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Another Museveni Minister quits elective politics

President Yoweri Museveni. Courtesy Photo

Public Service minister Wilson Muruli Mukasa is also quitting elective politics days after his local government counterpart Raphael Magyezi announced he would not stand for election as Igara West MP.

At the weekend, Magyezi confirmed he would not seek reelection after representing the Bushenyi-based constituency for 10 years.

Now, Muruli, his colleague in cabinet, has also reportedly quit elective politics.

In the 2016 parliamentary elections, some senior ministers lost. They included: East African Community Affairs Minister Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, former information minister Jim Muhwezi, and former education minister Jessica Alupo.

Others who lost were former energy minister Irene Muloni, former attorney general Fred Ruhindi and former housing minister Sam Engola.

Some critics think Magyezi and Muruli have quit to avoid what befell such ministers five years ago.

But Magyezi insisted he had not quit because he was afraid of competition from opponents such as Horace Muhabuzi, Gaffa Mbwatekamwa and Prof Tarsis Kabwegyere.

Read: Minister Magyezi finally breaks silence on running for Igara West MP seat in 2021

President Museveni decorates then Security Minister Muruli-Mukasa with the Nalubale Medal during the Heroes day in 2012. Courtesy Photo

Muruli has represented Nakasongola’s Budeyebo county in Parliament since 2011. Before then, he had served as a National Resistance Council Member and Constituency Assembly delegate for Nakasongola County.

He has served as minister of security, gender, labour and social development, and public service.

Like Magyezi, Muruli hopes to remain active in government, even after quitting elective politics.

It is not clear if President Yoweri Museveni has assured Magyezi and Muruli of ministerial appointments if he wins next year’s presidential election.

Public service minister Wilson Muruli Mukasa. Courtesy Photo

Aged 68 (he was born in May 1952), Muruli, a former head teacher at Nakasongola SS is expected to back a candidate from his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the 2021 general elections.

Already, at least four NRM members have expressed interest in the NRM flag for the Budyebo County MP election.

They include Moses Mwesigye, Peter Ssali, Bernard Ssekyanzi and former Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) engineer Berunado Ssebugga Kimeze. The minister is said to favour Kimeze.

Read: Besigye camp rubbishes Wakida opinion poll showing Museveni leading 2021 joint opposition candidate

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Samuel Kamugisha

Samuel Kamugisha is a Ugandan journalist, editor, translator, language instructor, poet, fiction and non-fiction writer. A Makerere University graduate of Journalism and Communication with a decade-long experience in news reporting, writing and editing, Kamugisha is Editor at The Pearl Times. His other journalistic work was published by The Observer. When he is not doing journalism work -- which is rare -- Kamugisha will be reading or writing a short story or a poem, or caught up in the writer's block. His new children's book 'Friends of Plastics' has been published by Room to Read and Reading Association of Uganda and can be read here: https://literacycloud.org/stories/7887-friends-of-plastic/