As almost all political parties get bedeviled by the cancerous power struggle within their ranks, the malaise has begun showing up in the little-spoken about Uganda Federal Alliance (UFA), with the two warring factions trading accusations and counter-accusations in the countdown to next year’s general elections.
The first faction headed by the party president Charles James Kizito included among other members, the Vice President who also doubles as the Disciplinary Committee Chairperson, Boniface Omiba, and the Secretary General John Mugasira, all of whom are among other issues, accusing their opponents of clinging onto leadership, opening up a parallel office near the party headquarters in Mengo, illegally soliciting money from members, and organising a national delegates conference outside the constitutional arrangement.
On the other hand, the other faction is headed by the National Chairperson, Haji Abdnoor Kitandwe, executive founding member Ibrahim Nsamba, UFA electoral commission chairman Robinson Buyuki, the Deputy President for Buganda Region Ibrahim Batemyetto Tomusange, the Youth Secretary Patrick Muteguya and other members.
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President Kizito’s team is alleged to have offices in his home at Ngandu village in Mukono Municipality claiming they were kicked out of office by the National Chairman’s team, while the National Chairman’s team occupies the official party headquarters along Hamu Mukasa Road in Mengo.
Last Friday, Kizito’s team held a meeting at Mamerito Hotel in Bweyogerere-Namboole to pave way for advancement of the party, where they out-rightly dismissed as unconstitutional, arrangements by their foes to organise a national delegates conference scheduled to be held on 3rd and 4th December at the party headquarters, with the President suspending the EC chairman Robinson Buyuki for a period of three months as his conduct is probed for further action, and directed founder member Ibrahim Nsamba to keep clear of all party business for his alleged criminal activities including physically assault of the Secretary General last month.
Without mentioning names, Kizito said that someone in high government circles is bankrolling the illegal activities by their opponents, and swore, “We are not taking the matter sitting down; we have forwarded it to the party’s legal advisor for appropriate action to be taken against the perpetrators”.
But amidst all this, the team led by Chairman Haji Ibrahim Kitandwe is reacting in no simpler terms, blaming Kizito and his cohorts for attempting to usurp the powers of the party’s governing bodies by conducting party business in corridors of his (President’s) house, like it was a personal business.
Speaking to Kyaggwe TV on phone, Haji Kitandwe who said he was away in Kalungu district on private business, categorized the President’s team as a disorganized and frustrated group of hooligans operating outside the party’s position.
Elaborating, Haji Kitandwe said, “this is a group of financially constrained people who came into office through manipulative methods and are now engaged in frantic efforts of trying to justify their existence, struggling to convince party members that they are worthy of public sympathy”.
Last Monday when Kyaggwe TV team visited the Mengo team at the party’s headquarters, they all brushed off activities by Kizito’s group and blamed them for trying to stifle the party’s national delegates conference because he charged, they realize there is no way they can survive ejection through legally binding elections.
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The Central Region Vice President Batemyetto Tomusange said Kizito is making frantic but fruitless efforts to grab any efforts he perceives as being able to frustrate next month’s delegates conference because, according to Tomusange, Kizito sees no political future beyond the delegates’ conference.
“After Betty Kamya’s departure, Kizito seized the opportunity of the ensuing vacuum and unconstitutionally sat in the highest office; because we didn’t want to set a fresh start characterized by a combat mood, we accommodated his illegality assured in the back of our minds that he would be emitted by subsequent legal means, but he has since then, blocked all attempts of holding a delegates’ conference,” Batemyetto said.
The UFA electoral commission chairman Robinson Buyuki brushed aside whatever transpired at the Namboole meeting and assured party members and sympathizers that come rain, come sunshine, the 3rd – 4th December national delegates’ conference will take place, and added that he is considering dragging Kizito to court for making an illegal suspension declaration on him.
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Buyuki pointed out that the President’s intention is to create an electoral vacuum so as to paralyze the elections coming with the delegates’ conference, which he assumes will extend his lease of life as party leader.
Clarifying further, the EC boss said, “Our efforts are for pushing for and realization of achievement of a federal system of governance for this country and we cannot accept any road blocks; whoever stands in our way will be attempting Ugandans the much cherished type of leadership Ugandans are yearning for”.
The UFA youth Secretary and member of the party EC Patrick Muteguya concurred with his EC boss that preparations for the national delegates’ conference are fully on course and, without mentioning names, disclosed that aspirants for the highest office of the president have already picked forms.
Giving his take, the Chairman of the organising committee of the National Delegates’ Conference Lawrence Ssozi Kikubye backed statements by earlier speakers that they are putting final touches on preparations for the delegates conference, and cautioned that those attempting to frustrate it are only hammering the last nail in their own coffin as far membership to UFA leadership is concerned.
In the face of widening cracks in the party visible even to the naked eye, the Mengo team denied setting up a parallel office, and they aver that what is seen as a parallel office is actually an extension of the old office, and that it is adjoined to the old office on the same floor, same building and under same management.
The Uganda Federal Alliance political party was formed by the current Inspector-General of Government (IGG) Betty Olive Namisango Kamya, after partying ways with Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye’s Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). Kamya later abandoned the UFA party and found solace in the leading National Resistance Movement (NRM).