FDC casts doubt on PFF’s future amid wave of defections

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The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has dismissed the newly formed People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) as a fragile party doomed to collapse.

During a press conference held at the party’s headquarters in Najjanankumbi on Monday, July 7, the FDC publicly repudiated the PFF, a party recently rebranded from the Katonga Road faction and now led by veteran opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye.

The move marks another twist in Uganda’s evolving political landscape.

The fallout follows a series of high-profile defections from the FDC to the PFF, with between eight and nine Members of Parliament, including experienced legislators Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda and Betty Aol Ochan, joining the new party.

The departures have deepened existing fractures within the FDC, once the leading opposition political party in Uganda.

FDC spokesperson John Kikonyogo dismissed the new formation, saying it is built on a weak foundation and cannot stand the test of time, despite being led by notable figures.

“Whichever grows quickly, dies so fast,” he said.

“They are building their houses on a sand beach; when the wind blows, they will be slashed,” he added.

Kikonyogo accused some PFF leaders of greed, predicting internal conflicts that could destabilise the party.

“I pray Erias Lukwago becomes president in the new PFF party, to see what it takes to sustain a party,” he said.

“Everyone will soon want to be a president,” he added.

He argued that the FDC was built on a firm foundation by a team of visionary leaders who were genuinely committed to change in Uganda.

The party’s founding members included Dr Kizza Besigye, who had just returned from exile, as its first president; Sulaiman Kiggundu, a prominent figure from Buganda and the Muslim community, as National Chairman; and regional deputies such as Sam Njuba (Buganda), Salaamu Musumba (Eastern Uganda), Ogenga Latigo (Northern Uganda), and Amanya Mushega (Western Uganda).

To ensure gender and regional balance, Alice Alaso from Teso was appointed as the first Secretary-General. Other founding leaders included national vice chairpersons John Butime, Dr Vincent Kimera, and Alex Onzima, alongside deputies and secretaries for key portfolios like administration, research, treasury, legal affairs, foreign affairs, women’s affairs, and publicity.

These leaders were selected, not elected, by the National Council in late 2005 and laid the groundwork for the FDC to emerge as a formidable opposition force.

Kikonyogo credited the founding team for the party’s enduring strength despite recent departures.

“That was the cream that kept the party. Even though the key figures have left, the party remains strong,” he said.

However, some political analysts have argued that the ongoing exodus could signal the FDC’s eventual decline.

“FDC was formed by the cream of Ugandans,” Kikonyogo reiterated.