The debate saw seven presidential candidates deliberate on their manifestos and account for their past. This all happened without the attendance the incumbent, Yoweri Museveni who failed to show up.
“What do you have to say for your support towards the gays and temangalo?” candidate Godfrey Mabirizi asked Go Forward candidate, Amama Mbabazi.
In his response, Amama expressed shock that some people are making such allegations against him.
“Which gays? Which ones? I’m a married man. My wife is a woman. We have children & 11 beautiful grandkids.”
He pointed out one Oyam South MP, Betty Among those who were spreading the allegations.
He dares all who claim he is gay to “put it to the test. The lady who says am gay does not have a husband, nor children.”
On Temangalo, “I sold my land, 99 acres, not 400. I did not over price it, nor use my influence.”
To support his this, Amama says that even parliament, police and IGG all came to the same conclusion.
“Parliament, police and IGG all came to the same conclusion that that price was the market price.”
The former prime minister and NRM secretary general was also put to task to account for the 30 years that he has been government.
“While still the prime minister, you threatened to sack the striking teachers if they didn’t go back to class. How can you be the same person saying you are to increase their salaries,” he was asked by one of the debate moderators, Allan Kasujja.
Amama owned the statement but attributed it to delegated authority. “All executive power lies in the hands of the president; rest is delegated authority. When in government, you have collective responsibility. You support what has been decided by majority. I am proud of what I did.”
Among what he is proud of is that he negotiated with teachers, reached an agreement and both his first and second commitments were met. The Third when I left office (as prime minister) was not met.
