Maverick political, social and economic commentator Frank Gashumba may soon be shown the exit door after some leaders in Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) kicked off a move to impeach him.
Highly placed sources at PLU headquarters in Naguru Kampala have revealed that Gashumba is expected to appear before fellow leaders at the end of this week to answer to allegations of indiscipline and undermining the person of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba their supreme leader who also doubles as the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF).
A few weeks back, Michael Mawanda the Igara East legislator summoned Gashumba to PLU’s disciplinary committee.
Gashumba furiously accused Mawanda and PLU Secretary General David Kabanda of having a personal vendetta against him and summoning him in bad faith.
He denied allegations of undermining the person of Gen. Muhoozi through a social media post.
He disclosed that his post was targeting officials holding the offices of the Chief of Defense Forces and the Inspector General of Police who have failed to protect Ugandans and their properties by looking on instead of stopping criminal goons who are running riot in Kampala city and the suburbs tormenting Ugandans.
Gashumba insisted that he joined PLU because of Gen. Muhoozi who he claims is the only person who can liberate Uganda from the stagnant political, social and economic situation.
He maintained that he is ready to leave PLU because he cannot accept to be put in a cage like a dog.
He exposed the corruption in PLU and uncovered how a minister in president Museveni’s government who is also a leader in PLU stole rice and meat meant to feed Muhoozi’s supporters when he visited greater Masaka in Buganda.
Balaam Bagaruhare the State Minister in charge of youths and children and also the PLU national vice chairperson in charge of western Uganda summoned and pleaded with him to cease fire which he accepted to do on condition that Mawanda’s group also cease fire.
Sources said that from then, Mawanda’s group have been mobilizing PLU top leadership to support the move to impeach Gashumba from the position of national PLU vice chairperson in charge of Buganda and as you read this, the exercise is at its tail end.
They have been clandestinely collecting signatures from PLU district coordinators to support the move of axing the man from Villa Maria in Masaka district from PLU top leadership.
When contacted for a comment, Gashumba declared that the movers of the impeachment process are myopic, shallow minded and very stupid adding that he is ready for anything because he was not born to be a leader in PLU.
Sources told theGrapevine that turmoil has been brewing in PLU because Gashumba and the entire Buganda region leadership feel they are sidelined when it comes to taking serious decisions in PLU.
“PLU supporters in Buganda were not happy when Gashumba, the vice chairperson in charge of Buganda was sidelined during the organization of Gen. Muhoozi’s visit to Masaka which is a strong political ground. Many people tried to reach out to Gen. Muhoozi over the ongoing discrimination but his assistants and security was compromised not to allow anybody from Gashumba’s camp to access the General,” a source said.
The source added that when president Museveni was organizing his new cabinet recently; Gashumba, Kabanda, Mawanda, Lilian Aber and Balaam were all tipped for ministerial offices.
Internal fights started from there as everyone lobbied to be appointed.
Once only Balaam and Aber were appointed ministers from PLU, many of their colleagues became bitter.
State House sources disclosed that Museveni faced a hard time convincing NRM party top leadership that he is not using PLU to fight NRM and it is one of the reason why he decided not to accommodate all the names which Gen. Muhoozi had given him into his new cabinet.
“Do you think that the President is not following what is going on?” a strong NRM boss said.
Other sources added that PLU is also facing financial and leadership crisis because Gen. Muhoozi no longer has time to guide them since he was given a sensitive office of supervising the army and the country’s security organs within and outside the country.
President Museveni recently warned that his son Muhoozi is surrounded by people who want to use him for their own personal benefits.
Joseph Tamale Mirundi the PLU spokesperson in charge of Buganda said that he cannot associate with people in PLU leadership because they are working for mafias and are looking for personal gains and not to help Gen. Muhoozi to take power.