After many months of sitting backstage, former Special Presidential Assistant for Communication Sarah Kagingo is rejoining politics – regional politics.
Mrs Kagingo, a former Makerere University Guild President (the second female ever) is running for East African Legislative Assembly, on the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket.
Within hours of her expression of interest in the regional parliament, Mrs. Kagingo has already received public support from among others her former boss at State House and former Presidential Media Assistant Joseph Tamale Mirundi.
The vocal sociopolitical analyst, despite their previous misunderstandings, this week urged members of the 10th Parliament to pick Ms Kagingo among the 9 representatives that Uganda will be sending to the regional parliament in Arusha.
“Give this child support,” he urged during a radio talk show, describing Mrs Kagingo as a “competent lady.”
Mirundi’s endorsement however seemed to be filled largely with sympathy for his former colleague, who was expunged from State House amid a widely reported State House publicity scandal.
“This girl has suffered,” he said. “She found herself in trouble when she used a Shs 200,000 phone to do the work that other people had asked 5billion shillings to do.
“They fought her until they broke her back; because she ruined their deal. Sadly they kicked her out and got the money.
“I ask God to give me long life so I can see these people in chains one day,” he cursed.
A few years ago, Mrs. Kagingo opened up and was running President Yoweri Museveni’s social media accounts until 2014 when she was pushed out amidst numerous accusations.
Ironically, she was “fired” by her then boss Tamale Mirundi in a Facebook post, before he took to mainstream media to condemn her work.
In an interview with Chimpreports this morning, the EALA hopeful said the bad blood between her and Mirundi was now behind them.
“I met him a few months ago and he said somebody had misled him about me; and he apologized,” she told us.
“I took the apology because we had never had any issues before at work; he had always been very helpful and I was surprised when he took to radio to lambast me.
“He explained to me that he had been misinformed by some people. I thank him for calling for my support.”
Kagingo however, dismissed the “sympathetic” support and the conception by some people that her decision to run for EALA was in search for consolation for her woes at State House.
For me I believe that everybody has a democratic right to express interest in every position that is elective; I have no problem with people expressing interest. It is up to the MPs to choose one who they view as the most competent to represent our country,” she said.
Agenda
Appreciative of the strides that have been made by EALA such as the signed protocols to establish the Single Customs Union, the Common Market, Monetary Union as well as projects like the Standard Gauge Railway, Kagingo says the region needs to build on these to create wealth for all East Africans and enhance the countries’ competitiveness.
Kagingo, who prior to her expression of interest was volunteering as the Public Relations Officer of the UPDF led Operation Wealth Creation, says she is going to EALA to push for the enhancement of value addition in the agricultural sector.
“My intention if given the opportunity, is to rally Ugandans to build value chains for our commodities and penetrate the regional market of over 150million people,” she said.
“We need to add value to more of our agricultural products; we have to start processing our coffee and our fruits.”
She says she is also pushing for penetration of regional and international markets, balance of trade, research and innovation and promoting Uganda and EAC as the preferred tourist destinations in Africa.