According to Red Pepper, Gossip from Amama Mbabazi camp is that his wife and key pillar in his 2016 bid, Jacqueline Mbabazi, isn’t well health-wise.
It is said that Jackie developed strange abdominal complications, Jacqueline was rushed out of the country a few days ago to UK and US where she is expected to have specialized treatment by overseas family doctors.
Her husband Mbabazi flew out along with her because according to sources “he couldn’t afford to be away from his wife at such a critical moment in her life.”
Sources said many family members became very scared to see indefatigable Jacqueline, who rarely falls sick, easily breaking down and collapsing under the weight of heavy abdominal complications.
The couple as we write is still overseas where Jacqueline is said to have undergone several medical tests with a view of establishing what could have caused her current abdominal-intestinal complications.
It was further revealed that while in UK and USA Mbabazi was, besides attending to his ailing wife, expected to also have meetings with key power brokers in both London and Washington including top movers in the David Cameron and Barrack Obama administrations respectively. Sources couldn’t exactly reveal the extent to which ailing Jacqueline had recovered since the couple flew out of Entebbe a few days ago.
POLITICAL MOVES
In a related development, more political plots and activities have continued to unfold within the Mbabazi camp in Kampala even in his absence.
For instance on Thursday night a planning meeting was held spearheaded by chief mobilizer Hope Mwesigye, chief of party Solome Kimbugwe Nakaweesa and diplomatic advisor Amb Edith Sempala.
It was also attended by top leaders of the political parties which comprise what remains of TDA solidly backing Mbabazi’s presidential bid.
It was revealed that, along with Lukwago’s TJ Platform, the parties comprising the pro-Mbabazi coalition of the willing are set to sign a fresh protocol with Mbabazi detailing the underlying dos and don’ts to guide their joint campaign platform with JPAM’s Go Forward platform.
That isn’t all. The Thursday meeting was preceded by another on Wednesday and was expected to be followed by another meeting on Friday.
It was also revealed that the meetings have been alternating to be held at either the Nakasero JPAM campaign bureau or his Crested Towers office.
Hope Mwesigye and DP’s Matia Nsubuga have been alternating in chairing these strictly very confidential meetings.
It was further revealed that the Thursday meeting went through the new campaign structure JPAM intends to have without Besigye and his FDC who were part of the initial TDA arrangement.
“Madam Hope told us that JPAM wants some adjustments to be made because we have never resolved how to move in the reorganized coalition in absence of our colleagues from FDC,” inside sources told us adding that it was JPAM’s view that it’s time to begin moving faster to sustain the visibility and the momentum on the grass root.
Sources further revealed that it was resolved the JPAM campaign structure will have the national level at the apex below which will be the regional campaign bureaus which will supervise work done at the district structure levels.
There will be a task force at every constituency level, sub county level, parish to the village level.
It was revealed the TDA Naguru office was avoided for these meetings to avoid being seen to be using the TDA platform to act in bad faith while sidelining FDC.
“We agreed to remain guided by the original TDA ideals of having joint candidates at all the other levels because we don’t believe in the principle of two opposition candidates. It must be one candidate at every level raising our Go forward platform and that is exactly what JPAM wants to see maintained. Thereafter we can agree how to co-exist with the candidates fronted by FDC without tearing each other apart,” said an inside source.
The source added that after the weekend meetings, the Go Forward team is likely to be seen going out to meetings, rallies and other activities aimed at generating consensus on joint candidates for lower level positions.
In a related development, JPAM has appointed former and incoming Makindye East MP Mike Mabikke to be the official campaign spokesman for the Go Forward campaign.
Mabikke who has already started his work with enthusiasm will be deputized by outspoken Saddam Gayira, the renowned orator from Jaberi Bidandi Ssali’s PPP.
It was also revealed that the Thursday night meeting also reflected on the ongoing negotiations to have crowd puller Erias Lukwago and his TJ platform embrace JPAM’s Go Forward campaign.
The idea is to have JPAM endorse and rally behind candidates Lukwago’s TJ platform will have chosen to carry its flag.
“I can confirm to you that very senior people from Lukwago’s TJ have been in talks with us and the talks are so far going on well. We have been given the impression that these guys we are meeting actually represent the entire TJ in these talks and we shall have a formal function for TJ’s admission in our coalition once the talks are concluded,” revealed a source very close to JPAM’s scheme of things in the Go Forward movement. Watch this space!
Credits to: Red Pepper Uganda
