Tensions continue to simmer within the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, as the faction based at Katonga Road in Kampala vehemently disputes the legitimacy of the recent elections conducted by their counterparts at Najjanankumbi.
The Katonga FDC faction, led by Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, has labeled the elections held at Patidar Samaj Sports Ground in Lugogo on October 6 as "fake" and "sham." They argue that these elections were convened in violation of the FDC party constitution.
"It was a fake and sham election. It was convened outside the FDC party constitution. The constitution, in articles 23 and 28, states that the FDC National Executive Committee (NEC) shall be elected by the national delegates' conference convened and chaired by the party chairman or chairperson. The FDC chairperson, Amb. Wasswa Birigwa, is here with us and didn't convene and chair the Nandala and Amuriat meeting." Ssemujju Nganda stated while speaking to journalists on Tuesday.
The Katonga faction contends that this meeting was illegal under the party's constitution, a matter they raised in a civil suit filed on September 29 challenging the legality of the October 6 meeting, which is yet to be heard.
The Najjanankumbi FDC faction, in their October 6 delegates' conference, elected at least 51 members to the National Executive Committee, including Patrick Amuriat as president, Nandala Mafabi as Secretary-General, and John Kikonyogo as the new party spokesperson, among others.
The Katonga faction, however, insists that these outcomes are not binding, and they criticize their counterparts for portraying the meeting as legitimate. They stress that the court process has just begun and may take longer than anticipated.
Erias Lukwago, the interim president of the Katonga faction and Kampala Lord Mayor, emphasized that the interim leadership was appointed for a six-month period until March 2024 when a delegates' conference is scheduled to elect new NEC members. He reiterated that any other activities should be considered a waste of time until the delegates' conference is held.
Justice Musa Ssekaana recently dismissed an application by Wasswa Birigwa and 27 others seeking to halt the Najjanankumbi delegates' conference. While Ssekaana refrained from granting temporary relief, he did not provide a final ruling on the legality of the meeting.
Lukwago clarified, "The ruling by Justice Ssekaana only refrained from granting temporary reliefs but not pronouncing in finality on the legality of the said meeting."
He emphasized that a delegates' conference in line with the FDC party constitution would only take place in March to elect new National Executive Committee members. The interim leadership's program remains intact and operational.
The ongoing dispute between the two FDC factions underscores the internal divisions within the party and raises questions about the path forward for one of Uganda's major opposition parties.
