By Markson Omagor
INTERNATIONAL
The National Resistance Movement is not happy with the way authorities in Munich-Germany allegedly played a big role in a failed attempt to sabotage the NRM European Diaspora Convention.
The convention that took place over the weekend nearly flopped after some opposition poisonous mushrooms led by exiled novelist Kakwenza petitioned the City Mayor seeking for blockage of this convention.
Kakwenza allegedly claimed the meeting was being organized by what he called a brutal regime in Kampala and wanted to extend it’s ideology even to Germany. It’s out of that petition that the mayor allegedly granted the request to block the meeting even without hearing from the organisers.
Now we have authoritatively learnt that the organisers led by Micheal Lwanga and Lillian Ikulumet, are working on a protest letter to be delivered to the Mayor citing bias and unfairness.
“We’re not happy with the way we were treated. It was a one sided affair. They didn’t give us chance to make our case. If Kakwenza told him that our government is brutal, it was only fair for the city Mayor to also listen to our side as organisers of the convention. This was sabotage” says a top source in NRM.
WHAT HAPPENED
The NRM on July 1-3 was supposed to hold it’s Diaspora Convention in Munich Germany. The meeting was however, called off after the would-be guest of honor NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong got engaged and the meeting was pushed to mid July by two weeks.
Everything went on as planned with bookings being made for the venue and related conference requirements. The organizers had even booked a posh hotel identified as West Inn Grand Hotel until on Monday last week when they were called to break the sad news to them.
“The hotel owners told the organizers 4 days to the convention that the hotel rooms were full. That their contact person at the hotel didn’t know the hotel was already overbooked before admitting us” says a source.
Ironically, even after having been paid in advance 15000 Euros and the flimsy excuse for termination of contract, the hotel up to now hasn’t allegedly refunded the cash!
At this point after being sabotaged from West Inn Grand Hotel in the heart of the City, the organisers struggled to look for another hotel but being that it’s a summer season, it proved a bit of a challenge to get one.
Out of that panic with the conference date of July 15-17 knocking, the organisers decided to travel some good miles away from Munich and finally secured another hotel on Friday. The 5-star hotel was identified as Vierjahreszeiten. Here, they were pretty sure that at least the saboteurs had been delt a big blow since it was secured on the last minute and moreover about 45km far away from the city.
However, sources revealed that even as they warmed up to the event, an ugly call from Police came informing the hotel managers that there was a looming huge demonstration by over 2000 Ugandans who were going to storm that hotel protesting against this meeting.
“The hotel informed us on the last minute that our meeting couldn’t take place. They said they couldn’t risk having 2000 demonstrators around their hotel and also risk the lives of their other visitors. They feared for their image as a hotel and ordered us out. But from the beginning, everything with this hotel was going on smoothly until the sad police call came to the hotel” explained a source.
We’re told the police claimed they had registered this huge demo and alerted the hotel to be aware and take a decision. This was how even the second hotel flopped on the last minute.
“Our problem is not about the conference you intend to hold here but the big number of people (demonstrators). It will put the hotel name at risk and our guests. So, we cancel” a source quoted the hotel as telling the organizers.
Upon being evicted even here, the organizers made frantic calls to pals who would know some places they could hold the meeting.
Eventually, according to sources, the organisers were informed of a certain big restaurant with a conference facility in town. This is how they ran here and finally settled to conduct the meeting successfully without any ugly scenes.
Totaling about 200 delegates, the participants were ushered into the conference room but with a warning that the staff weren’t enough to keep serving the guests.
Eventually, the meeting took place with the SG also being able to hold side meetings with several people including potential investors.
LILLIAN IKULUMET SPEAKS OUT
When contacted for a comment, the convention coordinator also the general secretary of NRM Germany chapter Lilian Ikulumet wasn’t ready to share enough details. She said the convention went on well in spite of incidences of sabotage by some elements.
“What I can say is that the convention was successful. We held it but amid many challenges. Some people wanted to fail the conference working with all sorts of groups here. We’re taking the matter to the leadership of Munich to tell us why it’s good for others to easily converge and it’s bad for us” she told us when contacted.
Lwanga also lashed out at the police for following fake information by the saboteurs.
“It was an attempt to sabotage our meeting. We know there were many groups that fought this convention because as a country, Uganda doesn’t accommodate homosexuality. This was a precursor because the Kakwenzas have got many of such groups. But good enough, we finally managed and we held it in Munich city center without their notice” he said, adding that SG Todwong said the matter would be addressed at government to government level.
He said whereas the convention was organized under the auspices of NRM chapters in Europe, it’s main objective was to enable Ugandans in those countries air out their concerns to government and the party so that they can be worked upon. Some of the issues included duo citizenship, acquiring national IDs, technology transfer, taxes among others. The conference attracted participants from Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Turkey among others.
