Saturday, February 25, 2017

AN OPEN LETTER TO THOMAS TAYEBWA

y Nuwagaba with Atumanya Samuel and 44 others.
My brother Thomas Tayebwa (who currently sits in the 10th Parliament though illegitimately for he was not voted and neither did he stand unopposed like he claims) celebrated his 8th anniversary in marriage on Tuesday 14, February. While he received very many love and congratulatory messages, I was unable to congratulate him upon a journey of eight years well traveled with his sweetheart Anita Rukundo Tayebwa. I was there on that Valentines' day at Saint Augustine Chapel Makerere when the two said, "I do". I was there at Sheraton Hotel where we were hosted for a sumptuous meal and rounds of drinks. I witnessed the pomp, pageantry and ostentation displayed on that very day and I was really happy for my brother.
Tayebwa and I grew from two neighbouring localties of Karangara and Bitereko in Kigarama Parish, Bitereko Sub-county. But we both came from Kamabare. I grew up in Kamabare of Kigarama, Bitereko and he grew up across in Kamabare of Karangara, Karimbiro, Bitereko. The name Kamabare is derived from Kamabare River/stream.
Tayebwa and I used to fetch water from the same point at Kamabare. Tayebwa's family, the Daniel Tiruhongyerwa family and my family, the Fabiano Bifabusha family were like one extended family together with the Gabagaya family.
Our home was the most easily accessible with adequate facilities. Accordingly, it was the most used home by all of these families. Tayebwa's uncle who is also my uncle Deogratias Kamugisha was a businessman, a serious one at that. Uncle Kamugisha used our house, Mukaka Susanna's house to load and offload his sacks of maize and jerrycans of Waragi.
At my other (paternal) home in Nyandago Kanyabwanga, we are from the same extended family with the Tayebwa's. Tayebwa and I are ABAJUNGA of the Bahimba of Bamugiri clan. My late grandpa Francisco Ruhindi was an uncle to Daudi Bangirana, Tayebwa's father. In fact, while in senior two at Kigarama Secondary School, my grandfather took me to Vincent Mukiga the then headmaster and told him, "Vincent is your son, make sure he studies and finishes at your school. I have given him to you". Vincent Mukiga and Daudi Bangirana are bilogical brothers. My late uncle Engineer Emmanuel Rwamacumu did business together with Kamugisha selling Matoke at Rweshama fishing village in Rukungiri District. Almost all the Matoke they sold was from my grandma Veronica Bakeine matoke plantation.
Since 2001 when we joined campus together to pursue the same programme, Tayebwa and I have almost been as close as conjoined twins. Tayebwa's friends are my friends and my friends are his friends. Tayebwa and I are from the same families both from Bitereko and from Kanyabwanga.
However, THAT HE PLAYED DIRTY TRICKS AGAINST ME TO THE EXTENT OF DENYING ME NOMINATION FOR A PARLIAMENTARY SEAT CAUSED A RIFT.
Now, this post was provoked by my brother Hon. Odonga Otto who posted on Tom's timeline that "...be careful, you have haters in Makerere". Many people thought, he was referring to me and I think it is prudent I clear myself. Hon Otto and I have been close since I joined campus as we were together in DP and later together as members of the Ekimezza. I just cannot comprehend (if he meant me) how he could imagine that I can hate anybody.
I was never programmed with hate. I hate the filthy, rotten and decrepit character of my brother Tayebwa just as I hate what Museveni, Kayihura and Mamdani among others do. But I love those people because they are creatures of God created in HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS. I have no time to hate people for even the time I have to love them is very limited.
MY SINCERE ADVISE TO MY BROTHER TOM TAYEBWA.
I went to Bitereko over the weekend and prayed at St. Charles Lwanga Kigarama Catholic church. While there, after mass an announcement was made that all students who got first grade should go to Bitereko Sub-County Headquarters to receive mattresses donated by Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, their MP. I must say, at first I was impressed. I was seated next to aunt Teddy, Tayebwa's mum and I beamed with a smile. She can testify.
What disappointed me is when they said, "Please note that those qualified to receive mattresses are only those that studied from the constituency".
First of all, that is not how schools in the constituency should be promoted. Tayebwa as an MP (though illegitimate), should encourage his constituents to send children to topnotch schools including but not limited to schools such as St Mary's College Kisubi, Namilyango College, Namagunga, Gayaza, Immaculate Heart, Ntare School, among others. I heard people say because they must target gifts from politicians they will now have to only send their children to Kigarama, Kanyabwanga and Mahungye. Please, please, we studied from these schools not because they are the ones we loved most but because we had no alternative. When you discourage parents and students from studying outside the constituency, the other people will also not bring their children to the schools in your constituency.
Secondly, whoever advised Tayebwa to give students mattresses got it wrong. Students want textbooks and pamphlets not mattresses. In fact, I met young men and women who picked mattresses but were saying, they can never give you their votes when you stand because you are trying to patronise them.
As for me, I am starting a crusade of donating books to students in Bitereko, Kiyanga and Kanyabwanga. Let Tom use all the monies he gets from parliament to buy textbooks and pamphlets for our students. After all he said, he was not going to Parliament to look for money since he was already a billionaire.
The other advise to my brother Tayebwa, please concentrate on business. Otherwise, when you stand astride like you have done, you will be torn into two parts. Please, quit politics and concentrate on business, after all you are a self-professed and declared CAPITALIST. Capitalists are exploitative, selfish, greedy, individualistic and capitalism is the highest form of oppression. AS FOR US PEOPLE OF BITEREKO, KIYANGA AND KANYABWANGA, WE ARE SOCIALISTS and if you remember the resemblance model of representation, our people can best be represented by chief socialist, Vincent Vessy Nuwagaba.

1 comment: