250 FDC members join NRM

ELECTION WATCH

Over 250 supporters of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party in Nyakishenyi sub-county, Rukungiri district have defected to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. They were received at a ceremony held at Kagyeyo cell in Kahoko parish by Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the NRM vice-chairperson for western Uganda, who is also the state minister for lands.

He said the decision by the former FDC supporters to join the NRM party was the best, following their former party's loss of popularity in national politics. "You will bear me witness that the FDC party has died from the top. If Besigye gave up on politics, what were you doing in a dead system?" Baryomunsi asked.

He hailed Nyakishenyi sub-county voters for their continuous support to the NRM in the past elections and pledged to ensure that the Government takes their concerns as a priority. Baryomunsi said the NRM government and Museveni have created a peaceful environment for development that Ugandans should not take for granted when choosing their next president.

"When you look at the way Uganda was chaotic in the previous regimes and you compare with the peace that the NRM has accorded the citizens, there are all reasons to vote for Museveni again," he said. Baryomunsi, who is also the Kinkiiizi East legislator, warned residents of Nyakishenyi against sectarian politics.

"The Government gives opportunities to all Ugandans, regardless of their background. We, therefore, expect you to vote for candidates based on their ability, not religious or tribal commitments," he said. Njuni Kagonyera, the co-ordinator for NRM's door-to-door campaigns in Nyakishenyi, said the party had embarked on regaining support from those that had left

. "These people were our supporters, but due to the changing political climate, some of them defected to the FDC, but we are now trying to bring them back home," he said. Brian Ainebyoona, who is running for Nyakishenyi sub-county councillor on the NRM ticket, said given their area's support to the party, the Government needs to boost service delivery.

"We need a better road network, our health centres should be upgraded and efforts should be put in place to solve the ever-increasing unemployment levels," he said.

Defectors speak out 

George Byarugaba, one of the defectors, said he left FDC because as a resident of Rukungiri, his support was attached to former party president Dr Kizza Besigye and without him, he "finds it useless to support the party". "Besigye helped many people in Rukungiri.

Now that he is no longer active in politics, our support for FDC no longer exists," he said. Innocent Rwaboona said the party has had several divisions in the district, stemming from the recent primaries, so he could not keep supporting it.

To Elly Tugume, FDC in Rukungiri has missed two big mobilisers on the ballot paper, Kizza Besigye and Rolland Mugume Kaginda and, therefore, its support was bound to reduce.

FDC Rukungiri unpredictable

FDC won in Rukungiri for the first time in the 2016 presidential elections, where Besigye got 58,883 votes, representing 50.40% compared to NRM's Yoweri Museveni, who got 56,425 votes, representing 48.29%. This was the first time Besigye was leading in his home district, where NRM used to enjoy the highest percentage of votes.

Recently, Ingrid Turinawe, the party's former mobilisation secretary, broke ranks with FDC and chose to run as independent for the Rukungiri Municipality MP seat.

Former legislator Winnie Babihuga, who also competed in the FDC party primaries and lost, is running as independent for the Rukungiri district Woman MP seat. She is tussling it out with the party's flag-bearer, Betty Muzanira, who is the incumbent and official party candidate, having won the primaries.

Also running as independent, after having lost in the primaries, is Darius Tweyambe, who is seeking to be mayor of Rukungiri town.

Of the four parliamentary slots in the district, FDC occupies three — Rukungiri Municipality (Roland Mugume), Rujumbura (Fred Turyamuhweza) and Woman MP (Betty Muzanira. They only lost Rubabo County, which in 2016 was won by NRM's Paula Turyahikayo.

Mafabi strikes

Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the FDC secretary-general, recently opened a can of worms when he expelled from the party those who lost the primaries but decided to stand as independents.

The culprits were Babihuga, Tweyambe and Turinawe. In suspending the trio, Mafabi, who is also the Budadiri West MP, cited Article 12(d) of the party's constitution, which stipulates: "If a member joins another party or stands as an independent during an election, ceases to be a member of FDC."