Opinions within the Katonga faction of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) are beginning to diverge over whether to form an entirely new political party.
But while early views appear to be divided, what all leaders seem to agree on is the need to ensure all party members have a say on the issue.
With the 2026 general election looming, the splinter group’s National Council agreed on Wednesday to cast a wide net in search of a national consensus, with party elders yesterday voicing mixed opinions on the proposal.
On Thursday morning, founding member Wafula Ogutu acknowledged the idea of forming a new organization, but warned that it was not the best option.
Mr Ogutu said the new party would help in elections but would fall short of its main objective of removing President Museveni from office.
“Our focus is to remove Mr. Museveni from office. It is not the party that can remove him. Even if we form a party tomorrow, Mr. Museveni will take us away with money,” he said.
Mr Ogutu, who served as opposition leader in parliament from January 2014 to June 2016, instead supported proposals for a social movement to unite MPs as the best bet to remove Mr Museveni.
Unlike political parties that can compromise, the president does not have the power to interfere with ideas or public consciousness, he said.
But he said the issue was up to MPs to decide and he would not oppose them if they chose to form a new party.
Mr Wafula’s preference supports the views of FDC founding leader Dr Kizza Besigye, who at Wednesday’s meeting urged members to favor social movements that unite people from all organizations. did.
“It’s a good idea to form a new party, but it has its own challenges,” Dr Besigye said. “We are not organizing to use elections for struggle, but elections can also be used for struggle. But that doesn’t take away from the idea that we have to come together to fight.” he added.
Fellow elder Dan Wandera Ogaro took a broader view, saying it was normal for people to form political parties. However, as FDC founding member Mr. Ogaro said, it would be a shame to see the FDC collapse.
“For those of us who built the FDC, we are of course disappointed. We would be happy if the party were still alive and well. But our disappointment cannot override the rights of our members,” he said. Stated.
Like other leaders, Ogaro agreed that all ideas would be left to the discretion of party members.
Wednesday’s National Council meeting in Kampala considered six alternatives, including an unlikely reconciliation with the Nadjanankumbi faction, but a final decision is expected to be made in two months’ time. It was agreed that it would be entrusted to
The party’s standard-bearer, Ibrahim Ssemuju Nganda, called on party members not to focus on what to call the platform on which their efforts will be based.
“Dr Besigye led us here in 2011 when we took to the streets to protest during the Walk to Work. We started as Action for Change (A4C) but somewhere along the line Museveni took over A4C and we became ‘For God and my country’ but to me the name doesn’t matter. Since we don’t have one, we were going to keep changing the name,” Semju said.
“I want to spend the rest of my life fighting to save Uganda, not Najanankumbi,” Ssemuju said.
Yesterday, FDC Katonga East Regional Interim Vice-President Ms Proscovia Salam Musumba was equally open.
“When you’re in the field, you use whatever is available to you, and that option is available to us and we’re pursuing it as well. Everything we mentioned is on the table and we’re going to use it. We are pursuing it,” Msumba said.
The story of the new party follows a bitter split in the FDC in the middle of last year over allegations that Najanankumbi Block President and Secretary-General Patrick Oboi Amuriat and Nathan Nandala Mafabi each sold themselves to President Museveni. This happened several months after I woke up. they denied.