One of Uganda’s legendary political parties, the Democratic Party (DP), is at the verge of collapsing, after being ravaged by internal wrangles that have since seen the party leader Norbert Mao fire stalwarts Medard Lubega Ssegona and Matia Lwanga Bwanika, after developing irreconcilable differences with them.
Mao fell out with Ssegona and Lwanga a few months back and decided to eject them from DP without following the Party’s constitution, something that has since created a standoff between him and them.
This Website has established that following the fallout, Mao has since started spreading notices about their firing by circulating the same on social media and local dailies.
One of the notices that have been reportedly circulated by Mao’s camp, drafted and signed by Gerald Siranda, the Acting Secretary General, about their firing reads thus;
“This is to inform and warn the general public, stakeholders and our esteemed members and supporters that the two persons whose pictures appear above and who are masquerading as National Chairman and Secretary General of Democratic Party respectively have never been elected to those positions.
They are not even members of the National Executive Committee of the Party.
They are therefore not authorized to transact any business in the name of or on behalf of the Democratic Party in those capacities. The Democratic Party disowns and will not take responsibility for any transaction made by them.”
It should be noted that the wrangles between Mao and his adversaries in DP have been raging on for a long time, to the extent that the Uganda police early this year gave him guards so as to ensure his safety and protection.
Police said they had given Mao protection following “intolerable threats” on his life after he announced his plan to extend his leadership.
DP leaders are said to have written to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on February 18, 2020 asking for protection.
It’s alleged that Mao has faced intolerable threats since his announcement to vie for the presidency.
“Since Hon Norbert Mao announced his intention to contest as a candidate in the forthcoming presidential elections, there have been covert and overt threats to his life,” DP’s acting secretary general, Dr Siranda wrote to the IGP.
Shortly thereafter, police spokesperson Fred Enanga confirmed the force had given Mao protection and deployed at his residence.
“We reviewed and assessed his request and decided to provide him guards,” Mr Enanga told this publication.
Siranda had said the threats against Mao are openly expressed on both social and mainstream media.
He cited an incident on February 14, 2020, during DP’s National Executive Committee meeting at the party offices on Balintuma Road, Nakulabye, when they were raided by “a marauding mob” claiming to be disgruntled members of the party. Several party officials were allegedly held hostage for seven hours during the raid
“(There was) a lock down holding the assembled leaders hostage for the entire duration of the siege. They destroyed property and assaulted leaders. The Vice President of the party sustained injuries to the forehead as a result of a projectile hurled at him which narrowly missed his eye,” Siranda said in the letter to the IGP.
Siranda added that the mob tried to assault Mao but failed due to a ring of leaders who protected him.
Nevertheless, the mob reportedly managed to hurl water bottles and pour dirty water on him.
“We can no longer take these threats to the life of our leader for granted. We have provided a measure of security within our means but we believe that this needs to be beefed up. This is therefore to request you to provide security for the protection of our party leader and potential presidential candidate,” Siranda stated, prior to announcing that Ssegona and Bwanika had been relieved of their duties assigned to them by the Party leadership.
By Elitenews