FDC President Mugisha Muntu last week met DP chief Norbert Mao at his office, with reports suggesting the two broached the thorny subject of unifying the opposition to be able to field a single candidate in 2016.

Muntu will also meet UPC President Olara Otunnu over the same matter. In the 2011 election, the coalition Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC) was left on a shaky ground after both Mao and Otunnu pulled out.

Now Mao has signaled he could entertain the idea of a single candidate. But push is expected to come to shove when it is time to decide who that single candidate will be.

Mabikke throws salvo at Lukwago

Former Makindye East MP Michael Mabikke last week appeared on Radio Akaboozi Ku Bbiri to attack his political rival Erias Lukwago who is the lord mayor of Kampala. Mabikke suggested that recent allegations of impropriety only exposed the true character of Lukwago.

But we are not sure whether Mabikke who lost the bitterly contested seat for the mayor-ship made the comments genuinely or was only attempting to score political points against his nemesis on radio. Lukwago recently issued a notice to sue the New Vision newspaper over a story that he was being investigated by the IGG on a corruption-related matter.

Shifrah Lukwago, MP Nabilah to face off

Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) councillor Shifrah Lukwago is planning to contest for the Kampala Woman seat in the 2016 polls. However, she will likely encounter a tall order competing against the incumbent, Nabilah Naggayi, who will be seeking a third term.

Apparently, Shifrah is enjoying support of many opposition figures like Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze, and Kawempe North MP Latif Ssebaggala. But Nabilah remains a formidable opponent as she enjoys multi-partisan support.

Todwong's new swagg as de-facto SG

Nwoya MP Richard Todwong's appointment as minister Without Portfolio in charge of Political Mobilisation, according to party insiders, made him the de-facto Secretary General of NRM. At the time of his appointment, talk was rife about a latent power struggle between the secretary general, who is also the premier, Amama Mbabazi, and the president. Mbabazi has since accepted to step aside.

Now Todwong moves and acts with the swagg of a senior party leader. When Bukoto South MP Mathias Nsubuga recently referred to Todwong as secretary general in the corridors of parliament, the youthful minister did not protest (to put it modestly).

The Observer recently reported that NRM would hold a delegates' conference soon and elect a substantive secretary general. Will that be Todwong? Watch this space.

Makubuya enjoys Ipsum

Former Attorney General Edward Khiddu Makubuya, who later became minister for General Duties, is undoubtedly a down-to-earth man. Since he resigned from cabinet, Prof Makubuya does not enjoy the perks of being chauffeured in a Land Cruiser.

But unlike former big men and women who lose sleep and weight with such a change in fortunes, Makubuya is enjoying his life as an ordinary Katikamu South MP. Last week, he looked every inch comfortable as he drove to Parliament in his Toyota Ipsum.

Those who know him point out that when he was a minister, Makubuya often took a taxi to attend the Sunday service at St Andrew's church in Bukoto

Good example, Prof!