Kezaala resigns DP role to pave way for ambassadorship

Muhammed Baswari Kezaala has resigned as chairman of the Democratic Party (DP) following his recent appointment by President Yoweri Museveni, as a deputy ambassador.

In a letter dated January 30, 2017, addressed to the DP deputy secretary general, Gerald Siranda, Kezaala noted that his proposed posting in the diplomatic service of Uganda requires one to serve in a Ugandan mission outside the country.

"I have not yet been officially communicated to, but since last Friday's pronouncement of ambassadorial proposals, the subject matter has raised a lot of anxiety in the DP and as a result I would wish to state as follows;

This being a civil service job which naturally should not require partisanship and for the fact that I may not be available, I will be unable to serve our party in the capacity of national chairman.

Accordingly, allow me to tender in my resignation from the position of national chairman with immediate effect," he wrote.

The two page letter was copied to the DP president and national vice chairman.

Kezaala who previously served as mayor of Jinja Municipality from 2006, lost the 2016 elections to National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Majid Batambuze.