Katonga FDC faction unveils electoral roadmap for new Party Leaders

A section of the Forum for Democratic Change-FDC party led by Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago unveiled an electoral roadmap during a press conference at their Katonga Road office in Kampala today.

Lukwago shared that the FDC’s National Executive Committee, which convened last week, reached a consensus on this roadmap, designed to elect new party leaders and facilitate nationwide tours.

The Kampala Lord Mayor also said that they intend to write to the police to notify them about their planned activities, adding that they don’t expect the police to disrupt these meetings in whatever way because FDC is a registered political party which has a right to operate without restrictions. 

Regarding the delegates’ conference organized by the Najjanankumbi faction under the leadership of party president Patrick Amuriat Oboi and Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi, Lukwago deemed it illegal due to the absence of approval from party Chairman Wasswa Birigwa.

He anticipated a court injunction against it this week, asserting that it contradicts the FDC constitution. Furthermore, Lukwago disclosed plans to meet with FDC eminent figures to revive the party, as many national leaders express concern over its current state.

Michael Kabaziguruka, the head of the Electoral Commission of the FDC confirmed that comprehensive preparations are underway for a Delegates’ Conference scheduled for March the following year. According to the roadmap, elections will commence on December 9, starting with village-level leaders and progressing to district-level appointments. The National Delegates’ Conference, slated for March 15, 2024, will end in selecting the party’s national leadership.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission for the Najjanankumbi-based FDC faction, Boniface Toterebuka Bamwenda, announced that FDC National Executive Committee elections will take place on October 6 at Patidar Samaj Sports Ground in Lugogo. The anticipated number of voters is 1,271, with accreditation set to occur at the party headquarters on October 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The invited voter categories include District Chairpersons, General Secretaries, Secretaries for Publicity and Mobilization, Women League Chairpersons, Youth Secretaries, and at the constituency level, Chairpersons and General Secretaries, with at least one female candidate.

Toterebuka affirmed the Electoral Commission’s commitment to conducting elections in adherence to FDC’s guidelines and constitution. Successful candidates will be expected to serve in accordance with the party constitution until the conclusion of their term in 2028.

During the same press briefing, the party’s deputy spokesperson, John Kikonyogo, dismissed critics of the process and warned of potential legal action against Toterebuka if necessary.

The FDC has been mired in internal trouble, triggered by allegations that senior leaders pocketed funds from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

This disagreement has resulted in a division within the party, with the Katonga faction holding an extraordinary delegates’ conference that suspended both Amuriat and Nandala from their positions as president and secretary-general, respectively.