President Yoweri Museveni has mocked Kampala Lord mayor Erias Lukwago after his former deputy Sarah Kanyike took oath of office as minister.
Weeks ago, Museveni appointed Kanyike a junior minister in charge of the elderly and people with disabilities.
Kanyike’s department is under the ministry of gender, labour and social development.
Museveni had appointed Kanyike a director at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
But the president quickly ordered public service commission to knock the Makindye councilor’s name off the list of those to be vetted.
Later, it emerged the head-of-state had nominated the former deputy mayor a minister.
Kanyike would later interface with the parliamentary appointments committee.
On August 24, she took oath of office. Museveni took to social media to taunt Lukwago.
“I congratulate Ms. Sarah Kanyike upon her appointment as State Minister for Disabilities and the Elderly,” tweeted Museveni.
“I want to express sympathy to my son Lukwago (Erias) who almost got a heart attack because I captured a big fish from my old party (DP).”
Lukwago, who recently left DP for main opposition political party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), is a key figure in Kampala politics.
A close ally of Dr Kizza Besigye, Museveni’s fiercest challenger for two decades, Lukwago has for years been the face of opposition in city politics.
From an impugned impeachment to a somewhat Hostile KCCA directorate and now the fishing of Kanyike from his hands, Lukwago seems to have weathered storms.
With Kanyike accepting Museveni’s appointment, Lukwago picked Makerere University councilor and former deputy guild president Doreen Nyanjura as replacement.
Museveni says he is “happy with people like Ms Kanyike who put the problems of the people ahead of party differences.”
“What Uganda needs is unity aimed at serving our people.”
In response to Museveni’s mocking, Lukwago simply wrote: “Hmmm. Imagine. #Mujooga.”
