The intensity of the entrepreneurs’ league chairperson in the NRM party Central executive committee (CEC) with three great candidates contesting is raising eyebrows and general contestations among party faithful.
Dr Hassan Basajjabalaba from Ankole region, King Ceasar Mulenga from the Kigezi region, and Sanjay Tana from the Bukedi region who is also the incumbent have shown interests and are campaigning on several areas.
A businessman by birth whose trade has seen him grow from a child vending on streets to a powerful property mogul, Al Hajji Basajjabalaba has seen it all. He has been at the right and wrong side of business with some businesses failing, some coming up, at times in conflict with people in government over business challenges and at times making them understand the plight of business.
“I think as the party, we need someone who has made serious strides in entrepreneurship. We don’t just need a successful businessman. I believe in Basajja, he has fought, they have fought him, he emerged out as a successful man. In him we have an asset every businessman in the party can run to. He knows the people who would wish to pull you down, the laws that are unfair and the policies that must change if we are to have successful businesses.” Mr Bitariho Sabastian, a member of the Ntungamo district enterprenuers league says.
“There are people who have been in business for long but do not know business, theirs is just a clean line, those can’t help the party to support entrepreneurs. The Basajjabalaba I know, whereas he has not consulted me, has traded in everything and must know almost everything. He will negotiate with government on the good policies to favor business.” He says.
A back ground politician who has supported the party in all standards without running for any position in the party or government, his coming into the mainstream politics is a great plus to the party.
“We have all wished him to contest, some wanted him for MP because he was doing a lot for the people in Kampala, eastern region and western region. He served like a big politician which no other politician did. I want tell you, whether he wins or loses, the party will have gained. But we are not fools to lose him.” Mr Wanyama Denis (not real names) a delegate from Busia district noted.
He said most CEC candidates simply come from nowhere and want to take the show without doing a lot for the party but his consistence was not for himself but for development of NRM and the country.
With delegates set to vote for CEC positions in the forth coming delegates conference, Basajja stands tall.
His initiatives to develop rural Uganda through tea farming, employment creation and general industrialization, founding of the Kampala International University (the biggest Private University in East Africa), support to several NRM candidates in elections, branding the Western region yellow, support to different business of colleagues in the party would have made him a sole candidate.
. I want tell you, whether he wins or loses, the party will have gained. But we are not fools to lose him.
The increasing failure of businesses by many Ugandan investors, the capital development initiatives supported by NRM need to come out in the manifesto development. With Al lHajji Hassan Basajjabalaba, the belief and faith for sound support to entrepreneurship through the party to the country stands.
