Uganda: FDC Fight – Ssemujju, Lukwago, Turinawe Plotting the Return of Besigye to Active Politics – Source
Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda and his group are allegedly strategising for the return of Dr. Kizza Besigye to active politics, according to sources within the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)
These sources claim that loyalists of Besigye, including MP Ssemujju Nganda, Erias Lukwago, and Ingrid Turinawe, are plotting his comeback.
The tensions within the FDC have been brewing for some time, with leaders like Ssemujju openly expressing their opposition to party president Eng. Patrick Oboi Amuriat and Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi.
On Monday, a consultative meeting was held at Nsambya Sharing Hall in Kampala, where these leaders discussed redirecting the FDC to its core mission and also addressed elections for the party structure.
The root of the disagreement among the leaders stems from unresolved party wrangling involving party leadership, particularly between President Amuriat and Secretary General Mafabi.
However, an anonymous source close to the matter revealed to the Nile Post that Ssemujju and his team are plotting Besigye’s return to the political scene.
According to the source, the divide within the party revolves around power and money.
“That faction is after two things, money and then they are pushing for Besigye to come back into active politics and the people of Rukungiri are also calling for the return of Besigye,” the source noted.
The source alleges that during Besigye’s presidential campaigns, he received significant financial support from unknown sources, with no accountability for the funds.
However, Mafabi, when asked about these allegations according to the source denies receiving any money from President Museveni, stating that the split within the party is driven by personal interests and the aspiration for power.
“They are the ones causing mayhem. He (Mafabi) says that the fight against him is about money and power. They never expected the people like Mafabi to run the party. Everyone is looking for their own interest to survive in the country,” the source noted.
The anonymous source further explains that Ssemujju’s faction is pushing for Besigye’s return because the veteran leader is financially drained after being out of the party leadership for some time.
They claim that Ssemujju and Lukwago have their own ambitions for top leadership positions within the party.
However, Ssemujju Nganda refuted these allegations during an appearance on NBS morning breeze.
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Ssemujju Nganda also threatened to expose alleged secret dealings between FDC President Amuriat, Secretary General Mafabi, and President Museveni if provoked.
Besigye, who has lost four elections to Museveni, had previously decided to take a break from active politics, deeming it futile to participate in elections overseen by the ruling NRM party.
Nevertheless, recent indications suggest that Besigye might be considering a return to the political scene. For example, last week, Besigye announced that he had let go of his Total Nsambya dealership to concentrate on his political career.
Ssemujju Nganda has accused Nandala and Amuriat of undermining the party’s principles, and sources claim that Nandala’s group received a significant amount of money with an unclear source.
This alleged monetary involvement has exacerbated the conflicts between the leaders.
Despite attempts to address the situation, Ssemujju claims that the party president, secretary general, and their associates are pushing for internal elections that could potentially lead to a party split.
Consequently, those who speak out against the alleged misconduct are facing challenges, further escalating the already volatile situation.
Another source noted that Mafabi denied the allegations of plotting to hand over the party to president Museveni’
“FDC is not a personal property, or a project that someone can hand over. The people of Rukungiri are pushing for Besigye to come back and contest against because they probably think that it is their party that they created and other people are running it, ” the source further explained.
