The hopes of the Forum for Democratic Change-FDC Katonga faction led by the Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago to block the delegates’ conference organized by the Najjanankumbi group led by Patrick Amuriat Oboi and Nathan Nandala Mafabi may have suffered a set back.
It has emerged that one of the FDC vice chairpersons also signed a notice inviting party members to a delegates’ conference slated for Friday in Kampala. The two factions met at the High Court in Kampala Thursday for the hearing of an application filed by Lukwago’s group to block the delegates’ conference.
The cornerstone of the argument was that Boniface Toterebuka Bamwenda, the head of the Electoral Commission at Najjanankumbi had no right to call a delegates conference. This right, the Katonga faction added, is vested only in the chairman of the party, Ambassador Wasswa Birigwa.
However, in a swift turn of events, it emerged that Birigwa’s deputy for the Buganda region, Kibuuka Mukalazi signed the notice calling for the delegates’ conference slated for tomorrow.
This prompted Lukwago who was one of the Katonga faction lawyers to dismiss this notice arguing that it was a forgery. He said that on July 27, the day when Mukalazi apparently signed the notice, he was in a Nairobi hospital receiving treatment. Lukwago said if the court were to admit this notice as permissible, it would have perpetuated an illegality.
Speaking to journalists after the court hearing, Birigwa said, Mukalazi can’t claim to be working on his behalf because he was present and never gave him the power to do so. He said even if the court were to allow tomorrow’s delegates’ conference, the new leaders that will be elected from this gathering would be nothing but fraudsters.
Lukwago said that what has transpired in court has shown the extent to which Nandala and his cohorts are willing to go to take FDC from its owners. Lukwago noted that no matter how the court determines the matter, it will not affect how FDC supporters fight for their party.
Salam Musumba, the FDC vice chairperson for Eastern Uganda, said that she was stunned by the level of treachery by some of the people she has worked with for years. She wondered how Kibuuka Mukalazi could purport to be calling a meeting without first talking to any of his colleagues.
Justice Musa Ssekaana has promised to issue his ruling ahead of the said delegates’ conference.