I appeal to NRM to be more tolerant, says NRM's Prof. Kagonyera

Kagonyera made this appeal at a book launch of Romegio Kataratambi, a businessperson cum politician from Kigezi, at Sheraton Hotel Kampala.

Kagonyera, a former cabinet minister and Chancellor of Makerere University, said NRM leaders must appreciate divergent thinking.

“I appeal to NRM, to be tolerant of people who hold different views from ours. It’s not possible that people will always agree with us on everything. We call upon the NRM to exercise the moderate politics you [Kataratambi] played; it’s good for our people to accept that people can hold different views even on solving our country’s problems,” Kagonyera said.

Kagonyera said he left his former party, the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), to join the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) because of the latter’s presumably non-sectarian approach to politics. He warned against tribalism and excessive religiosity.

Kagonyera said Bakiga are known for speaking their minds and he being one of them has stuck to that mould by speaking his mind on this occasion.

“The Bakiga are the least sectarian people you would find anywhere in the world. They only mind about the content of your character. The Bakiga fear telling lies, they are hardworking people and they are very frank; those who know us know,” Kagonyera said.

Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of Information and National Guidance, did not respond to Kagonyera’s political statements but instead chose to echo the professor’s views on the Bakiga.

“The Bakiga are known for many things, including hard work and honesty and I’m sure madame IGG you will not see many of us at your office. We urge the Bakiga who come after us to maintain that honesty,” Baryomunsi said.

Kataratambi’s book entitled, ‘Aman a head of his time,’ chronicles his journey in business and politics.