Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Forum for Democratic Change-FDC faction led by the Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has said it is going to drag Patrick Amuriat Oboi and Nathan Nandala Mafabi the President and Secretary General of the Najjanankumbi faction and commanders of police for procuring and looking on respectively as criminals beat up delegates who had come to attend the extraordinary delegates conference of the FDC.
Speaking at Katonga Road in Kampala on Monday, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the FDC spokesperson said they can’t just look on when gangs take over their party and wreak havoc. “We intend to file private criminal charges against Nandala, Amuriat, and several Police commanders for sponsoring and abetting crimes. We would also like to warn these criminals hired to batter our people that we will follow you up and legally make you pay for your crimes,” Ssemujju said.
He called upon all FDC members and other Ugandans who lost property to file details with Harold Kaija who was appointed as the acting secretary general replacing Nandala which information will be used to support the charges. Last week, police tried to stop the Busabala meeting by heavily deploying security at Nature’s Green Resort Beach where it was scheduled.
But other than the police, there was a group of youths who said they had been deployed by the Najjanankumbi group to stop the meeting. These beat up the delegates who showed up to attend the meeting. Others stole property not only for the delegates but also for journalists. The same gang was also deployed at Katonga Road after learning that the meeting had changed venue. Ssemujju said they are aware that these gangs had been paid between Shs 50,000 to 100,000.
For her part, Asanansio Nyakato, the MP for Hoima City said if police indeed weren’t working with the kifeesi then they should arrest them and prosecute them. This she said will be the only proof that they were acting alone.
Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, has denied that police knew let alone worked with the gangs that terrorized FDC delegates. Meanwhile, Erias Lukwago who was appointed to replace Amuriat as acting president of FDC, said they have embarked on undertaking their work starting with filing a petition seeking an interim order to stop the Najjanankumbi organized meeting.
Lukwago said this week he is going to hold a National Executive Meeting this Thursday to come up with a plan of action to push the party for the next six months under which they will be in an acting capacity.
Francis Mwijukye, who is the acting treasury general called upon banks with which FDC works, not to accept any request to withdraw money by the Najjanankumbi-based leadership. He said those who do so will be held legally accountable.
For his part, Wasswa Biriggwa, the chairman of FDC said that whatever transpired last week was legal. He said that they have already written to the Electoral Commission informing them of the new changes in the party. He called upon the FDC leaders to disregard the October 6th delegates’ conference called by the party Electoral Commission chairman Toterebuka Bamwenda calling it illegal.
Meanwhile, as the team at Katonga addressed the media, FDC Deputy Spokesperson John Kikonyogo and Toterebuka Bamwenda also held a parallel presser at the FDC headquarters in Najjanankumbi.
There, Kikonyogo maintained that the ongoing election process was legitimate and wondered why Lukwago dismissed the exercise. Kikonyogo said Lukwago who “calls himself rule of law master” was vetted by Toterebuka and his forms signed by the Secretary-General Hon Nandala Mafabi to hold the FDC flag during the previous election.
“Today he’s telling us Toterebuka is not supposed to be in office, then how did he become a candidate of the FDC, himself? These are some of the things that touch our bad nerves as members who have been at this party for some time. When it favors you, you tell them it is right” Kikonyogo lamented. For his part, Toterebuka gave an update on the ongoing elections in FDC. He said a total of 156 members expressed interest in different positions on the National Executive Committee-NEC although only 76 were successfully nominated and given nomination certificates.
Among those nominated are; Amuriat and Moses Byamugisha for the position of party president, Yusuf Nsibambi for Vice President in Charge of Buganda, Kaps Fungaroo for Vice President in charge of the North, and for Eastern Region Margaret Madanda. Nandala was the only one nominated for the position of general secretary. According to the roadmap, candidates commenced campaigns today Monday until 4th October 2023. The contested National Delegates Conference is scheduled for 6th October 2023. FDC descended into chaos after a section of the party accused the president and Secretary General of picking money from President Museveni that was used during the 2021 general elections.
They called upon the two leaders to step down to allow for the election of new leaders; a demand that was flatly rejected.
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