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Shift Media News 
BY PATRICK JARAMOGI
KAMPALA, Uganda|SHIFTMEDIA|“What goes around comes around” is an old adage, and similarly, “Crisis does not build character, it reveals it.” But that aside, as the country gets in line with the recent shifting of People Power blogger Ashraf Kato aka Ashburg Kato to NRM, Events Promoter Balaam Barugahare, the man behind the move has come out to speak about his motive.
Balaam described politics as a game of soccer. In his words he said: “Politics is like premier league where many teams like Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool garner for the best player.”
He said he was not a politician, but just an “NRM Supporter”. “Like in Premier League, when a club cites a good player, they go for them and that doesn’t mean war. Ashburg Kato was a good player with the People Power Team I hooked him up into NRM where he will be playing and adding value as from today,” said Balaam during an interview with CBS FM a local radio station.
He said he was not into the game of hooking “best players’ from the opposition for the sake of money, but for the need for peace and prosperity. “I don’t get paid by President Museveni for any opposition member that I hook into the NRM party that I support, I am just an ardent supporter of NRM, and like a game of football, even the opposition has also been hooking NRM supporters,” he said.
“Some of us have worked so hard for our property, and we need to protect them by having peace in the country. It is only the NRM party that can have peace prevail in this country,” said Balaam who has been instrumental in hooking many People Power supporter such as Full Figure and others into NRM.
Balaam who introduced Ashraf Kato, a renowned blogger who has been sending relentless attacks to the ruling NRM party to President Museveni, said he will also ensure that People Power leader and Kyadondo East legislator Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine joins the NRM party. “If I know that Bobi Wine is a good defender and he can help us block goals from entering our net, I will also have him join NRM,” he said.
Museveni donates 5 heifers to Kato
Ashraf Kato aka Ashbug Kato has acknowledged that he and his other bloggers, such as Ray Superstar indeed met President Museveni and he willingly and happily received them. Speaking in an interview, Ashraf Kato said President Museveni gave him five heifers, while his other bloggers were given two each.
Kato said his intention to abandon People Power was due to injustice heaped on him by the top brass at the People Power secretariat. “I was taken as a spy. Each time I brought in some idea, it was rubbished, when fellow bloggers approached me regarding lack of food due to the COVID-19 lockdown, nobody from People Power responded to my post. “It is Balaam who came to our rescue as bloggers and sought Gen. Muhozi who rescued us wth food as bloggers.”
He said it is then that he saw sense and light. “I asked my self as People Power darling, how comes the Balaam I abused as having a single T-shirt is the one giving me posho?”.
He said he decided to return back to NRM where he was before because his proposal of “The Gheto Initiative”, wasn’t being taken as seriously by Bobi Wine and People Power.
“You need to know that my Proposal was duly accepted by President Museveni and he said it will be implemented immediately after the lockdown. This proposal will help the Ghetto people, youth who are suffering turn around their lives,” said Kato.
Ashraf Kato said: “It is my choice. those I hurt forgive me, those who don’t want to go with me to NRM remain at Peoples Power. I will get more friends in NRM. I left People Power because of injustice.” He denied allegations that he was given cash by Museveni. “I didn’t get any cash from President Museveni, just the five heifers, perhaps I will slaughter some on Eid Elfitri and distribute meat to my people.”
On Thursday, Balaam handed over two brand new Lenovo Laptops to Kato and RaySuperStar to help them continue with the blogging exercise. Ashburg has called upon fellow youth in People Power to join him in NRM.
