In early 2020, as the country prepared for the 2021 General Elections, a closed-door meeting of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) reportedly became the platform for a fierce campaign against the then Secretary General, Justine Kasule Lumumba.
The then Deputy Secretary General is alleged to have presented a damaging account of Lumumba’s leadership, accusing her of running the party unilaterally and sidelining other senior officials. He reportedly portrayed her as someone who had assumed virtually every position in the party, including those of National Treasurer (NT), Deputy Secretary General (DSG), Director of Finance (DAF), Director of Mobilisation and Electoral Commission Chairperson, among others.
He further accused her of accumulating wealth, purchasing numerous handbags and flowers, and employing hundreds of handlers whose responsibility was allegedly to carry her lipstick and other personal effects in the said handbags.
President Yoweri Museveni, having listened to the accusations from the then Deputy Secretary General, reportedly considered him a suitable replacement for Lumumba.
In June 2021, following the General Elections, Lumumba was dropped and Richard Todwong was appointed Secretary General. However, what appeared to be a change in leadership would later become the subject of questions about whether the new office bearer had departed from the very practices he had previously criticised.
Critics now portray Todwong as having mastered the lessons of his predecessor, particularly in matters of wealth accumulation, with allegations that he took things several steps further.
Where Lumumba was criticised for purchasing numerous flowers, which were reportedly relatively inexpensive, Todwong is now accused of developing an appetite for high-end luxury vehicles.
His residence in Muyenga-Bukasa, reportedly acquired in the names of his fourth wife, Ann Ruyondo, is alleged to have become a private vehicle showroom. Accounts from individuals familiar with the property describe a compound filled with several Toyota Land Cruiser 7-Series vehicles, GR Sport double-cabin pickups and white Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon Brabus models.
The number of vehicles is reportedly so large that movement within the compound has become difficult, with visitors and workers allegedly having to squeeze through the parked fleet to access different sections of the property.
About a month ago, Todwong reportedly acquired another brand-new G-Wagon, allegedly as a congratulatory gift to Ruyondo following her victory in the heavily financed National Women’s Council elections.
The reported gift has raised questions among some women who participated in the election campaign, particularly those who argue that the financial support extended to ordinary voters was insufficient to purchase even a Toyota Vitz.
Interestingly, during the handover of office, Lumumba was reportedly allowed to leave with only one official vehicle. The understanding was that the second vehicle allocated to her would be retained for the incoming Secretary General’s official duties.
However, allegations have emerged that Todwong, working with SUMABOLT, the Secretariat’s principal motor vehicle supplier, disposed of the vehicle within less than a week and allegedly diverted the proceeds for personal use.
SUMABOLT is also a company that has previously featured in controversy surrounding the Ministry of Trade over allegations of supplying government with used vehicles instead of the recommended brand-new units.
For years, the public has watched a video clip in which Todwong speaks passionately about greed, nepotism, corruption and the expanding hills of Kampala, characterised by massive construction projects. In the clip, he cautions party members involved in such practices about the possible consequences if they fail to reform.
Looking at the allegations now surrounding his own conduct, critics might argue that Todwong was not necessarily opposed to the practices he condemned but was simply waiting for an opportunity to occupy the same table and enjoy its privileges.
Todwong is also alleged to have developed an extensive property portfolio, including a multi-billion-shilling boutique hotel at Akright, whose interior and exterior fittings, together with furnishings, were reportedly imported from France and the United Kingdom.
There are further claims that he is extremely impatient when it comes to business transactions and that, during one of his trips to France, he allegedly paid three times the usual freight charges to have his containers prioritised ahead of those belonging to other importers.
Indeed, wealth and access to resources often provide a revealing test of an individual’s character.
Following a lavish wedding ceremony in Kazo District for his wife, Ann Ruyondo, Todwong reportedly extended generous gifts to his in-laws. His mother-in-law and father-in-law are said to have received two brand-new vehicles, while his brother-in-law reportedly acquired a residential mansion valued at Shs2.8 billion in Bulwadda Estate, Kigo.
Pictures of the property will be presented in our next instalment.
The neighbourhoods of Muyenga-Kassanga, Bukasa and Kisugu have reportedly witnessed a significant property acquisition spree linked to Todwong’s alleged wealth accumulation.
Information shared by individuals familiar with legal transactions involving his associates has raised further questions. According to these accounts, some lawyers allegedly suspended other court assignments to concentrate on drafting property sale agreements and trust arrangements for the acquisition of properties in the names of his children and wives.
He is further alleged to have taken advantage of opportunities presented by elderly property owners, including pensioners, purchasing several properties that came onto the market in Muyenga.
For comparison, Lumumba, his predecessor, was previously associated with a residential property in Seeta and a shopping complex in Kireka. However, critics now argue that her former deputy has surpassed her in the scale of alleged property acquisitions.
The question of who now owns Muyenga may therefore be worth revisiting.
NEPOTISM: THE VERY PRACTICE HE ONCE CONDEMNED
A social media blogger operating under the name True Leader recently highlighted the plight of NRM Secretariat employees who were laid off during the staff restructuring exercise.
However, the controversy surrounding the exercise has also drawn attention to allegations of nepotism within the Secretary General’s own office.
During the staff validation exercise that preceded the layoffs, the committee responsible for reviewing appointments reportedly discovered that the Secretary General’s office had one of the largest concentrations of staff considered redundant.
More controversially, the exercise allegedly uncovered a relative of Todwong working in his office as a cleaner, despite reportedly having attained only Primary Six education, and earning a monthly salary of Shs2 million.
The alleged salary disparity becomes even more striking when compared with that of some senior employees who were reportedly earning approximately Shs700,000 per month.
If substantiated, these revelations would raise serious questions about fairness, accountability and the criteria used in remuneration and staff recruitment within the party Secretariat.
The payroll records reportedly contain details of this salary disparity. We shall examine the matter further in our next instalment.
WHAT DOES PRESIDENT MUSEVENI MAKE OF IT ALL?
With these allegations continuing to emerge, an important question arises: what has President Museveni made of the performance of the man he considered a suitable replacement for Lumumba?
Perhaps the most telling political indicator is the performance of the NRM in Todwong’s home district of Nwoya during the recent elections.
Reports indicate that NRM flagbearers in the district suffered significant electoral defeats to candidates from the Democratic Party, led by Norbert Mao, with the exception of Todwong’s biological sister, whose victory was itself surrounded by allegations of electoral interference.
It is alleged that Todwong personally exerted pressure on the Returning Officer, including through threats involving a firearm, to have his sister declared the winner. This is an extremely serious allegation that requires independent verification and a response from the parties concerned.
The broader concern, however, is whether the Secretary General has devoted sufficient attention to strengthening the NRM’s political fortunes in his home district, or whether personal interests have taken precedence over party responsibilities.
Instead of concentrating on party mobilisation and consolidating the NRM’s support base in Nwoya, his critics accuse him of becoming increasingly preoccupied with wealth accumulation, property acquisitions, nepotism and questionable financial dealings.
Questions are also being raised about the source of the resources behind his expanding business and property interests.
Could it be the massive animal farm that has reportedly left his elder brother, who is said to have joined government service long before Todwong completed his education, in considerable financial difficulty?
Could it be the numerous structures he reportedly owns in Gulu?
Or could there be a connection with alleged financial dealings involving the Secretariat, money lenders and commercial banks?
These are questions that deserve answers, particularly given the public responsibility attached to the office of the NRM Secretary General.
The irony is difficult to ignore. A man who once publicly lectured others about greed, nepotism, corruption and the dangers of unchecked wealth accumulation is now facing allegations that mirror the very practices he condemned.
Perhaps, indeed, what goes around comes around.
