one of her former campaigners who preferred anonymity claims there are rumors that Museveni is considering fishing out Musumba who he could use to attract women support especially among the youth and women for NRM come 2021.
