Ssemakula who was reacting to an earlier claim by Andrew Ssenyonga who lost the primary bid for Mukono Municipality MP seat in addition to being harshly assaulted by police, said, “Ssenyonga ignited the trouble himself by attacking police at night and should not blame anyone for what befell him.”
Mukono district NRM chairman, Haji Haruna Ssemakula has cautioned party politicians planning to stand as independent candidates after losing in the recent primary elections for flag bearers, to desist from antagonizing the party, or else face their wrath.
Speaking to the media on Monday at his office, Ssemakula said in no unclear terms that the party is not going to pamper losers now bent on disorganizing it, and warned, “you lost the election and the best you can do is come back home and join the rest in consolidating your party”.
The chairman said that as a district, they have instructed their legal team to discipline elected flag bearers who are now supporting those planning to stand as independent candidates, and pointed out in a sarcastic tone, “You have eaten the flesh of the fruit and don’t attempt to eat the seed as well”.
Ssemakula who was reacting to an earlier claim by Andrew Ssenyonga who lost the primary bid for Mukono Municipality MP seat in addition to being harshly assaulted by police, said, “Ssenyonga ignited the trouble himself by attacking police at night and should not blame anyone for what befell him.”
Ssenyonga who was accompanied by several of his supporters, was on 17th July thoroughly beaten when he stormed Mukono police at night to try to establish the reason that had led to arrest of Goma Division registrar who had been arrested by police for allegedly manipulating the DR forms in favour of Ssenyonga.
He was rushed to Mukono Church of Uganda Hospital in coma, referred to Mengo Hospital from where he was referred to Nakasero Hospital. He was later referred to Nairobi’s Aga Khan Hospital where he was hospitalized for over a week.
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Earlier in a press interview at his home at Lumuli Cell in Goma Division, Mukono Municipality on Monday, Andrew Ssenyonga who was confined in a wheelchair, blamed party leaders, specifically Haji Ssemakula, for having ordered policemen to beat him up with concocted claims that he was attempting to break into the police armoury to grab guns.
“I have been loyal to the party since its inception and as a district leader, I was in very cordial relations with the police but they had the guts to badly assault me into coma, and since the incident, no single leader has ever called to express sympathy,” Ssenyonga complained.
Ssenyonga who was flanked by NRM leaders in Goma Division, was sad that after doing so much for the party as a leader, he was treated like a chicken thief and beaten into pulp which he noted, was clear testimony of wanting respect for democracy in the NRM circles.
All the time however, he exonerated President Museveni from his ordeal, and placed the blame entirely on Mukono district party leadership, citing Haji Ssemakula for ordering his beating, Mukono Division Police Commander (DPC) Bernard Mugerwa for personally hitting him first, together with the OC Operations identified as Sabira, who simultaneously kicked him before leading him to an inner room where they beat him into coma before throwing him into a ditch.
Ssenyonga who said he still holds NRM dear, advised that if the party leadership does not take trouble to identify who its true cadres are, the battle to recapture the district from the grips of the opposition will remain a distant dream.
He was tussling with Dr. Daisy Sarah Ssonko in the struggle to unseat NUP’s Betty Nambooze Bakireke as Mukono Municipality MP, and Dr. Ssonko was declared winner of the primary elections, prompting him to file a petition which is yet to be decided.
He declared that if the petition is decided in favour of his opponent, he would stand as an independent, arguing that he cannot betray his voters who massively voted for him and his victory was diverted to favour his opponent.
The Seeta parish Vice Chairman and NRM flag bearer for Goma Division seat, Hannington Kabugo was particularly dismayed that during the July 17th scuffle, journalists were beaten and had their gadgets destroyed by rampaging policemen, noting that blocking journalists from doing their work is an indirect way of denying the masses access to information.
Another supporter identified as Abbey Ssegawa noted that neglect by NRM leaders to console Ssenyonga is testimony that party leaders in the district had a hand in his assault.
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