January 26, 2025, will always be in the hearts of Mubende residents as well as their lips for the good and bad deeds that came with it.
On this day, the Nationa Resistance Army (NRA) turned National Resistance Movement (NRM) celebrated its 39th liberation that was slated at Mubende National Teachers College (NTC) with the President of the Republic of Uganda RT General Yoweri Museveni as the main celebrant.
Mubende town was at a standstill, People were left stunned, and angry, some bitterly split, others saying harsh things to others that will never disappear from their hearts.
Eve of the day
Firstly, on Saturday 25th January 2025 at Kasaana Playgrounds, the @onc_nrm Manager-Hajjat who doubles as Chief Muzzukulu, mobilized thousands of residents from all corners of Mubende promising to extend Sustainable Wealth Creation to Mubende District and the surroundings through donating capital items to them (Bazzukulu), Women and General Public like she has done in other places before.
This was allegedly done to align with President Kaguta Museveni and the NRM party’s agenda of Socio-economic transformation as well as pre-liberation activity marking NRM’s liberation At 39 years.
Through adverts on different platforms, people were told to expect lots of entertainment from several artistes including Gravity Omutujju and Lil Pazo, eats and drinks with a take-home of lifetime-changing equipments.
The equipments were to be given to development groups and People were required to present their groups to the office of the District Community Development Office for scrutiny. In presence, each group had more than ten people and were at Kasaana playground before 9am as was required and promised for breakfast and lunch in pretty at the venue.
Despite being promised breakfast and lunch, by 3 pm people were still feeding on their nails, were patiently waiting as they expected Development Equipments. The situation went worse when the equipments that were brought was less than the people who turned up.
It all turned violent with equipments such as Hoes, Farm Sprayers, and others being thrown at people.
“I went with my group from here in Rubimbiri and we had more than 140 people, we were mobilized very well and told all members of the party to come, they promised us transportation, lunch, and a lot more. However, this all was in vain. This prompted my chairman and all the others to want to fight, Now that the fight has been lifted and brought in our groups, I don’t know, Lord is the one to save us,” Nyirabakonzo from Rubimbiri Sub-county told Mubende Post.
“We went angry, we voters, the equipments you brought for us through groups, only government employees took them, we did not get anything and groups from far away transported themselves and we didn’t eat food we did not take anything, hoes, sprayers, and others were distributed, to government officials. Honorable Hope Grania Nakazibwe you looked eye to eye giving out to friends and we are angry at you don’t bother looking for votes in our area pass by our house don’t come there,” One of the group members from Madudu heard lamenting.
“We went back on foot, received nothing we have not received any help, we have not received anything, and Mzee Museveni no longer has votes in our area you have killed it,” they added.
On the Liberation Day
It was a beautiful sunny Sunday, January 26, 2025, The 39th anniversary of Uganda’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) Liberation Day that was celebrated in Mubende District, that presented a reflective moment on the country’s journey since its liberation.
Mubende being historical in the Liberation of Uganda as the first bullet was shot at Kabamba barracks in Kasambya, Mubende district it’s the first time in it’s history to host the national function of it’s kind In the 39 years be it other functions at the national level.
Mubende’s locals hoped for much through their leaders to the government to align with the needs of the people but all went in vain.
Even though the President gave a good speech about development, Mubende people where shocked when the president ignored talking about matters concerning greater Mubende.
Mubende believed Museveni’s speech could focus on Mubende matters such as severe land disputes where many people have lost their lives, and others are displaced by powerful interests. The lack of viable, sustainable markets for Mubende’s farmers, and market access through targeted policies and initiatives, promoting cooperative farming, expanding export opportunities for high-value crops, investing in local infrastructures, such as roads and electricity, transforming National Teachers College into a University, Awarding medals to Mubende war veterans and others.
Mixed reactions From the Mubende community.
Leaders React
Due to the limited time and number of speakers allowed to speak at the function, Mubende Woman Member of Parliament, Honorable Grania used the chance of being the host to briefly address maters of Mubende District to the president. She thanked the President for allowing the National ceremony to be held in Mubende.
Honorable Lubega Bashir Ssempa Mp Mubende municipality expressed his dissatisfaction with the actions of his fellow Mp Nakazibwe Grania for not using a chance and give him a minute to report the needs of his people to the president.
“Everyone has seen what happened because the people of Mubende are not villagers, discrimination and desire to oppress others, people have seen it,” Ssempa told Mubende Post in a soulful voice after the event.
“I want to tell the people of Mubende that we have many MPs in different constituencies now how can an MP from other constituencies start thinking that he can take away my Area Mp position at a function, do you think that can decide the election?” He added.
Hajji Bashir further exposed the emptiness of his fellow MP and showed the misconduct and fighting among the MPs representing Mubende district.
“You might think you are spoiling someone yet instead you are showing your nakedness, because how can you introduce MPs to the president when he is in the process of taking pictures? Now you can tell me the ceremony was wow!” Ssempa questioned.
“I don’t do that and if you remember the ceremony of the Luwekula seating, the protocol decided that only the Area MP should take the microphone to speak, but I found that although I knew someone was fighting me I asked at least to let her come and use two minutes to greet her people,” he added.
Lubega said that it could be the reason for fighting in Mubende and the bitterness that caused the MPs from Mubende not to get the chance to take a picture with the president during his visit to their area.
Honorable Nakazibwe clarified that because she wasn’t the main director of the function she had no opportunity of calling his colleagues to say a word and said she only used the little minutes she had to ask for the return of the president and meet the leaders so that they can tell him the needs of the community of which he accepted.
It should be recalled that it has taken a long time since the five MPs representing Mubende district have been out of action due to unknown disputes.
However, the dispute is mainly between MP Kabanda David representing Kasambya Constituency who is a close friend of MP representing Mubende district exchanging bitterness with MP Lubega Bashir Ssempa representing Mubende municipality.
Honorable Patrick Nsamba of NUP, MP Kasanda North said is very surprised that the leaders of Mubende failed to coordinate and convey one voice to the President to at least leave something to remember in the area where the National Function was held.
He adds that in other regions were such functions have been held leaders have got something to show, instead of leaders having parties and slaughtering cows that leave some complaining about not eating. They should have held meeting tiresly to decide how and what to get out of the national ceremony and have something to agree on to ask the President.
“I am surprised that even now the stories we are talking about are the inheritances made and shared things that are not useful for Mubende as a whole, we should be discussing the projects we gained From the liberation day, discussing what we were able to achieve,” Nsamba wondered.
“You find the leaders praising themselves that they slaughtered 20 cows, that I raised money of this much, I brought tents, I built a stage things that are no longer useful to the people of Mubende at the moment,” Patrick Added.
He further says that even though MP Nakazibwe asked for the return of the president that cannot give the community assurance that their issues will be worked on someday because the president may get other things to do somewhere somehow and fail to come back.
The Mubende District Chairperson Mr Ntambi Micheal said it was a great milestone for mubende backed by the woman representative Honorable Nakazibwe Hope saying that hotels Rodges and other businesses worked that day.
Veterans react.
Before the end of the ceremony on the 26th, most women and Men who fought with the NRA in different capacities that are still alive in Mubende who were present at the function were annoyed for not recognizing their presence.
Veterans in Mubende thought since the function was in their area they could be given a sharp ear for their needs which wasn’t the case and most of them towards the end of the function had making an Alarm.
