Mzee Israel Mayengo (a wealthy Muganda who lives in Muyenga, was one time MP from Kalangala and ex-Minister) has clarified that as Buganda elders, they never declared support for Bobi Wine.
Neither did they ever endorse him for President. Mayengo contemptuously referred to Kyagulanyi as “omuvubuka oyo [that boy]” in his Monday online TV interview.
Photos emerged on social media on the eve of nominations for the 2026 Presidential elections, whereby two former Buganda Katikkiros (Mulwanyamuli & Dan Muliika) led a group of about 10 elders to Kyagulanyi’s Magere home where they had dinner. An impression was created that this was an endorsement for him to be the flag bearer for his Buganda region’s aspirations in the 2026 race for Presidency.
Now Israel Mayengo, a former Kabaka Minister who was the 3rd most prominent member of that delegation after the two former Katikkiros, says that they merely wished Kyagulanyi well on the campaign trail clarifying that this shouldn’t make him special in any way.
He adds that they are ready to equally do the same for President Museveni too. Mayengo also says it was deliberate why no formal speech was made during their time at Magere. To him, all this is proof their intention wasn’t to endorse Kyagulanyi.
“It’s like the cardinal and wishing well to anyone. He can pray for every Presidential Candidate without any of them being special to him in any way. That doesn’t mean he has endorsed one Presidential Candidate ahead of the others. In fact, we are ready to do the same with President Museveni and we are looking forward to being invited to State House to have dinner with the President and we tell him what needs to be done to carry this country forward because we are all well accomplished old men who are not looking for anything selfish for ourselves.”
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Norman Tumuhimbise of Alternative DigiTalk on Monday, Mzee Mayengo said under the current legal and Constitutional framework, there isn’t much Bobi Wine is going to achieve because the winner of next year’s elections is already known.
He advises that Ugandans shouldn’t waste their time expecting to achieve much from the forthcoming general elections and should instead focus on pushing President Museveni into putting in place a Constitutional Review Commission so that what remains of the 1995 Constitution can be reviewed so that a totally new legal framework comes into place.
Speaking from his Muyenga home, Mzee Mayengo (who has been active in Uganda’s politics since the 1970s) implied that even the huge crowds Kyagulanyi is drawing in every part of the country he visits aren’t going to change the reality that he who will be Uganda’s President for the next five years is already known.
He made it clear that he can’t even waste his time going out to vote because there is nothing such a vote can change or impact under the current political environment. He made it clear that however much Kyagulanyi tries, there isn’t much he is going to achieve because “the tide is too strong and he can’t get this thing [Presidency]” through the forthcoming elections.
He clarified that when the Buffalo/Mbogo clan proposed that a group of elders go to Magere to have dinner with Bobi Wine, he didn’t object but promptly accepted because he considers himself to be Kyagulanyi’s paternal uncle because his late mum Musaawo Nalunkuma hailed from Kalangala Ssese where he hails from too.
Israel Mayengo, who not very long ago had audience with the Gulu man (over his stalled compensation processing), clarified in the Tumuhimbise that he would equally be enthusiastic to go and have a similar engagement if another elder came up and secured an appointment for the same delegation to go to State House and have dinner there besides discussing national issues with the incumbent President Gen YK Museveni.
As if agreeing with what Norbert Mao said recently, Mayengo seemed to imply no political transition is going to ever come to Uganda through elections.
He seemed to refer to the need for the country to have a new consensus in order to replenish the provisions of the 1995 Constitution, which has become so diluted and can’t equitably serve the interests of all Ugandan ethnic and tribal communities. He stressed that he lost confidence in elections long time ago and that he doesn’t have a candidate in the ongoing race.
