The former Vice President, Prof. Gilbert Balibaseka Bukenya has said that some people in the ruling party had feared his popularity hence influencing the President to sack him.

The professor says that his community development projects, like spearheading the upland rice project and proliferation of small scale industries had attracted him mass love all over the country and some intrigues in the party thought he would use that chance to ascend to the first job-Presidency. He adds that he was just misinterpreted by his colleagues.

Bukenya says that he is a victim of the in-fight politics in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. He adds that his so-called colleagues have been using some media houses to fight him and he could not sue those tabloids due to the backing they had.

He however says that the job of the Vice President could not allow him concentrate on his private life like attending to his business and his termination may be a blessing in disguise.

He adds that it is not the end of him as some people might think rather it is the beginning of his rise and promises to support government programs which are pro fighting poverty.

However, Bukenya appreciates the patience President Museveni has as he recalls how some mafias accused him to his boss that he has plans to oust him. Bukenya says that the open-minded Museveni called him in a meeting with those people (mafias) but the President played it cool and it is about one and half years now, that in the government of Iddi Amin he would have been killed.

Bukenya regrets the regular changes of the constitution, the sectarianism in the government, the abuse of the rule of law and disrespect of the cultural institutions.

The Professor remains a member of parliament Busiro North constituency a seat that is being challenged in court by Hussein Kasta Bukenya his opponent in the February 18 parliamentary elections.

By Issa Asuman