Tempers flared in Sembabule Town Council on Sunday after Lwemiyaga County Member of Parliament Theodore Ssekikuubo caused a scene during a public rally addressed by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The incident unfolded shortly after former Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa, a long-time political rival of Ssekikuubo, delivered his speech calling for unity and rallying support for President Museveni’s sole candidacy in the forthcoming elections. Kutesa had just invited Mawogola West MP and State Minister for Health (General Duties), Hon. Hanifa Kawooya, to speak when Ssekikuubo abruptly approached the podium and attempted to seize the microphone.
Eyewitnesses say Kutesa tried to restrain him, warning: “Ssekikuubo, please don’t do this.” However, the outspoken MP insisted he had a right to speak at the event, prompting presidential security to intervene. Ssekikuubo was forcefully removed from the venue as President Museveni and the crowd looked on.
Speaking to journalists afterward, Ssekikuubo defended his actions, arguing that as a representative of the people of Lwemiyaga, he deserved an opportunity to air constituents’ concerns directly to the President. He claimed there was a deliberate plot to sideline him and deny him a platform to discuss issues affecting Sembabule residents.
“There is a plan to oust me as MP and silence me from raising the real issues that our people are facing,” Ssekikuubo alleged.
Despite the disruption, the rally proceeded, with President Museveni delivering a keynote address centered on boosting agricultural productivity through irrigation, pasture planting, and modern farming techniques.
Highlighting the threat of prolonged droughts, the President urged farmers to embrace irrigation to ensure year-round food and milk production. He also encouraged adoption of the Four-Acre Model for smallholders, advising farmers to dedicate one acre each to coffee, fruits, pasture for livestock, and food crops for household consumption.
“With proper land use, even those with small land holdings can become wealthy,” Museveni said, adding that farmers with larger tracts could expand into more extensive agriculture.
The President praised Mawogola North MP, Hon. Shartsi Musherure Kutesa, for her efforts in promoting wealth creation among her constituents, contrasting it with what he described as “mere politicking.”
“I saw coffee plantations and milk collection centers on my way here,” Museveni noted, “but we must complete the cycle by adopting irrigation and planting pasture.”
Hon. Musherure, in her remarks, lauded the President for transformative programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, expanded electricity, and piped water, while pledging continued mobilization for wealth creation initiatives.
Earlier, Hon. Sam Kutesa had warned against internal divisions within the NRM party, cautioning that such wrangles weakened the movement and gave adversaries an opportunity to infiltrate.
“We must remain united behind President Museveni as the sole candidate to secure our future,” Kutesa emphasized.
Hon. Hanifa Kawooya also thanked the President for prioritizing economic empowerment, vowing that leaders in Sembabule would continue promoting government programs aimed at eradicating poverty.
The rally closed without further incident, but the morning fracas left political observers pondering the deep-seated tensions that continue to simmer within Sembabule’s NRM leadership.