Hon Wadri Kassiano While Outlining His Achievement as the MP for Arua, He Said, He Spent One Year Ferrying his Co-Accussed Suspects From Arua to Gulu Court and Back to Arua.
WNT: During the 2018 Arua municipality parliamentary by-election, big is big was your political bell, are you still maintaining the same words or you have rebranded it?
Wadri: I can not become any smaller than I was in 2018, big is still big both in the head and in all aspects, so I am still the same big is big.
WNT: How are you approaching these campaigns for the general election?
Wadri: First of all it’s going to be very unique election, unique in the sense that there are a lot of restrictions put forward by the government through the ministry of health and the executive powers coming from His Excellency the president of these country where we shall not have open campaigns as it used to happen where a candidate would go and sell his manifesto to the electorates.
We are now been advised to have virtual and scientific approach, using the media and person to person contacts bearing in mind that there must be SOPs observed.
Having said that, these election to me is election of accountability because when I came to Arua in 2018, I did make promises to the people of Arua especially the residents through my manifesto and that time, I said I will focus on critical areas.
i) Vocationalisation, providing skills training for the youth so that they can use the knowledge they acquired to earn living for themselves.
ii) I also did say that I will work with women groups rather than working with individuals.
Ii) I said, I will work with the religious institutions.
So broadly, those are the three major areas which are passionate to me, then the other fourth one as my role as member of parliament was to have effective representation.
By effective representstion, I should not be sleeping in the house but to be able to let government know what challenges are facing my people, that is the part of the effective representation am talking about and at the same time I said, I will lobby my colleagues of Members of Parliament to come together and we have united front to ensure that West Nile is accessed and connected to the main grid.
WNT: Outline some of your achievements you have registered when you became member of parliament for Arua municipality?
Wadri: First of all, I spent one year ferrying my fellow suspects from Arua to Gulu and returning them back to Arua after appearing before the court and it was one full year.
I think I can ably say within the shortest time that I had, I was able to do at least good part of what I promised to do.
I have been able to establish vocational training schools,tailoring, hair dressing, metal fabrications , those are available for people to see and I have worked closely with the religious institutions both the Church of Uganda, Catholic Church and Muslim faith given time I can unleash the details.
It’s only in the area of carpentry and motor mechanics that I have not done yet but things like support to women and effective representation I have done.
When you look at the score card, I have performed very well. I scored 69% in terms of performance and when you look at the people who determine, who form opinions in the parliament, out of 41, I am number two next to Hon. David Bhati state minister for finance and all these have been independently assessed. so I can ably say I have done my part in these shortest time and at no one time have I missed coming home.
I come home twice every month in the constituency moving from cell to cell, at one point I went to River Oli division, Oli ‘C’ and women came telling me that it’s their first time to see a member of parliament coming to sit down with them to annalyse their social economic situations.
WNT: Hon. One of the pieces of moral baggage around you is dri-mbaza-tighthand where your critics say you are too selfish and
you don’t give money to people, how do you react to this?
Wadri: You see, I made it very clear that I will not work with individuals, I will work with communities and that’s the reason why everywhere I go, people say this is the man giving money for our SACCCO groups.
Youth are able to say yes we are in tailoring schools and we have bought uniforms for our football clubs, the choir members are able to say the same but certainly I made it very clear that, I don’t work for individuals, I don ‘t have money to be given to individuals, where will I get that kind of money?
The salary for Member of Parliament which you can access from the website of parliament is Sh. 11,000,000 and when taxed what goes to Member of Parliament is Sh.6,000,129, so if every other person wants me to give money individually, is it sustainable!
No wonder even these very week if you read the monitor news paper of Oct 6, 2020 where president of Liberia George Weah was all out complaining that the youth are stressing him with handouts and he told them that he does not have personal money to give to them.
If am to count all that I have done, I have got things to show to the community where I have extended my hand. What has those politicians criticising me that I have tight hands done with their loose hands to the community?.
I don’t think it’s the role of the member of parliament to bring you food on the table and to buy you drinks.
WNT: Do you feel intimidated by the National Resistant Movement -NRM flag beareÅ—?
Wadri: First of all a match is a match, I don’t underrate any human being whether being a toddler, a senior, or geriatric I don’t fear anybody but whatever the situation is, in Latin they say ‘estorte parate’, be prepared and am prepared to meet them in the football pitch of the politics.
WNT: Annaylists believe that NRM candidate will not be short of resources and logistics to proscute the election as they believe President Yoweri Museveni will pump enough money to the flag bearer to give him some leverage to defeat you!
How will you handle these situation?
Wadri: I know, one thing for certain is that, politics in Uganda has been spoiled by the NRM regime, it has been over commercialised, it blindfolds the electorates and they may not get good leaders if they only focus on money but I want to tell you that money is not everything.
The other time when I contested in 2018, how much billions was poured on me here in the municipality by the ruling government.
So pouring money is not a surprise to me, let them pour as much as they want and it’s going to be the decision of the electorates knowing very well that this is their own tax payers money and am sure they will eat it and vote wisely.
WNT: But Hon. winning any election is now a capital intensive and many times those with the financial war check are the ones to win!
Wadri: Execuse me! I have told you even in Lugbara, they say a poor man also marries, there’s no body who would say he is not marrying, he has failed to get a partner because he is poor, no! so long he is knowledgable, good charactered, he will get married.
WNT: Hon. Your political clout seems to be diminishing for your decision to abandon Hon.Bobi Wine who helped you to win the 2018 Arua municiality by-election.
What is your say?
Wadri: I think that is an insult to the integrity of the people of Arua municipality.
It’s true that Hon.Bobi Wine came to my campaign on the August 12, 2018 and the following day Aug 13, 2028 we were arrested but he was not the only person who came.
I had friends from FDC like Hon. Simon Oyet, I had Hon Joshua Anywarach of Padere county
I had Hon. Francis Barnabas Gonahasa from FDC, Hon.Paul Mwiru, I had friends from the Democratic Party led by the former presidential candidate Samuel Lubega Mukaaku.
I had my long time friend Hon Michael Mabikke the President of the Social Democratic Party, I had people like Hon. Ssebufu, Hon Alice Alaso, former secretary general of FDC who is now my deputy nationally in the Alliance for National transformation. I had my longstanding OB Gen.Mugisha Muntu who also came here,8 amdist all these how can you come and attribute my victory to Hon.Kyagulany, if it was all that victories are attributted to him, the other time we went to Hoima together with him why didn’t we win in Hoima?
It’s fallacy because Hon. Kyagulanyi and I were arrested and others, we were in prison when people of Arua municipality voted.
My victory is credited to the people of Arua municipality ,if they were weak, if they were fearful believe me since we were already arrested, NRM would have taken the votes, so they were the ones who stood firm and voted me.
Number two., that I abandoned Hon. Kyagulanyi, first Kyagulani contested as an independent candidate and when you talk about people power to which we all belong, people power is not a political party, it’s a pressure group and people power as movement pressure group started in 2017 when members of parliament from accross the political divide who opposed the age limit ammendment which was mooted and pushed by President Museveni that was the time when opposition members and like minded NRM members came forward and started: One adorning red colour and tying their heads with red ribbons a sign that they were ready to shed blood if president Museveni went ahead with that attempt of ammending the constitution and at the same time they revoked article 1 of the constitution which says power belongs to the people.
So people power is a slogan operationalising article 1 of the constitution and that was the time when the Luganda version of the tujikwatako came “don’t touch this constitutional ammendment” and in that same vain, peoples power got its members from across the political divide and that’s the reason why Hon. Tinkasiimire Barnabas who is NRM was our coordinator for Bunyoro region, Hon.Asumani Basalirwa was our coordinator for Busoga, he is the president of JEEMA party, I myself, I was the coordinator of people power movement in West Nile and my party all along is Alliance for National Transformation.
When the general announcement was made we had people like Gerald Karuhanga the MP of Ntungamu Municiality and he was our coordinator for Ankole region,
We had people like Samuel Lubega Mukaaku from DP who had coordinatars together with Mwanga Kivumbi these are all people of DP but they were coordinators of the people power movement in Buganda.
So people power is not political party, and I get myself bemused when people say I have abandoned Bobi Wine when I went back to my party.
By the time we went back to our homes in June Hon. Kyagulani had no party, he was an independent and we had expected him to either join DP, or FDC, to join Alliance or to join JEEMA but he did not, so by the time we were already back in our homes, was when he bought NUP from Moses Kibalama Nkonge and by the time he bought the party, we were already back in our respective parties.
And on top of that why should somebody be concerned about Wadri, why don’t you ask Asumani Basalirwa why are you not asking Hon.Tinkasiimire,why are you not asking Ssmuel Lubega, Mike Mabikke and our brothers from FDC who have gone back to FDC why are you only focusing on me.
Number two if it’s about people power who came to support me that I must join them, into how many pieces would I have divided myself!
My OB General Mugisha Muntu with whom we traversed these country consulting on the formation of Alliance also came to support me, my friends from FDC also came, so which part of my body would have gone where?
These are the things people must understand I did not join Alliance, I am founder member of Alliance so it would have been wiered of me to abandon my home and go to unknown home.
WNT: FDC members are still nursing grudge with you for defying party policy rules when the party had its official flag bearer already to contest in the Arua municipality byelection.
Wadri: Brief Laugh, let me tell you, I am founder member of FDC, I am the first deputy secretary general in-charge of administration who served for 10 and half years my lassignment was secretary for mobilization in-charge of Northern Uganda.
Its true 20018 when the most unfortunate occured to our brother late Col. Ibrahim Abiriga who was murdered, there existed vacancy in the political arena and six of us in FDC showed interest to vie in that position and we all said let’s go for primaries and I personally said if am not elected as flag bearer I will give my support to whoever will win the election.
But before constituency election, FDC had just gone for party predidential election and at that time the person I had supported was Gen. Mugisha Muntu, unfortunately he didn’t make it and during the cause of the campaigns a rifted had already existed between us and other members of FDC.
So when I offered myself in Arua and when they saw me showing interest, they came up and said we cannot go into primary election, then I asked myself why are we not allowed to go into this primaries.
Shamelessly one party official came and said it’s against the provision of the party constitution.
I pulled the constitution of the party of which I have been its keeper, I asked him to show me the page, the article and clause which says there should be no primaries for choosing a flag bearer for byelection and it was Hon. Wafula Ogutu who came up and said Hon. your right there’s no constitutional provision but we want to start a practice.
Therefore because of the unfair treatment I left FDC and contested as an independent candidate and the constitution of the party is very clear once you join anothet party or contested as an indeprndent candidate you seize to be member of the party and as I am talking now I am not a member of FDC and the provision of the party says if you want to go back to the party you must apply and I cannot apply to go back to a home I built myself where my application is supposed to be determined by people who have not even put a brick.
WNT: Hon.you are likeable personality, quite decent and generally warm and mentally sound, you usually speak your mind not minding whose ox is gored, I don’t know whether it’s the intensity of the expression or words you deploy in conveying your message but some people say you should not be sent to the parliament again because you like abusing president Yoweri Museveni and quarreling in the parliament.
What is your say!
Wadri: When I have been in parliament for all these years I have never insulted nor abused Museveni.
To abuse and insult is criminal, I respect the authority and if I had ever insulted or abused president Museveni which is criminal I would have been charged in competent courts of law.
Whatever I talk in parliament even outside is within the paradigm of the law that is the reason they cannot get me of wrong foot.
Parliament is not an institution where you just go and sit, it’s an institution where you go and talk
By the way the word parliament is from French word it’s house for talking.
It does not mean that because am in opposition I go there and oppose each and everything. Where government has good program I support it but where government goes offtrack I point them out.
And of course there has been a fear when I declared my intention to contest in 2018. My detractors claimed that when Wadri is chosen as member of parliament there will be no development in Arua and the construction of the Arua main market will stop but the market is nearly complete.
It’s not that because you are in opposition you are denied development.
I was invited to go to defend and justify why Arua should have money under USMAID which is government program, I ably represented my case to the Workd Bank officials and out of five, three of us were able to get support and as I talk now school road and Adroa roads are under construction.
It’s fallacy for somebody to emerge that because somebody is in opposition and there can’t be development.
Develoment is determined by
Parliament through appropriation and negotiations are done at individual level.
My strong civil background gives me leverage over many MPs, this is a fact because I know the approaches in government and I know where to touch the button for the engine to run.
WNT: You are still having pending court case of treason and your opponents are using it as big campaign tool to decampaign you that you will be convicted of the said treason case and it will be waste of time to elect you.
Can you give me the legal position of the case?
Wadri: Long laugh, when they voted me in 2018 wasn’t I in prison! I was in prison and did I not come to serve them.
This is a fallacy, people just need to know how judiciary operates.
and if government had any justification, any merit, and iota of truth in the allegation against us by now we should have been tried but the fact that they failed to fix date for hearing, it means that they know there’s no merit, those are trumpt up charges.
The independency of the judiciary is what I trust most and if it was not so we would still be in prison.
WNT:There is a blame game been twisted around especially on you senior politician over Arua city that has swallowed the entire Ayivu into city where some people say they expected you to give proper advise and guidiance.
Any explanation?
Wadri: Another laugh: I want to be very frank with you, the commissioner from the ministry of local government came with one of his junior officers and also a planner who accompained his commissioner.
We were invited for a meeting which was held in the conference room of the office of the Arua LCV then, and people who attended the meeting were Chairman LCV, CAO, town clerk, the mayor, the two division chairpersons of River Oli division and Arua hill division, the district planner, municipal planner and I was there.
At that time our stand as you can confirm from the rest of these other people was that for Arua city like any other cities, we needed only Pajulu Sub/county, Dadamu Sub/county and parts of Manibe, that was our stand but our brothers and sisters in leadership from Ayivu came up very strongly begining from LCV chairman my namesake that if the whole of Ayivu was not taken they did not want the city.
It’s on record, by the time they said these we knew they had consulted their people and that was the voice of the people whom they represent.
That’s how the mess came up about. All our hands were tied. Look at Gulu, Gulu only added afew sub/counties from Aswa county to make Gulu city, I think one sub/county from Omoro.
But am surprised that people are coming with realities and complaining.
As if that was not enough, president Yoweri Museveni even advised that let there be land left for farming and if city is to grow let it find people where they are but not that people are brought into the city.
They refused the advise that some land must be left for farming.
So I cannot say without any fear of contradiction, Arua city is the biggest city in th world and it will be the most undeveloped city.
I have been to New Delih the biggest city in the world, I know the size, it is not big as Arua city.
I have been to Mosco which is not as big as Arua city, not even London.
What kind of service can we bring in as a city that can match and meet the demands of the people starting from Odramacaku, going down Oluko below Alisoa primary school where the boundary of Ayivu and slightly down Vurra meets on Osu river.
I have never seen such a city, let people not cry foul.
WNT: What advise then are you giving to those Ayivu elders who are complaining!
Wadri: Let them complain to their leaders. Anyway nothing is cast on stone, the only thing that they can do and at the right time if they can get good leaders they can have resolutions emanating from the villages.
If they so feel that they were unfairly treated by the wide admininstration of the city and their people are going to face dificulties, they can resolve and pass their resolution through city council, then reach to the parliament through the minister of local government it can be revisited.
But it must come from them as power belongs to people, article 1 of the constitution is very clear. Parliament can do anything except changing a man into a woman, therefore it’s possible for parliament to revisit its decision it had made.
WNT: How do see your chances of winning the election?
Wadri: You don’t go into hunting without expectation, you go with high morale and conviction that you will come home with an animal and am convinced with power of God and God’s blessing, I will withstand the storm and still emerge victorious.
WNT: I know you are loved by people who enjoy your oration but there’s time for everything when are you retiring from active politics and vacate space for young ones.
Wadri: I will leave politics but how I wish you look at the ages of the people who are in that parliament. Recently you saw Gen.Moses Ali during their primary election addressing people hardly standing but sitting down, how old is Gen.Moses Ali! Gen Moses Ali is an octogenarian but he is there. Look at Ali Kivejinja who is even older than Gen. Moses Ali he is there.
Look at the Vice president who is even much older than the president he is there. Look at Museveni himself the president how old is he?, the Rugundas, Otafiires count them.
My teacher Baba Margret Diri, Baba James, Obiga Mario Kania, Simon Du’ujanda and many others.
Anyway I don’t want to be an ordained politician time will come for me to retire and I will go into my gardens.
Comments
Post a Comment