Kazo, Uganda — Former Minister of State for Economic Planning, Ms Molly Kamukama, is once again in the spotlight following the circulation of leaked audio recordings in which she is alleged to have likened herself to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
In the recordings, which have circulated widely among political circles in Kazo District, Ms Kamukama is accused of suggesting that politics is largely driven by “selfish interests,” drawing a comparison between herself and the Fountain of Honour.
She further alleged that Museveni’s ministerial appointments are not based on merit, but rather on personal interests, family ties, and regional calculations designed to benefit the President politically.
The sharp remarks from the former Presidential Aide have drawn huge criticism for contradicting herself. While she claimed that Kiruhura has never produced a minister, Kamukama goes on to cite Minister Alice Kaboyo, the current Minister of State for Luwero Triangle, who hails from Kiruhura, acknowledging her ministerial appointment but dismissing it as “not based on merit.”
“She has a character of manipulation and selfish interests, according to the audios where she purportedly said politics is for selfish interests, which has dragged her to comparing herself to the president of Uganda,” a senior NRM cadre in Kazo, who preferred not to be named, told this newspaper. “She says the President is in his interests.”
The revelations have further sparked discontent among youth leaders and party cadres in Kazo, who accuse the former minister of pursuing personal ambitions at the expense of collective representation.
Critics point to her recent move to support a national female youth candidate from Lyantonde in the NRM primaries, a decision many argue undermines aspiring candidates from her home district.
According to accounts from a meeting she convened to announce the endorsement, nearly 90 percent of attendees rejected her preferred candidate. It was during this meeting, sources said, that the contentious recordings were made and later leaked to the public.
Residents and youth leaders now accuse Ms Kamukama of suppressing local voices and undermining the will of the people she wants to represent.
“Throughout her political life, she has worked to de-campaign programmes and projects that do not favour her,” one cadre alleged, adding that this attitude explains both her short-lived tenure in State House and her subsequent dismissal from Cabinet, where she reportedly served for only 27 days.
The fallout has revived old rivalries, particularly with Hon. Alice Kaboyo, a senior NRM figure and close ally of President Museveni, with whom Ms Kamukama is said to have had long-standing political disagreements.
In Kazo, the backlash has translated into calls for new leadership rooted in discipline, service, and unity. Local leaders and youth activists told this newspaper that they will continue searching for a leader who can galvanise the district behind “fundamental aspects of service delivery” rather than “personal gain.”
The latest controversy explains a growing discontent with Ms Kamukama’s political approach, particularly her alleged tendency to put personal ambitions ahead of party cohesion and community interests.
