By Mbalire Brian Kisuule ll
(You Daily Friend)
Mukono Municipality MP Hon. Betty Nambooze has responded strongly to dictator’s Speaker Anita Among after claims that tyrant Museveni used his personal money to pay for her medical treatment. This incident has sparked a debate on the integrity of the claims, with Hon. Betty Nambooze questioning Anita Among’s motives.
In 2017, during the Togikwatako campaign, opposition MPs opposed the bill that removed the presidential age limit. This bill aimed to remove Article 102(b) of the Constitution so that military dictator Museveni could run for office again. During this time, security forces attacked opposition MPs in Parliament. Many MPs were beaten and injured, with Hon. Betty Nambooze being one of them.
Hon. Betty Nambooze was among those injured. Her back was badly damaged, and she later went abroad for treatment. The cost of her treatment was paid by the government, yet Hon. Betty Nambooze questions Anita Among regarding the claims about personal funding.
Recently, while dictator Museveni was campaigning in Mukono Municipality, Speaker Anita Among claimed that Museveni personally paid for Nambooze’s hospital bills. Many people saw this as an attempt to blackmail her.
Hon. Nambooze rejected these claims. She said she was injured while at work and by people who were supposed to protect her.
She said “Museveni did not sell his mother’s or father’s cows to treat me. Even a poor villager knows that if a neighbour’s dog bites you, the owner of the dog must pay for treatment. I was beaten in Parliament by government security operatives led by Frank Mwesigwa. It was taxpayers’ money that paid for my treatment after they broke my spine. How can you say it was Museveni’s personal money? If I had died, these same people would be praising me. There are things you should never joke about.” Thus, Hon. Betty Nambooze questions Anita Among’s allegations publicly, challenging the narrative.
Hon. Nambooze is known as one of the strongest and smartest MPs in Uganda’s Parliament. Because of this, state machinery has reportedly been deployed in Mukono Municipality to try and stop her from returning to Parliament.
Some residents believe Anita Among’s statement was meant to blackmail and weaken Nambooze politically, so that voters in Mukono would not vote for her again.
A voter who spoke to The Pearl of Africa News anonymously said that if Nambooze was truly working secretly for Museveni, then there would be no reason for the ruling party to fight her politically.
Many voters say they are not surprised by what they call false propaganda. They believe Nambooze remains a strong voice against the government.
Martin, a voter from Mukono Central Market, said: “We are awake. We are going to vote for Hon. Betty Nambooze, and this time she will win by a big margin.” His statement aligns with Hon. Betty Nambooze’s own public questioning of Anita Among.
