The former Defence Cabinet Secretary alluded to his closeness with Museveni spanning two decades to the point that he was an advocate for East Africa’s longest-serving Head of State.
Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa on Wednesday, August 28 commented on utterances by Uganda President Yoweri Museveni accusing Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino of meddling with Ugandan politics.
Wamalwa, who spoke while attending Okoa Katiba @14 at Ufangamano house, revealed he was very surprised at Museveni accusing the vocal and youthful Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) lawmaker of interfering with Ugandan politics by collaborating with Uganda’s anti-ruling party activists.
The former Defence Cabinet Secretary alluded to his closeness with Museveni spanning two decades to the point that he was an advocate for East Africa’s longest-serving Head of State.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni greets Kenyan President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi on August 27, 2024. /PCS
“We were very shocked yesterday when we heard one of the heads of state attack someone who is supposed to be his grandson,” Wamalwa hit out at Museveni over the remarks.
The Azimio principal argued that just as he shares close ties with Museveni, Babu Owino shares close ties with Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, an individual Babu has publicly declared his support for in regard to his movement and ideologies.
“I’m a good friend of Hon. Yoweri Museveni. I have known him for more than 20 years and have been his lawyer. I don’t know who Bobi Wine is but Bobi Wine knows Babu Owino. Babu Owino and Bobi Wine are friends,” he continued.
Owino, who spoke at the same event, was full of praise for Museveni, who declared at State House on August 27 that he would support Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson.
“The current President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni came yesterday and I don’t want him to lose his vote for Baba. I respect him as my grandfather.
“The number of years he has served in power is more than my years and therefore there is a time and a season for everything. I respect him and I recognize him as a revolutionary and there are those revolutionaries who ended up very badly,” Owino said, giving examples of revolutionaries whose tenures have gone south.
On August 27, Owino, in response to Museveni’s remarks, expressed that leaders are important in terms of providing solutions to the problems facing youth in Kenya and across Africa, declaring his commitment to working towards a democratic society where every child, regardless of their country or economic background, has access to proper healthcare, education, and employment opportunities.
Furthermore, the youthful leader called for equitable treatment of all children, asserting that a child in Uganda should receive the same level of care and support as a child in Kenya.
Museveni had beforehand called out Babu over his links to Ugandan politicians who were against the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), which he leads.
“There are some individuals in Raila’s group who I don’t think know what they are doing. You know I am a consumer of intelligence service. So, I always see intelligence reports. There is a character called Babu. I always see Babu dealing with anti-NRM groups,” said Museveni.
