When news of the death of DP secretary general Mathias Nsubuga broke on Sunday evening, the party’s leaders panicked.
They hardly had any money for a befitting send-off for their generous man. They drew up a Shs 50 million budget and started looking for the cash. It was at this point that the party leadership reached out to the state minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, who they strategically named on the funeral’s sub-committee on finance to lobby government for some financial help.
While Nakiwala tried her luck, former DP president general Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere called Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda for assistance. This was shortly before a cabinet meeting on Monday at State House, Entebbe.
Without a ready answer, Rugunda reportedly told Ssemo to give him some time. As a former MP (Bukoto South), Nsubuga fell outside the category of officials with an automatic privilege of an official burial accorded to MPs and ministers. Such a funeral comes with government allowing the body to lie in state at Parliament followed by a special sitting of the House to pay tribute to the deceased.
“We approached the NRM secretary general Justine Kasule Lumumba to request President Museveni for Nsubuga to be accorded an official funeral because there was no time for us to officially put the request in writing,” DP president Norbert Mao told mourners at Manja village in Lwengo district where Nsubuga was buried yesterday.
Lumumba was joined by other senior government officials such as Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga to persuade Museveni to grant the opposition party’s wish.
During Parliament’s special sitting on Tuesday, Kadaga told MPs that she got involved immediately after news of Nsubuga’s death broke. She particularly thanked Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda who she said played a critical role in ending the impasse.
A cabinet meeting convened on Monday approved the request, Rugunda told MPs, and also observed a minute’s silence in memory of the former MP, hailed as a peacemaker.
A cabinet source told The Observer that immediately Museveni called the cabinet meeting to order, Rugunda tabled Ssemogerere’s request for financial assistance, which the president readily accepted.
“The president directed that the government should take over the funeral because if he [Nsubuga] was a sitting MP that would be automatic but it now required the president’s approval,” a minister who preferred not to be named told The Observer.
DP’s Shs 50m budget was instantly put aside as government took over the funeral’s expenses.
BURIAL
At Manja, vice-president Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi and Lumumba led the government mourners, as opposition politicians criticised Museveni’s 30-year reign.
But former presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi avoided directly criticising his former political comrade, Museveni, telling mourners that after losing the February 18 presidential elections, he chose to keep silent until when “the right time comes.”
“I have chosen to keep a low profile and remain silent but some time to come, you’ll hear from me,” Mbabazi said.
Having worked closely with Nsubuga in Nairobi, Kenya during the NRM bush war days and later in Parliament and in this year’s presidential elections, Mbabazi said he was chronicling Nsubuga’s political life.
Talking to The Observer on the sidelines of the funeral, Mbabazi said Nsubuga would form part of the book he is writing. While some in the party have started lobbying to replace Nsubuga as secretary general, Mao announced that the party may take about a year to fill the position.
“We don’t want to rush. I think it’s better that we wait for about a year when we have all overcome the shock then we can fill the position,” Mao said.
However, some members of DP’s NEC members gathered after the funeral and disagreed with Mao’s position, reasoning that the party is not run through decrees from the president general.
“The Constitution is clear that once a member of the National Conference dies, that position automatically becomes vacant and must be filled through a by-election conducted by the National Council,” said Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze, the party president for Buganda.
The Observer understands that there will be a DP National Council meeting on January 19, 2017 and the matter is expected to be brought up. The National Council is composed of the NEC, DP parliamentary flag bearers and the DP district chairpersons.
Ssekandi delivered Museveni’s message, while Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga read Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi’s message paying tribute to the father-in-law of his young brother, Prince David Wasajja.
Born on November 26, 1956, Nsubuga is survived by eight children and a widow.
sadabkk@observer.ug