Appearing before the special elders committee appointed by Patrick Amuriat Oboi, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president, to resolve the dispute among some senior party leaders, Dr. Kizza Besigye narrated how his friends are compromising him to join President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s government.
Dr. Besigye stated that during the period when he was inquiring into allegation that FDC Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi received Shs300m from State House, a colleague visited him and reminded him of how they had suffered together, and how many FDC members are becoming desperate.
Besigye told the committee that he asked his friend what could be done.
His friend advised him to help the party and initiate a formal agreement with National Resistance Movement (NRM) to establish a government of national unity.
According to the committee report, Besigye stated that he asked the friend whether he was advocating for terms of surrendering and he answered in affirmative.
“The colleague also told him that they had already made contact with Museveni. He pleaded with Dr. Besigye to keep the information confidential,” the report reads in part.
Kira Municipality legislator Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda revealed that after the 2011 presidential election, his camp was approached by a team from Civil Society leadership, veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda and Conrad Nkutu who proposed to mediate President Museveni, Besigye talks.
He added that Museveni accepted every demand Besigye put on table for mediation until they established that what Museveni wanted was to get a photo moment with Besigye and use it to demoralise his supporters.
However, Mwenda contradicted Ssemujju’s narrative explaining that Besigye declined to meet Museveni because he feared his radical supporters.
Appearing on the same committee, Jack Sabiiti, the former FDC treasurer general told the special committee that Dr. Besigye did not wish FDC well that’s why in the 2021, he did not support them.
He added that one day, Dr. Besigye asked them why they were insisting on the campaigns which would not yield anything.
“Sabiiti made further allegations that some people think FDC is theirs and stressed that the People’s Government is an offshoot of FDC yet Dr. Besigye wants the entire Party to account to him. He accordingly implored the Committee to deeply look into this matter and come to an appropriate solution. He concluded with a demand from Dr. Besigye to prove that he (Sabiiti), Hon. Mafabi and others received money from hostile sources,” the report added.
In their recommendations, the elders committee chaired by Dr. Frank Nabwiso recommended that for the sake of the party, Dr. Besigye and Mafabi factions should reconcile since they have been friends and have worked together in FDC for the last 21 years.
The elders warned that they should not allow the party to split like what has happened to Uganda’s oldest Parties (DP and UPC).
The report noted that the so called Katonga and Najjanankumbi groups should be encouraged to co-exist and the party should develop practical modalities for reconciliation.
Ssemujju insisted that he will not be under the leadership of Mafabi and Amuriat in the FDC party.
He added that very soon, he is going to summon a meeting to discuss strategies on the way forward.
WE WON’T RECONCILE WITH PEOPLE EATING DIRTY MONEY
Meanwhile, Kampala Capital City Authority Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Njanyura Omutatina, a NEC member in FDC has vowed that there will be no reconciliation.
In a letter to FDC members and the General Public dated 30th July 2023, Nyanjura said, “The recommendations of the Elders’ Committee which include tolerance and reconciliation cannot take place in an environment where intimidation, mistrust, evasion of accountability, connivance, violence and deceit persist and are perpetuated by the Party leadership.”
“These vices have eaten up the soul or kernel of the Party and since the opportunity to deal head-on with some of these ills through the Elders’ Committee has been lost, the party will only survive if these are addressed urgently by the Party members before the next delegates conference.”
She added, “Those of us who are dissatisfied with the conduct of the Party President, Secretary General, Treasurer General and their acolytes especially around this issue of dirty money and the lengths to which they have gone to create a miscarriage of any processes pushing them to provide accountability need to embark on wide consultations with the membership of the party while imploring the dodgy leaders to do thorough soul searching. It does not matter how far you have travelled in the wrong direction, as long as you realise it and retrace your steps and move in the right direction.”
By Sengooba Alirabaki
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