The Security minister who is also the Rujumbura County Member Of Parliament Rtd. Maj. Gen Jim Muhwezi and the former Rubabo County legislator Hon. Mary Paula Turyahikayo have clashed over the recent commemoration of World Aids Day held in Rukungiri last Thursday.
World AIDS day is commemorated every 1st of December and this year’s celebrations were held in Rukungiri under the theme: “Ending Inequalities among Adolescent Girls, Young Women and Boys”.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was the main celebrant.
Hon. Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa the Rukungiri municipality area member of Parliament and Rukungiri district Woman MP. Hon. Midius Natukunda Kaharata were the Masters of ceremonies (MCs).
According to the organizers the celebration was attended by only invited guests among whom former Rubabo County Member of Parliament Hon. Mary Paula Turyahikayo and former Rukungiri district chairperson LC5 Mr. Andrewson Charles Katebiire attended but they were not recognized by the two Masters of Ceremonies (hon Midius and hon Rutahigwa).
However, after the celebrations, Hon. Paula and Mr. Katebiire appeared on one of Rukungiri based local radio stations to inform the public what is going on within the leadership of the district revealing that it is characterized by hypocritical people who work for their own benefits.
To her surprise, Hon. Mary Paula, well known as Mama Rubabo wonders why she was not recognized with former district chairman on such a big function yet others were recognized claiming that this was intended and planned for by the top Rukungiri NRM leadership.
Upon getting the information, Minister Muhwezi who is also the chairperson NRM for Rukungiri district advised Hon. Turyahikayo to calm down and avoid conflicts which are intending to divide the NRM of the district.
Minister Muhwezi asked Hon. Paula to desist from fighting with her fellow party leaders but rather find ways of working together.
He added that Hon. Paula should present a manifesto to her electorate if she contests again rather than dividing people of Rukungiri.
Rujumbura County MP Maj. Gen Jim Katugugu Muhwezi and the Rubabo County legislator Hon Mary Paula Turyahikayo have not been on good terms since the 2016 elections after they accused each other of backstabbing politically by supporting their opponents.
But in December 2019, National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders in Rukungiri district sat at Riverside Hotel to dialogue,to reconcile and chart the way forward for the party ahead of 2020/2021 elections in the meeting that was convened by the Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs Francis Batinti.
Hon. Mary Pauler Turyahikayo represented Rubabo County in Parliament for fifteen years from 2006 to 2021 when she lost to FDC’s Naboth Namanya.