On May 21, 2009 former Los Angeles, California, resident and now owner of Radio Star, NRM candidate Peter Sematimba was declared the new LCIII chairman for Rubaga after a bitter election fight marred by massive irregularities. Even the Uganda government mouthpiece, the New Vision, on May 22, 2009 reported the results under the heading “Rubaga LC3 polls marred by rigging”. Sematimba, who moonlights as a church pastor, won with 15,799 votes. The votes which Sematimba received represent 47% of the 33,314 cast in the elections, but only 9.3% of the 170,557 voters on the Uganda Electoral Commission roll of registered voters in Rubaga. According to NRM sources, more than 900 party activists were paid to irregularly vote in Rubaga. Also, over 2,000 pre-marked ballots were successfully stuffed into boxes across the 250 polling stations. Still, the total votes, including the irregular ones, represented a voter turn-out of only 19%.
While Peter Sematimba and most of his NRM supporters are celebrating his official victory, some political analysts think that this election is evidence that President Museveni and his NRM dominated brand of democracy could be rapidly collapsing. One New York based Muganda analyst, who requested that we withold his name, told us in a phone conversation: “Museveni, Nsibambi, Amama Mbabazi, Nakabirwa, Mrs. Museveni and so many other NRM heavyweights supported Sematimba. Then Peter blanketed Rubaga with constant campaign messages on his own radio station. Add on the fact that NRM people paid voters, ferried in illegal voters and stuffed the ballot boxes with thousands of votes. After all that, failing to get a turn-out over 30% in Rubaga is a clear message that the people of are fed up with Musevenism and are thirsting for something else.
“My contacts in FDC admit that many of those who kept away are former FDC Baganda who were convinced by Kamya that Ssebugwaawo was being used by Bakiga who were as anti-Buganda as Museveni’s regime. FDC is dead in Buganda! Others were turned off by the leadership vacuum in DP and fairly good evidence that Mr. Museveni was funding the DP candidate (Makumbi) through ex-convict and Kampala mayor Haj. Nasser Sebagala. The bottom line is that Museveni and his people should now know that only about 5% of the people in Rubaga were genuinely convinced by Sematimba, Museveni, Nsibambi, Amama Mbabazi and other NRM big wigs to go vote for Sematimba. And at least 70% of the registered voters in Rubaga are opposed to or fed up with the Museveni circus. But that situation is much worse for NRM when it comes to Baganda, especially the militant youths below 25 years. So, if Sematimba or Museveni think that NRM won big in Rubaga, Baganda nationalists should be happy because it is better to have a stupid enemy than a smart one.”
The runner-up to Sematimba was Moses Makumbi of the Democratic Party (DP) who got 9,807 votes (29 percent), followed by Joyce Ssebugwaawo of FDC (15%) and four lesser candidates receiving less than 10% each. Makumbi conceded defeat and congratulated Sematimba quickly after the results were announced, leading to speculation in some DP circles that he was paid something to legitimize Sematimba as soon as possible. On the other hand, according to FDC sources, Joyce Sebugwaawo intends to challenge the elections results in court citing massive fraud by NRM activists with the Uganda Electoral Commission looking the other way.
May 25th, 2009 at 7:17 am
Chris,
This report couldn’t be any truer! Possibly, the only piece of valuable information you have skipped is the fact that once Peter Sematimba was declared the winner, a couple of NRM lunatics were reported to have gone to the Rubaga Division offices, pulled down the Buganda flag and replaced it with the NRM flag. Oh, how telling! I didn’t know for a fact that Buganda Kingdom was a political party competing with the NRM-O party. I also didn’t know that Peter Sematimba was not a Muganda or working against Buganda’s interests and aspiration. Now, we know the whole story, or don’t we??
May 25th, 2009 at 11:37 am
Muky. Nankindu,
Thanks for that information about the flag. We will not forget. What a shame when the fact is that Sematimba is indeed a Muganda. I have known his balokole and dignified parents who live in Makindye for decades. As far as I know (except if you have new information) Muzeeyi Sematimba is a very prominent member of the Mamba clan.
The problem with peter is that he will do anything for money. Plus he is a master of living multiple lives. For example he is a pastor but his radio station competes with red pepper in publishing X-rated junk.
Also during the election campaign his opponents, especially Makumbi, have been accusing him of being married but being a member of gay community – like his fellow pastors Kayanja and Kiweweesi. He never responded to the accustaions. But one time he had the police arrest and beat up a young opponent who during Q&A asked him, “Candidate Sematimba, kituufu nti otambula n’akadomola ka vasiliini?”
Tulina okuboola (cast out) Baganda like Sematimba who put money and fame ahead of Buganda. Nsibambi, Naggenda?, Bukenya, Ssekandi, Sebunya, etc. must be rejected. The reason is simple, there is no serious nation or even club which does not discriminate or expel its members who work for its enemies.
David
May 28th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
David,
I am so grateful for the adjoining and most valuable piece of information about Peter. I am now able to fully appreciate where he is coming from and where he is going. I can also understand why he is behaving the way he is. Incidentally, I am reliably informed that he did not even use his ‘pastoral’ title of “pastor”, preferring instead to be called ‘Mr.’. Is that also not telling about the gentleman’s character??
Tara
June 6th, 2009 at 8:51 am
This article illustrates, the kind of wishful thinking which many Museveni bashers(hiding behind support for Buganda)have. First let me offer a few corrections.
1. Peter Ssematimba is the proprietor of Super FM not Star FM.
2. The voter turn up, even using your own numbers was 19.5% not 9%. Not that 19% is anything to write home about, but I guess the writer deliberately wrote 9% to make it seem like almost nobody voted.
Now back to your opinionated article. The facts, as they are known by us who stay in Uganda and reside in Rubaga for that matter is that Ssematimba won because of two main reasons which I give in order of importance.
a) Many of those who voted for him were convinced that irrespective of the party he belongs to, Peter has a track record to prove that he can deliver the necessary services. To mention only two; Peter started the very successful Radio CBS and now runs his own very successful super FM. My own brother is a staunch DP supporter but he voted for Peter Ssessessema………
b) The 2nd reason Peter won was the confusion in the opposition. While NRM prevailed on its other candidates to stand down, DP’s Ssendikaddiwa also stood as an independent. For FDC you know the story well. Bettty ‘yalagira’ nti vote for anybody else except Joyce Ssebugwawo. As they say the rest is history.
What comes out of this article is the contempt you diaspora people have about us the folks at home. You believe that we always vote with our emotions, not reason. This time we did and voted for the candidate who we think deserved the seat. As for the low turnout do not tell lies emisana. Low voterturnouts are common worldwide, not necessarily because people are tired of the incumbent regime. For Rubaga people were attending to the more more important issue looking for school fees to take kids to school. Even if the turnout had been 100%, Peter would have trounced the opposition, maybe with even a higher percentage.
As for the insinuations about his sexual orientation, the comment that he did not comment about it is false. On the Radio Talk Show ‘Kkiriza oba Gaana’ he encouranged the host to ask the embarrasing question. We can only go by what he said. Peter says he is happily married to a woman with two beautiful daughters and unless his accusers can prove otherwise that is the truth.
June 8th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Mukulu Ssentongo,
Rather than your “corrections” providing any factual observations of what actually happened in those so-called Uganda elections of yours, they instead go further to reflect how gullible some of you Ugandans have become inspite of the glaring dictatorship that has now engulfed that miserable banana republic. For your information Mr. Ssentongo, the world has now incredibly become a global village to the extent that you do not need to be in Uganda now and for that matter in any other country to get to know what is happening down there. To make even matters worse for you, some of the things that happen in that country get to be known by us first before you folks down there do. So, do not think that folks in the Diaspora are wishful thinkers.
Mw. Ssentongo, there is only one count where I could possibly agree with you, namely regarding the fact that the so-called opposition in Uganda has also become as hopeless as the junta has become. How could they have ‘afforded’ to split their vote amongst themselves in the face of well-established vote-rigging machinery in Uganda??
Did you say Peter Ssematimba is a very “successful” entrepreneur? Well, well. Mr. Ssematimba should be now in the Guinness Book of Record as being the first very “successful” Ugandan entrepreneur to join politics. One should really wonder why the Mulwanas/Wavamunnos/Sudirs, et.al of that country are not joining your type of Ugandan politics to make things better for that county? Put it differently, what explains the fact that Ugandan politicians tell lies, cheat on elections, kill or maim fellow Ugandans in order to be voted in position x or y? How about those who are intent on making political dynasties in Uganda after having dropped dead as life presidents?
Sseruganda Ssentongo, when any Ugandan with a piece of gray matter upstairs as well as conscience raises concerns regarding the serious flaws in the governance of that miserable banana republic, it does suggest in any way that we hate any person in that government of yours you so much cherish. If we went by that logic, it would suggest that Mr. Museveni and his group fought against the Amins, Obotes and Okellos because they simply hated these individuals and/or the communities they came from!!
Finally Mw. Ssentongo, the Baganda with a conscience will not be cowed or rather intimidated by any anti-Buganda politician for holding their views regarding their wish to be governed under the Federo system of governance as well as under a democratic dispensation. You can therefore discuss issues without necessarily pulling the Baganda as a nation into your political hogwash that is now typical of that country.
Busagwa