“You Are Illiterate And You Bleach, It’s Me Who Got You RDC Job” Kadaga Slams Minister Babalanda

A simmering political feud inside the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has now erupted into full public view, exposing sharp divisions between two of the party’s most senior female leaders. What had long been whispered about in political corridors has transformed into an open war of words between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs Rebecca Kadaga and Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda.

The clash appears to have been triggered by recent remarks made by Babalanda, who openly criticized Kadaga and accused her of inflating her stature within the NRM. Babalanda charged that Kadaga was “pretending to be a big person in the NRM party” and claimed that the veteran politician had been frustrating her work at the Office of the President. The comments signaled not just personal tension, but deeper factional strains within the ruling establishment.

Babalanda did not stop there. She went on to brand Kadaga as selfish and alleged that she did not genuinely represent or protect the interests of Busoga, a politically significant sub-region in eastern Uganda where both leaders wield influence. According to Babalanda, Kadaga’s political conduct was not aligned with the expectations of the ruling party’s supporters in the area.

Particularly contentious was Kadaga’s decision to meet newly elected opposition leaders from Busoga. Babalanda described that engagement as a betrayal of party loyalty, suggesting it undermined the NRM’s dominance in the sub-region. The meeting, in her view, crossed a political red line and called into question Kadaga’s commitment to consolidating the ruling party’s strength.

Kadaga, however, was quick to fire back — and her response was nothing short of explosive.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, the former Speaker of Parliament launched a blistering counterattack. She accused Babalanda of running the Office of the President without possessing the necessary academic qualifications, raising questions about competence and credibility.

In a startling revelation, Kadaga narrated how Babalanda rose through the ranks to become Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), alleging that she personally played a decisive role in securing her appointment despite Babalanda lacking the required academic papers.

“At the time, the qualifications to be an RDC or Deputy RDC, you needed to have A’level certificate. Time came and I realised that all along I had been recommending men’s names to be appointed RDCs. Why not send a lady’s name this time,” she recalled.

Kadaga explained that she set out to identify a qualified woman from Kamuli District but encountered difficulties.

“I looked for some women in Kamuli who are educated and many were not available. Then I landed on Babalanda; who had neither Senior Six, nor Senior Four qualifications. I forged a recommendation and told people to touch up some papers and see that this Musoga woman becomes an RDC.”

In one of the most controversial admissions yet, Kadaga declared: “That is how Babalanda came to be a deputy RDC; It was my efforts, forging a letter. How can she say that I am selfish? She has even admitted to the president and told him that ‘If it weren’t for Kadaga you would not have seen me.’”

Her remarks stunned many observers, as they not only escalated the personal nature of the feud but also introduced serious claims regarding appointment procedures within government structures.

Kadaga further questioned Babalanda’s ability to independently manage the powerful Office of the President. She suggested that the minister relies heavily on aides for intellectual and administrative work.

“Even in her current office as a minister, all speeches are written for her; she reads them word for word. If you ask her a single question from the speech, she cannot respond. Her speeches and research is done by Farouk Kirunda. He is the one that runs that ministry. I ask Milly Babalanda to settle down. The wars you are starting up, you will not manage.”

The extraordinary exchange between the two senior officials has laid bare internal tensions within the NRM at a time when party unity is crucial. Analysts say the public nature of the confrontation reflects deeper power struggles over influence in Busoga and proximity to the presidency.

As the political storm gathers momentum, attention now turns to how the party leadership will respond — and whether this high-profile dispute will be contained or further inflame divisions within Uganda’s ruling establishment.