“Getting used to the high table and waking up when you are sitting on a stool is very unbearable,” a UPDF General, Late Elly Tumwine once said.
This is exactly the new life of former Minister Amelia Kyambadde, who lost her cabinet seat in last year’s reshuffle.
It was a ‘double’ tragedy for the ageing politician. First, she lost Mawokota North constituency to her associate-turned- foe who is a musician, Dr Hilderman real names Hilary Kiyaga and later dropped as Trade Minister, a position she enjoyed for 10 years.
Before serving in cabinet, the soft spoken politician worked in State House as Principal Private Secretary, Senior Private Secretary, Principal Personal Secretary and Senior Personal Secretary from 1986 to 2010.
Such positions come numerous privileges including, free food, housing, fuel, health insurance, security, education and among others.
To start from scratch, after losing these benefits in 30 years is very unbearable.
Appearing on NBSTV on Tuesday morning, Mrs Kyambadde admitted that she has been hiding.
“I have been hibernating, and now I am out of hibernation.”
When she lost an election in Mawokota, Kyambadde attributed her defeat to President Yoweri Museveni long stay in power. She reasoned that may be voters want change.
However, her opinion raised dust in cabinet as fellow ministers ganged up against her for spreading harmful propaganda against the NRM party.
They wondered why President Museveni had not been voted out of office.
In Tuesday’s TV interview, Kyambadde said she has been recollecting on the mistakes she made while leading the people of Mawokota and realized that she was misunderstood.
“I have reflected on my mistakes, but sometimes self-criticism is hard unless someone sits you down. People misunderstood me, and thought I was very ambitious and contemptuous.” She said.
Life as an ordinary Uganda has been hard for the former minister. “It was very difficult in the beginning to come to terms with the fact that I am no longer a Minister, but now I have. If I were to write a book, I would write about the challenges of a legislator.”
She said that whereas there are calls from the people that she stands again in 2026, she believes life shouldn’t be spent entirely in politics.
Kyambadde, who is the Presidential Advisor on industries is now concentrating on her businesses and education as she pursues her PHD.