Mukula, Babu deny ever getting funding from Premier Raila

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By MERCY NALUGO  (email the author) 

Posted  Tuesday, July 3  2012 at  01:00

IN SUMMARY

The legislators instead accused the NRM of “sour-grapping” after its flag bearer lost the Eala speakership.

Kampala

Soroti Municipality MP, Capt Mike Mukula yesterday denied press reports that he received huge sums of money from Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga to bribe delegates during the East African Legislative Assembly elections in Arusha. 
Capt. Mukula who is a friend to Odinga said yesterday that the allegations labelled against him are baseless but promised to offer a detailed explanation after consulting various stakeholders.

The Weekly Observer in its Monday publication quoted President Museveni as having accused the NRM Vice President for Eastern region, Capt Mukula of having received huge sums of money from Raila Odinga to run a sabotage compaign during the Eala elections.

“I have intelligence reports that you received money from Raila to bribe delegates at Arusha. This is the same money Francis Babu used to bribe delegates from other East African countries to support the bid of his wife,” Museveni was quoted as having said during a meeting he called at his countryside home in Rwakitura, Kiruhura District. Capt. Mukula, however, denied the allegations at Parliament yesterday.

Legislators hit back
The legislator instead accused the NRM of “sour-grapping” after its flag bearer, Ms Dora Byamukama lost to Ms Margaret Zziwa for Eala speakership. “Eala MPs are not potato growers that you just bribe them anyhow,” said the MP. Capt. Babu, the NRM vice chairman for Kampala region said NRM should accept defeat and the shame Ms Byamukama’s defeat brought to the party.

“They were ashamed and they are turning their heat on us. They should instead find solutions to the party’s problems instead of attacking us,” said Capt. Babu. He claimed that the NRM delegation was bribed to campaign for Ms Byamukama.

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“Some MPs got money here and when they got to Arusha they received more money to campaign for their candidate. Some got $3000 and more $4,000 and they bragged about it,” he said.

Commenting on the Kiruhura meeting, Mr Babu said he would not divulge details of what took place since it was closed.

The President’s Press Secretary, Mr Tamale Mirundi, said what appeared in the press were allegations.“However Mukula is playing around Raila but the President knew him before he (Mukula) came to the political scene. He knew Raila and his father in the late 70s and early 80s and he kept him in Uganda when he escaped from Nairobi before he went to the USA,” Mr Mirundi said yesterday.

Information minister, Mary Karooro Okurut said she did not have details of the meeting. “I never attended the meeting so I do not have details,” she said yesterday.
The minister for Foreign Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem, could not comment on the matter as he was reportedly out of the country.

mnalugo@ug.nationmedia.com