KAMPALA/ IGANGA.
Angered by remarks made by a senior Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)
official and Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu, FDC has said it will ignore
the legislator’s statements for now and focus on building the party.
Speaking at a New Year football Match at Idudi Primary School in Iganga District on January 31, Mr Katuntu urged FDC members to work closely with their rival NRM party.
The legislator noted that it is time for reconciliation following the divisive 2016 general election.
Mr Katuntu had organised a football match between supporters of the ruling party and FDC. NRM won the match 1-0 and walked away with a bull.
FDC officials peeved
FDC officials observed that Mr Katuntu has severally made the same statements and wondered “whose project” he was executing. Others called him “selfish” and that he had gone against party guidelines.
The FDC deputy secretary general in charge of administration, Mr Harold Kaija, while responding to the remarks, yesterday cautioned Mr Katuntu to go slow with his “schemes”.
“We want to ignore Mr Katuntu because we don’t know which project he is working on. That approach may work for the people of Bugweri but not for the FDC party. Mr Katuntu has never come to Najjanankumbi to make the same remarks. We are keeping our ears on the ground because his remarks are contrary to what we believe in,” Mr Kaija said.
FDC spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju doubted the remarks attributed to the MP.
“I think he was misquoted. This is not the Katuntu I know,” he said.
Mr Katuntu’s remarks are not in isolation. He recently said although he is a member of FDC, he does not support former FDC presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye’s defiance campaign. Such remarks triggered talk that Mr Katuntu could be up to some mischief.
At the football match, Mr Katuntu insisted that: “Iam an MP for all people irrespective of political affliation and I serve them equally.”
This was after he was asked whether working with NRM does not contradict his party’s ongoing defiance campaign.
Ms Margret Wokuri, former programme controller for FDC presidential flag bearer, described Mr Katuntu’s remarks as selfish and against the party guidelines, adding that it would be a “bad marriage”.
“Mr Katuntu should look at the people who have abandoned their parties to work with NRM like Mr Aggrey Awori and ask where they are, what happened to them before making a statement that FDC should work with NRM,” said Ms Wokuri who doubles as the FDC women activist and chairperson for Mbale District.
“Elections ended and any step towards dialogue is welcome but that does not mean that we abandon our party,” she said.
Mr Jack Wamai Wamanga, the MP for Mbale Municipality, said as leaders they ought to learn that the party will lose people but others have to be recruited to ensure the party moves towards its goal.
“We need to build fresh support for the party. It will be disastrous if we don’t get rid of moles within our party and we just put fresh paint on the party that lost the 2016 elections,”Mr Wamanga said.
Speaking to Daily Monitor, the Iganga District FDC chairperson, Mr Suleiman Magumba, echoed Katuntu’s remarks, saying it was paramount to work with NRM, a party in power. However, Ms Zurah Nabirye, the district chairperson FDC women league, rejected Mr Katuntu’s call insisting on defiance to dislodge the NRM party.
The NRM party spokesperson, Mr Rogers Mulindwa, welcomed the idea, saying they have no problem as long as FDC accepts to cooperate with them.
editorial@ug.nationmedia.com
Speaking at a New Year football Match at Idudi Primary School in Iganga District on January 31, Mr Katuntu urged FDC members to work closely with their rival NRM party.
The legislator noted that it is time for reconciliation following the divisive 2016 general election.
Mr Katuntu had organised a football match between supporters of the ruling party and FDC. NRM won the match 1-0 and walked away with a bull.
FDC officials peeved
FDC officials observed that Mr Katuntu has severally made the same statements and wondered “whose project” he was executing. Others called him “selfish” and that he had gone against party guidelines.
The FDC deputy secretary general in charge of administration, Mr Harold Kaija, while responding to the remarks, yesterday cautioned Mr Katuntu to go slow with his “schemes”.
“We want to ignore Mr Katuntu because we don’t know which project he is working on. That approach may work for the people of Bugweri but not for the FDC party. Mr Katuntu has never come to Najjanankumbi to make the same remarks. We are keeping our ears on the ground because his remarks are contrary to what we believe in,” Mr Kaija said.
FDC spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju doubted the remarks attributed to the MP.
“I think he was misquoted. This is not the Katuntu I know,” he said.
Mr Katuntu’s remarks are not in isolation. He recently said although he is a member of FDC, he does not support former FDC presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye’s defiance campaign. Such remarks triggered talk that Mr Katuntu could be up to some mischief.
At the football match, Mr Katuntu insisted that: “Iam an MP for all people irrespective of political affliation and I serve them equally.”
This was after he was asked whether working with NRM does not contradict his party’s ongoing defiance campaign.
Ms Margret Wokuri, former programme controller for FDC presidential flag bearer, described Mr Katuntu’s remarks as selfish and against the party guidelines, adding that it would be a “bad marriage”.
“Mr Katuntu should look at the people who have abandoned their parties to work with NRM like Mr Aggrey Awori and ask where they are, what happened to them before making a statement that FDC should work with NRM,” said Ms Wokuri who doubles as the FDC women activist and chairperson for Mbale District.
“Elections ended and any step towards dialogue is welcome but that does not mean that we abandon our party,” she said.
Mr Jack Wamai Wamanga, the MP for Mbale Municipality, said as leaders they ought to learn that the party will lose people but others have to be recruited to ensure the party moves towards its goal.
“We need to build fresh support for the party. It will be disastrous if we don’t get rid of moles within our party and we just put fresh paint on the party that lost the 2016 elections,”Mr Wamanga said.
Speaking to Daily Monitor, the Iganga District FDC chairperson, Mr Suleiman Magumba, echoed Katuntu’s remarks, saying it was paramount to work with NRM, a party in power. However, Ms Zurah Nabirye, the district chairperson FDC women league, rejected Mr Katuntu’s call insisting on defiance to dislodge the NRM party.
The NRM party spokesperson, Mr Rogers Mulindwa, welcomed the idea, saying they have no problem as long as FDC accepts to cooperate with them.
editorial@ug.nationmedia.com
Kipoi launches war against Uganda
BY DAVID MAFABI
KAMPALA. A new rebel faction an armed struggle to remove President
Museveni from power has emerged.
The
National Equality and Democracy highlights the degree of frustration Ugandans
have had in trying to hold free and fair elections through a representative
multiparty democracy and seeks the use of an armed struggle as the only way to
liberate the country.
The group in a statement by its
leader, Mr
Tonny Kipoi Nsubuga, the former MP for Bubulo West says NED is a Ugandan
Liberation Movement says the NRM government has been the source of endless
chaos and desperation to people who have continuously agitated for political
freedom.
In
a press release seen by Daily Monitor and signed by Mr Kipoi, the leader of the
purported rebel group, the rebel group is political movement advocating for a
Regime change, representative multiparty democracy and an independent judicial
system.
“On
behalf of NED, we would like to inform the general public that we today have
constituted a liberation struggle to remove the NRM failed and illegitimate
regime through an armed struggle,” reads the press statement in part dated Dec
3.
The
press release says NED has presence across the country and outside Uganda with
a mission to save Uganda from a dictatorship of President Museveni.
The
group, according to the press release, urges Ugandans to join them in the
“liberation struggle” and invites the various security personnel to cooperate
with them in their mission.
The
press release says the rebel group has its headquarters in London42 station
road London NW4 3sx UK and in Kinshasa, Av kiosi No 18 Ngaliema (DRC) and
advocates for real democracy, equality and rule of law.
But
the Police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi says Mr Kipoi is a criminal wanted
by Ugandan government and that he should come back for prosecution.
“What
I know is that he appeared in court over a criminal cases and I don’t know
whether he was given bail and he jumped bail or he was acquitted and if he
wants to fight government, we are ready for him and I wish him luck,” said Mr
Kawesi.
In
November 2013, police arrested and interrogated three youth allegedly recruited
forcibly by Mr Kipoi and the youths were later released after recording
statements implicating the legislator before the legislator fled to DR Congo
The
army alleges that Mr Kipoi had been recruiting personnel from Ugandan security
and Congolese of COGAI, a rebel group in Bunia in Ituri region in DR Congo.
Uganda
Police, through its Directorate of Interpol and International Relations, made a
formal request to their counterparts in Congo on February 26, 2014 for him to
be arrested and extradited to Uganda.
When
Mr Kipoi fled to DR Congo, government claimed he detained in Kinshasa pending
extradition to Uganda.
Army responds
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces spokesperson, Lt Col Paddy Ankunda, said the claim of a rebel group was news to him and described it as mythical.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces spokesperson, Lt Col Paddy Ankunda, said the claim of a rebel group was news to him and described it as mythical.
“Let him dare, h will meet the full
force of the law, UPDF is ready to defend Ugandans and our country,” said
Ankunda.
The
DR Congo Ambassador H.E Jean-Charles Okot Lolakombe said as DR Congo government
they don’t support any rebel activities in their country and that anybody doing
it in DR Congo should be aware that it is illegal.
“As
a country we don’t tolerate this because it destroys our diplomatic relations
with Uganda and I want to say that it is illegal and against our constitution
and the principles that govern DR Congo and Uganda as neighbours,” said Mr
Lolakombe, Dec 20. Ends
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