FDC’s Amuriat Faction Seeks Police Protection ahead of Lugogo Delegates Conference

Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Patrick Amuriat Oboi. PHOTO/FILE
EMMANUEL ABENAWE
4 Min Read

Kampala, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | The Najjanankumbi faction of the FDC, led by Patrick Amuriat Oboi and Nathan Nandala Mafabi, has formally requested police protection ahead of the Lugogo Delegates Conference this upcoming Friday.

Their request is a precautionary measure aimed at preventing potential threats to the Najjanankumbi party headquarters posed by the Katonga faction, which is led by interim party president Ssalongo Erias Lukwago and Rtd Col. Dr. Kiiza Besiggye.

The Amuriat faction claims to have intelligence suggesting that the Katonga faction may have intentions to take control of the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi while they are gathered at Lugogo for the delegates conference.

Interestingly, the timing of this request aligns with the Katonga faction’s declared intent to reclaim the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi on the same day, coinciding with the gathering of Amuriat’s supporters at Lugogo to select new party leaders.

On Monday, Hajj Salongo Erias Lukwago launched a campaign called “Tujja,” which some interpret as a signal that they may seek to take over the Najjanankumbi offices by the end of the conference, potentially making them inaccessible.

However, Robert Centenary, the spokesperson for the Najjanankumbi faction, affirmed their awareness of the tactics being employed by their colleagues and emphasized their readiness to protect the party headquarters with the assistance of additional police protection.

Centenary stated, “We are prepared for any eventuality. Initially, they claimed to have frozen access to our party bank accounts, but they have not provided us with the banks’ responses. Engaging in a confrontation with us is not advisable. I urge them to abandon their unlawful plans and engage in negotiations with us.”

The FDC conference, scheduled for Friday and convened by Bonefance Toterebuka Bamwenda, will determine the top party leaders, including the National Executive Committee (NEC).

Invitations have been extended to district chairpersons, district secretary-generals, district secretaries for publicity and mobilization, district women league chairpersons, and district youth secretaries. At the constituency level, voters are invited, including the chairperson and general secretary, with one of them required to be female. Accreditation for these attendees is set for Thursday, October 5th, 2023.

The conference will be held at the Patidar Samaj Sports Ground in Lugogo, Kampala, with election observers being accredited at the Najjanankumbi party headquarters on Thursday. These observers were selected from 123 districts that actively participated in the party structure elections.

During a press conference at Najjanankumbi on Monday, Toterebuka Bamwenda derisively dismissed the Katonga faction led by Kampala Lord Mayor and FDC Deputy President for Buganda region, Erias Lukwago, who had taken him to court.

He stated, “I have never seen any sermonizer summoned to court over any allegations, but I am willing to appear if it becomes necessary. I was entrusted to act on behalf of the party to oversee elections for new party leaders.”

Last Monday, national leaders of the FDC party, along with members of the NEC from the Katonga faction, brought Toterebuka Bamwenda to the High Court in a civil suit challenging his conduct as Chief Electoral Commissioner of the party. They argued that he had not been duly elected or appointed by the national delegates conference as stipulated in the party constitution.

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