Secrets of ‘dirty money’ in FDC elders’ report leave Besigye-Mafabi faction apart

Following the release of the highly anticipated elders’ report that was seeking to heal the hearts of the warring factions in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), supporters of Dr Col Kiiza Besigye’s faction as the founding father were left on an opposite shore from that of FDC secretary general Nathan Nandala Mafabi and party president Patrick Amuriat Oboi.

The elders’ committee that produced the report comprised of chairperson Dr Frank Nabwiso, Charles Makaru (who unfortunately did not attend any meeting), Joe Emusu Ediegu, Tiko Martha Ondoga, Robinson Kasozi, Mukalazi Kibuka and Stanely Tugume Katembeya who later resigned with his minority report rejected.

The political rift, which seemed light to an ordinary FDC supporter, could not be resolved by internal meetings held in different locations of the country ever since Besigye’s clear position to stop contesting as the party presidential flag bearer for 2021 in 2018.

In a special national council meeting that was conducted by the party chairperson Ambassador Wasswa Birigwa and FDC district chairpersons, the elders found out that money from hostile sources was a sensitive issue and responsible for the dispute between Besigye and Mafabi.

The elders committee chairperson Frank Nabwiso holding final report that was discussed during the national council on Friday. (Photo by Isaac Nuwagaba).

Besigye appears to the elders’ committee

While Besigye appeared before the elders on June 6, 2023, he was asked to explain the root-cause of the disagreement between him and Mafabi, but he stated that he met Nandala in 2001 and that he had never had any personal disagreement with him.

“Money released from the Bank of Uganda is dispatched to three entities, the commercial banks, security agencies and State House. I took initiative to find out and the serial numbers which I recorded on the new notes Nandala brought at home pointed to the State House,” Besigye told the elders.

What caused the disagreement stemmed from the fact that Mafabi asked Besigye to keep for him money which was to a tune of shillings 500 million, but later, only shillings 300 million was delivered to him.

“Around the same period within which I received money from Mafabi, a staunch member visited me and reminded me of how we had suffered together, and how many FDC members were becoming desperate,” he added.

"What could be done about the matter?" Besigye said.

“I advise you to cause a formal agreement with the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to establish a Government of National Unity,” FDC colleague allegedly said.

"I asked the colleague whether he was advocating for terms of surrender and he answered in the affirmative adding that the colleague also told him that there were already some contacts with President Yoweri Museveni, but he requested me to keep the information confidential," Besigye added.

Amuriat speaks out on ‘dirty money’

In a report of elders presented, Oboi confirmed that information state minister Nabosa Ssebugwawo, a former FDC vice-president, chaired the national executive council meeting where a resolution was passed to borrow money.

“In that same meeting, she led by example by donating shillings 20 million further revealing that Mafabi took the initiative of mobilising money and gave some of it to him in three instalments of shillings 150 million, shillings 100 million and shillings 30 million,” he said.

Oboi, however, reiterated that no money came from State House although there has been a practice that some of the sources of funding be kept secret.

On efforts to reconcile Besigye and Nandala, Oboi said several meetings were convened at Busabala at the home of Birigwa, but they failed to reconcile adding that Besigye refused to tell them about the purported informer from State House.

Oboi also stated that he never constituted a campaign bureau, which should have given the campaign accountability, because the party was in a poor financial state and that a decision was taken to use the party staff instead of a separate campaign bureau, which would have mobilised money in a transparent manner.

The real amount of money dispatched was sh500m not sh7b, says Nandala

On the other hand, Mafabi, while appearing before the elders, denied that he received any money from State House contending that towards the 2021 general elections, the party was in a financial crisis and it needed close to shillings 2.7 billion.

“Excluding the cost for printing posters and financing candidates, the national executive committee authorised me to borrow funds to run the party activities during that period,” Nandala said.

In the process of looking for the money we approached Besigye to help us raise the money, but he instead asked us to prepare the budget, which we did but he never got back to us, he disclosed it to the elders.

The account of Nandala on the stated money is in consonance with the submission of treasurer general Geoffrey Ekanya, deputy treasurer general Wilberforce Kyambadde, former FDC treasurer general Jack Sabiiti, chief administrative officer Pauline Namyanzi and party chairperson Amb. Wasswa Birigwa.

Nandala also disclosed to the elders that the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) had always garnished his accounts during the periods of elections compelling him to withdraw all the money from the FDC accounts to homes of senior party leaders.

“That is how I gave out shillings 300 million to Besigye that he willingly accepted before paying it back at his former Nsambya petrol station in three instalments,” Nandala added.

"On January 14, 2021, shillings 120 million, shillings 80 million was paid back to Namyanzi on the same day. On January 15, 2023, also shillings 23.6 million was also paid by Besigye to the party making the whole total to shillings 223.6m," he said.

The report, however, does not show the source of the other monies to make it a total of shillings seven billion that was allegedly given to the duo by secret sources.

To that effect, the report showed that Nandala withdrew shillings 500 million from his personal bank account at Kyambogo Stanbic Bank disclosing that he has been the party financier and the source of loan money which the party was using.

Nandala explains source of new campaign vehicles

In a report that was presented, Nandala shows that vehicle UBF 042E – Land Cruiser was bought on May 6, 2019 and registered in the names of the party.

“The two pickups that are UBH 236Z, UBH 410Z Hard Body and Toyota HIACE UBH 762V Model 2012 were bought on loan agreements and registered in the names of the party,” he told the elders committee.

Birigwa did not meet elders committee over the matter

Birigwa, however, declined to interface with the committee for reasons connected with FDC’s constitution concerning the responsibilities of the party chairpersons as stated in article 28 of the FDC constitution.

Jack Sabiiti was involved in securing ‘dirty money’ for campaigns

The former Member of Parliament for Rukiga County in Rukiga district Jack Sabiiti alleged that Dr Besigye did not wish FDC well in 2021.

“One day, Besigye asked us why we were insisting on campaigns which would not yield anything!  Thereafter, I confided with the committee members that after being frustrated by Besigye, I advised Mafabi and Amuriat to look for money elsewhere,” he stated in the elders’ report.

Sabiiti made further allegations that some people think FDC is theirs and stressed that the Peoples' Government is an offshoot of FDC yet Besigye wants the entire party to account to him.

Bakandonda trashes Katonga-Najjanankumbi parallel power centres

Wycliff Bakandonda, the former FDC CAO said the cause of animosity between Katonga and Najjanankumbi offices is ‘misplaced talk’ insisting that Katonga is an office for activists, while Najjanankumbi is the headquarters for the party.

“The two were agreed to operate concurrently when Maj. Gen Mugisha Muntu was still the party president and a minute was agreed to that effect. The two are supposed to play complementary roles,” he stated during interrogation by the elders.

Katonga Road offices are currently run by Besigye under the name of party activism strategy whereas Najjanankumbi is gazetted under the FDC constitution as the party headquarters.

"To an ordinary FDC supporter, Katonga has been seen as a Besigye separate entity to undermine powers of Najjanankumbi hierachy, but that is a loose talk," he stated. 

Elders’ committee member Katembeya resigned before the final report

It is important to state that one of the committee members and the FDC western region governor, Stanely Katembeya resigned before the report was published citing irregularities and censorship.

“I made the minority report before the elders’ final report, but it was rejected. The committee was instituted by Oboi and Nandala yet they are the culpable forces running the party currently,” he said.

The committee of elders identified three major issues which have continued to cause disagreements from Besigye and Nandala which include “Dirty money” or money from hostile sources, management of the 2021 general election and elections versus activism roles in the party.

Dr Frank Nabwiso speaks out on the report

Elders' committee chairperson Nabwiso said they received maximum co-operation from all the people they invited to appear before them and FDC staff at Najjanankumbi who took care of us during our deliberations.  

"We were particularly honoured to have a joint interface with Kizza Besigye (the founding FDC Party President), Patrick Oboi Amuriat, Nathan James Nandala Mafabi and Hon. Geoffrey Ekanya before we reached our conclusion," he said.

I am hopeful that this report shall be the final to help us strike reconciliation and a compromise to take Uganda forward, he said.

Besigye or Nandala, who campaigned for Amuriat in the 2021 general elections?

Nandala and Oboi have been accusing Besigye of not supporting Amuriat in the 2021 elections. In the meeting on Friday, they said that Besigye's preferred candidate was Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, the party president for National Unity Platform (NUP).

They said since 2001, Besigye has been getting votes from their regions and districts because of their promotion.

Katembeya said in 2016, Besigye got 49.58% in Soroko district where Nandala comes from and that in 2021, Amuriat got 10.43% in Sironko district where Nandala comes from and Bobi Wine on the other hand got 35.29%.

“Assuming that Nandala indeed is the reason why people voted Besigye in his district in 2016, why didn't he convince the same people to vote for Oboi, the FDC presidential flag-bearer in 2021?” he asked.

Why did 35.29% of the people of Sironko vote Bobi Wine whom Nandala hated and not Amuriat whom he loved so much yet he's the one who commands them on which Opposition candidate to vote?

Rukungiri FDC district chairperson Virginia Kyarugahe stated in a heated meeting that in 2021, Oboi got 16.8% in Rukungiri, 6% more than he got in Sironko district Nandala’s strong hold whereas Bobi Wine whom the Nandala's claim Besigye campaigned for got 6% in the district which makes 30% less than what he got in Sironko.

“So, according to the statistics, who exactly was responsible for Besigye's 2016 votes and who campaigned for Oboi more?” she said.

“Why did Oboi get more votes in Rukungiri in 2021 than in Soronko district yet Nandala was there to campaign? You need to desist from tribalistic sentiments in these matters that matter to Ugandans," she said.