By Andrew Irumba
Kamwenge: James Birungi Ozo, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Deputy Secretary for International and Regional Affairs, who is also the Kamwenge district FDC Chairman, has over the weekend officially defected to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
Spy Uganda has learnt that Ozo, who reportedly defected with at least 50 supporters, said his departure follows pressures mounted on him by the people of Kamwenge, who had reached the extent of isolating him because of his being a member of FDC.
Ozo, who has been a staunch FDC member for years, contested for the Kamwenge district Member of Parliament seat twice, although he lost miserably. First it was against Information and Communication Technology (ICT) minister Frank Tumwebaze in 2011 where he tried his luck but collapsed like a sack of potatoes. He again came back in 2016 against Cuthbert Abigaba after dividing the conctituency into two, Ozo lost again with flying zeros in most polling stations.
However, Ozo didn’t concede defeat this time, he picked up himself and dragged Abigaba to court.
The most shocking news that Ozo has kept to his chest and doesn’t want his ekectorates to know is that two weeks ago, the High court in Fort Portal trashed his petition with costs to be borne by him.
Currently, Ozo has over Shs200m to pay in legal costs and damages to his political nemesis Abigaba, which is likely to land him in trouble if he doesn’t clear it as soon as possible.
It’s agaisnt that background that some analysts contend that his crossing to NRM could be bordering on finding solace in the ruling party and to buy a grace period during which to pay the legal costs.
Although some power brokers in NRM intimated that Ozo exchanged his big legal bills with layality to NRM,which bill was eventually passes on to president Museveni, they’re not yet sure whether he has recieved the relief yet, because there were several power brokers in the middle and each had different agendas altogether.
During his heydays in FDC, Ozo was Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye’s most trusted Blue-eyed boy in Western Uganda. However, apart from his political woes, Ozo is also deputy attorney general in Tooro Omukama Oyo’s administration. We await to see how Ozo plays his game in the new home,now NRM. We wish him lack and good health.
Tumwebaze Snubs Ozo’s Anointing Ceremony
Despite Ozo defecting to NRM, he will find a difficult time blending well with some of the top members there, especially minister Tumwebaze. It is actually said that Tumwebaze intentionally snubbed the ‘anointing’ of Ozo into NRM at a function that was officiated over by the Minister for justice and constitutional affairs Gen. Kahinda Otafiire. This is because, Sources reveal, Ozo and Tumwebaze have had an axe to grind for long.
In 2011 Ozo contested with Tumwebaze but when the latter won, Ozo allegedly went around tarnishing his opponent’s name, alleging that he (Tumwebaze had rigged the election, instead of conceding defeat. Some insiders in Ozo’s camp also accuse him of allegedly pocketing Shs50m from Tumwebaze in 2011 on agreement that he would drop his MP bid, only to later turn around and contest against him after chewing the dime, leaving his task force campaign for him on empty stomachs. One of the disgrutntled insiders told SpyUganda thus; “That man got money from Tumwebaze bu later changed and stood against him. But he even lies to us that he didn’t get a single coin. We ended up soliciting for him and did all ground work on empty stomachs. So now he is running away because he knows the truth on ground.”
