YUSUF BUWEMBO: FORMER DP CHAIRMAN WHO WAS FIRED BY NORBERT MAO FOR CONFRONTING HIM AND SAYING, ‘PUBLIC WANT BOBI WINE FOR PRESIDENT NOT YOU’

NUP CHAIRMAN RUBAGA: Yusuf Buwembo

NEWS EDITOR MEDIA

BORN 40 years ago, Yusuf Buwembo, a younger brilliant opposition politician who is credited for his super mobilisation skills and tactics has no regrets for defecting from Democratic Party where he was the Party Chairman Rubaga South Constituency to then newly formed National Unity Platform.
He is currently Chairman NUP Rubaga Division. He was endorsed and elected by Rubaga NUP Members of Parliament, councilors and other leaders.
A story about how Mr. Buwembo confronted DP president General Norbert Mao in 2018, looked straight into his eyes and openly told him how Public was waiting for Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine in 2021, not this former Gulu Municipality MP so he better rally DP behind NUP’s presidential aspirant or be embarrassed politically, is very interesting!
Mao reacted angrily saying, “Mr. Buwembo you nolonger qualify to be a DP Chairman. How can you “.
He ordered Party Secretary General Gerald Blacks Siranda to immediately draft a letter firing him from the post of DP Chairman Rubaga South Constituency.
“Indeed Mr. Siranda wrote the letter and authorised then acting DP Chairman Dr. Kiwanuka to organise elections in Rubaga South to vote out chairman Buwembo and his committee.” A source knowledgeable about all that transpired revealed to this news website. Kiwanuka Kwatakunsawo was declared the new Chairman for DP in Lubaga South.
Buwembo was sacked with all committee members who included; William Mpanga (Vice Chairman), Angela Kigonya (Women leader), Evelyn Nakiryowa (Vice-Women), Emmanuel Kizza (Youth), Charles Mulindwa (Secretary General), Christopher Ddamulira (Organising secretary), Uthman Bukenya (Deputy Secretary General), among others.
None of the above did Mao, Siranda or Kiwanuka consult before organising an illegal election to remove them from office over Bobi Wine.
The only crime committed by their Chairman Yusuf Buwembo when without fear or favour told President General Norbert Mao that he was a liability politically, so should lead DP to rally behind Hon. Kyagulanyi Ssentamu to contest for President in 2021 because he was the public choice, especially millions of youth look up at Bobi as their inspirer.

CHAIRMAN BUWEMBO DEFECTS WITH RUBAGA DP LEADERSHIP TO NUP
A day after Mao and Siranda carried out a coup on Buwembo and his committee, we have been briefed that, he immediately convened a meeting at which all members who served on the committee unanimously agreed to leave Mao’s party and defect to the National Unity Platform (NUP).
Buwembo led this group to the Headquaters of NUP at Kamwokya and met Party official Mr. Lwanyaga who welcomed them with open hands.
The team later met Hon. Kyagulanyi and this is when Bobi asked Buwembo to go and mobilize for NUP in Rubaga ahead of 2021 General election, an assignment this young man did with one heart and recorded victory for the party in Rubaga.
On hearing that Buwembo had officially crossed to NUP with all DP leaders, Mao called apologising for having been misled by his conscience to throw him out of office. “Please return home, I can give you a better deployment….” Buwembo just hanged up on Mao.

HOW BUWEMBO DISPLAYED MOBILISATION SKILLS AHEAD OF 2021 ELECTION
He started his assignment during the election of youth councils.
For over 20 years, all youth councils in Rubaga were dominated bythe ruling NRM party. Buwembo changed this narrative.
In liason with the then Rubaga South NUP MP aspirant Aloysius Mukasa, Buwembo mobilised the Rubaga south masses to vote for a NUP youth candidate which NUP candidate Sylvia Nassozi defeat the NRM candidate.

RACE FOR COUNCILORS IN RUBAGA
A resident of Mutundwe-Kabaawo Zone in Rubaga, Buwembo decided to run for councilor on NUP ticket during the 2021 elections. He however missed the party flag. 
Many of his supporters thought he would run as an independent but refused saying he can’t go against his Party official position.
All candidates for councilor convened a meeting from where they elected Buwembo for Rubaga South Constituency NUP Chairman. Even Ivan Mubiru had interest but he was asked to concentrate on his election. He was contesting for councilor.
As a top mobilizer, Buwembo invited all party candidates for councilors in Rubaga South to work as a team so that they secure a win for the Party.
He offered himself to go from one electoral area to another mobilising for all NUP flag bearers in Rubaga South, a job he perfectly did without excuses.
Out of 45 councilors in Rubaga South, 36 won on NUP ticket.

MP ALOYSIUS MUKASA
It’s true, a few MP candidates, if any, matched the mobilisation muscle of Rubaga South legislator Hon. Aloysius Mukasa!
Since he declared his intension to contest for Rubaga South MP in 2017, Mukasa’s name became a household name in all villages, zones and parishes making up Rubaga South constituency. But this couldn’t mean his win is sealed.

He had to appoint Buwembo his campaign manager who worked tooth and nail to consolidate the MP ‘MAP’S victory. Out of 14 candidates in the race of MPs for Rubaga South Constituency race, Mukasa won by about 75%

IN CHARGE OF BOBI, MALENDE AND MUKASA DR FORMS
Rigging of elections is very common at the Electoral commission declaration centres especially if some agents are bribed to sell DR forms. 
Buwembo was in charge of DR forms in Rubaga South for the NUP Presidential candidate Hon. Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi, Kampala Woman MP Shamim Malende and Rubaga South MP Aloysius Mukasa.
Earlier before elections, Buwembo met NUP polling agents and gave them tips on how to protect Party votes. 
Amidst threats and all sorts of intimidation, Buwembo braved on, he was seen riding on a bodaboda collecting all DR forms. And he indeed managed to get each and every DR form. That is why Rubaga South results were among the first to be declared by Electoral Commission.

RUBAGA MAYORAL ELECTIONS
After NUP winning MP elections in Rubaga South, Buwembo did not rest, he approached then MP-elect Aloysius Mukasa, asked him to improvise his Public Address system and a truck which Buwembo himself used to move around Rubaga mobilising NUP Voters to return to polls and elect NUP candidates for KCCA and Rubaga division. 
Although like other regions, Rubaga people were demoralised by Presidential election outcomes, Buwembo urged NUP supporters to soldier on and massively vote NUP candidates for local government.
You can not underestimate Buwembo’s efforts in the victory of Rubaga Mayor Zaccy Mberaze Mawula commonly known Taata Namuli, who was less known in the circles of NUP and he was tussling it out with Owek. Joyce Nabbosa Ssebuggwawo, a popular leader in Buganda Kingdom.
In fact in one of the meetings at Pope Paul, Buwembo told all contestants for councillor on NUP ticket in Rubaga that,  “Your win can only be guaranteed by the win of our candidate for mayor, Mberaze. Please let us work as a team, we must all win as a team. Wherever you go for your kakuyege, talk about our candidate for mayor, Mberaze.”
That is how Mberaze defeated Owek Ssebuggwawo to be declared, Rubaga mayor.

COUNCILORS RETREAT AT KAAZI
After elections, Buwembo organised all Rubaga councillors’ retreat in Kaazi funded by some of the NUP councilors ahead of Rubaga division Speaker elections.
Some NUP councilors led by Musa Lusembo had convened a meeting which was attended by Mberaze at Jevine Hotel and shockingly invited an NRM candidate for Speaker Musa Mbaziira to address them and ask for votes.  
This angered lord councilor Faridah Nakabugo questioning the motive of Musa Lusembo in inviting an NRM councilor in NUP meeting.
When he was called to address NUP councilors, Mbaziira bragged about how he had funded the likes of Lusembo campaigns, so he was rightly invited.
In the presence of mayor Mberaze,  Musa Mbaziira was given over 20 minutes to campaign for Speakership yet Lusembo gave less five minutes to each NUP aspirants for the same position.
No wonder, NRM candidate for Speaker defeated NUP Candidate in a council where NUP councilors are the majority.
But before this embarrassment, Buwembo had warned councilors during a Kaazi meeting not to be hoodwinked by the Mbaziira camp which was spreading lies that he had the powers to increase their salary.

Buwembo invited Rubaga North MP elect Abubaker Kawalya who once served as KCCA Speaker to dilute Mbaziira lies about the roles of the Speaker. Kawalya delegated Lord councilor Faridah Nakabugo.
However, Lusembo, Kayima and Sharifah Nakitende chose to deal with their colleague, Musa Mbaziira who later defeated NUP’s Rehema Fugge for Speaker! 
For starters, the three councilors; Lusembo, Nakitende and Kayima served during Mayor Ssebuggwawo’s tenure and they were too close to Mbaziira who was the Speaker. In fact, he took them to NALI Kyankwanzi.  (We shall come back to this Kyankwanzi story).

THE LIFE OF BUWEMBO IN RUBAGA POLITICS
He actively joined politics in 2006 during late Winnie Makumbi campaigns for Rubaga Mayor.
As a youth, Yusuf Buwembo was a strategist and Winnie Makumbi liked him so much. After her victory, she appointed him to do her administrative work. It’s unfortunate that Winnie died before completion of her term as Rubaga mayor.

In 2011, Buwembo was at Rubaga South constituency level mobilising and sensitising people about opposition politics in Uganda.
During 2016 campaigns,  he moved around Uganda with opposition leaders campaigning for opposition and participating in seminars organised by opposition leaders. He was already the DP Chairman in charge of Rubaga South Constituency. This story will be continued!

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