By Nankwanga Eunice Kasirye
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| Betty Kamya |
Betty Kamya is now the minister for Kampala City Authority in
President Museveni’s fifth term, such a controversial appointment given her last
ten year political life.
Doubts and rumor about her shaky allegiance to the political opposition started early this year
after she started criticizing her most recent boss Dr Kizza Besigye’s approach
of defiance against President Yoweri Museveni’s government.
But who is this outspoken woman of surprises:
She became a household name in the 2001 elections as the
spokesperson of the Reform Agenda, a political group formed by Dr. Kizza
Besigye months before the elections.
She remained the face of Reform Agenda and later Forum for
Democratic Change party at the time when a number of leaders of the group went
into exile, including its leader Kizza Besigye and spokesperson Anne Mugisha
From 2005 until 2010, she served as the Special Envoy of the FDC
president Kizza Besigye, at that time.
In 2009, a disagreement
on who was to replace party chairman Sulaiman Kiggundu who had passedon, put
Kamya on a collision course with some party officials. She had prepared to
replace him, but the party later picked John Butime for the post.
In January 2010, she quit
FDC and formed Uganda Federal Alliance, becoming its first president.
Betty Kamya contested for Uganda presidency under Uganda Federal
Alliace, her new party in the 2011 general elections and lost to the incumbent,
her former boss president Yower Museveni. She opted to go back and reclaim her
parliamentary seat of Rubaga North, Kampala, which she held in the 8th Parliament
(2006-2011). She had stood on the Forum for the Democratic Change ticket but
lost to the Democratic Party candidate Moses Kasibante. Moses reclaimed the
victory after demanding for a recount where results had given a victory vote to
her.
Kamya was married to Spencer Turwomwe, a former soldier, who
passed on in 2003.
Born in Nakuru, Kenya of a Ugandan father George Wilson Kamya
and Kenyan mother Margaret Wairimu Kamya, Beti is the fourth born in the family
of nine siblings. Kamya’s family came back to Uganda in 1961 when Beti was six
years old.
Beti attended St. Hellen’s Primary School in Mbarara,
Wanyange Girls’ and King’s College Budo, before going to Makerere University,
where she graduated with Bachelor of Commerce degree.
Betty worked at the Uganda Leather and Tanning industry in Jinja, Nyanza Textiles Industries, Uganda Breweries and Wild Life Authority Education Center before joining active politics.
Betty worked at the Uganda Leather and Tanning industry in Jinja, Nyanza Textiles Industries, Uganda Breweries and Wild Life Authority Education Center before joining active politics.
