SHAMEFUL!! Museveni Forced To Translate For Himself After NRM Flagbearer Fails To Translate Simple Luzungu

The Saturday, November 15th Bugiri rally delivered an unexpected twist when Eunice Namatende, the NRM Woman MP flag bearer, found herself struggling more with President Museveni’s English than with the actual task of translating his message into Lusoga for the charged audience before her.

What was expected to be a routine interpretation quickly turned into a dramatic battle between language, confidence, and an increasingly impatient crowd.

Namatende—formerly of FDC, now proudly wearing NRM yellow, and known as a teacher by profession—had been chosen as the day’s official interpreter. But from the moment Museveni began speaking, it became clear that her translation was slipping apart like loose threads.

Her voice cracked repeatedly, she stammered through sentences, and in several moments she offered meanings that were completely different from what the President was trying to communicate. Instead of clarifying his message, she left the excited supporters struggling to interpret her interpretation.

The crowd, already tense with political energy, started growing restless. Some people shouted at her, urging her to step down if she couldn’t translate properly. Others lifted their hands in frustration, questioning how a teacher who once confidently guided students on a blackboard now seemed overwhelmed by basic English in front of her own political supporters.

At one point, Museveni—who had earlier joked that he “only speaks good Lusoga in the morning and it disappears in the afternoon”—found himself stepping in to correct her. Twice, he interrupted the session to fix the translation, essentially becoming his own interpreter. The murmurs in the audience grew louder as people struggled to accept that the President was doing the job meant for Namatende, and doing it with surprising ease.

Meanwhile, Namatende kept attempting to defend herself quietly. She leaned toward district NRM chairman and Bukooli Central MP Solomon Silwany, whispering that children near her were making noise and preventing her from hearing the President clearly.

Some of her supporters also tried to shield her, arguing that the sound system was poorly arranged and that the speakers were confusing her. But the crowd, already worked up, found little comfort in those explanations.

Even so, Museveni occasionally paused to praise Namatende for being a good interpreter—though mostly after correcting her mistakes. His tone left the crowd divided. Some believed he was genuinely encouraging her as their newly embraced flag bearer, while others felt he was simply cushioning her embarrassment, much like a parent applauding a child who falls during a performance to soften the blow.

For many, the incident raised deeper questions. If Namatende struggled to translate a short English speech on a campaign rally, how would she manage the far more complex English used daily in Parliament? How would she debate laws, motions, and national issues if simple translation sent her stammering?

Namatende has previously contested both the Municipality and Woman MP seats under the FDC ticket before crossing to NRM earlier this year. Her victory over incumbent Agnes Taaka in the July 17th NRM primaries was seen as a significant milestone. Yet the Bugiri rally left some wondering whether she is truly prepared for the legislative platform she is determined to join.

The rally, intended to showcase Busoga’s unity behind the yellow camp, instead cast a spotlight on one of NRM’s newest political faces—revealing concerns that few had anticipated. What should have been a seamless political show ended up exposing a candidate still learning how to carry the weight of public expectation.