MP Bashir Kazibwe Mbaziira
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I As numerous candidates from the National Unity Platform continue to submit their expression of interest at party offices in Makerere Kavule, the embattled Kawempe South MP Bashir Kazibwe Mbaziira remains in hiding
Having spent his entire term in parliament largely inactive, with nothing to show for his time from the constituents who elected him in 2021, Kazibwe is not strong enough to face the music.
The embattled MP was one of the many newcomers to politics who entered parliament with the support of the umbrella wave, winning the Kawempe South parliamentary seat with 26,855 votes, defeating Solomon Mayanja of NRM, who received only 6,818 votes, while the incumbent Mubarak Munyagwa of FDC came third.
However, nearly four years later, Kazibwe’s political future seems bleak, as he is often absent from legislative discussions, public engagement, and interactions with his constituents.
Reports indicate that when he received the Shs300 million allocated to each MP, Kazibwe left his two-room rental in Kawempe and moved to Najera, where he rented a house for 1.5 million, and even formalized his marriage, neglecting the promises he made during his campaign.
The journalist-turned-politician also had a fallout with his superiors at Makerere Kavule, especially with the party president, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known as Bobi Wine.
Kazibwe asserts that the party was demanding unreasonable actions from him, such as mobilizing youth for protests and engaging in disruptive activities like setting petrol stations on fire to instigate chaos.
He further said that the financial contributions required from each MP by the party were challenging for him to accept, leading to his absence from party meetings and events.
This was reflected in the veiled criticisms directed at Kazibwe by party supporters and even Bobi Wine, with many labeling him a traitor.
As the election period approaches, it remains uncertain whether Kazibwe will seek NUP nomination forms, align with another political party, or withdraw from politics entirely. However, one thing is clear: he faces a daunting challenge in attempting to regain his parliamentary seat if he chooses to run again. This is because Bobi Wine’s brother, Chairman Nyanzi has already expressed his intention to run for this seat. And it’s expected that after trying to unseat Muhammad Nsereko in the last year general elections but falling short, he might this get into the August House.
