Besigye looks to drum up support in Acholi, Bunyoro

“Right from the time these factions developed, we started to consult ourselves. We have held several meetings right from the villages to constituencies and eventually the district-level constituencies and eventually the district-level conference in which we made several recommendations and resolutions. Key among them has been that there ought to be reconciliation between the Katonga faction and Najjanankumbi faction,” said Mr Roland Bwambale  Kabuku, the chairperson of FDC in Kasese District. 

Another FDC leader in Kasese intimated that while they want talks to happen between the factions, they should be aimed at seeing the Najjanankumbi faction giving way to the Katonga faction. 

“We have sacrificed a lot for this party and we love it very much. My prayer is that let us resolve the differences amicably because an alternative would weaken the party,” Mr John Siriwayo, an FDC member in Kasese Municipality, said, adding, “However, if the people at Najjanankumbi aren’t willing to listen, then we look for other possible means to eject them from the party headquarters.”  

So far, in Kasese, Ms Florence Kabugho, the district’s woman representative in Parliament, chose to stay put at Najjanankumbi. Elsewhere, Mr Atkins Katusabe, the Bukonzo West MP,  has allied with the Katonga faction in seeking a new political party.  

Betrayal

In Lango Sub-region, Dr Besigye insisted that the Najjanankumbi faction had betrayed the   “struggle” when they allegedly met President Museveni in secret, whom they had claimed they wanted to uproot. 

“Later on, only to learn they (Najjanankumbi faction) had actually met with Museveni. These were our leaders. You see if Dr Ekwaro [Obuku] says he has had enough of the struggle and wants to meet Museveni, that’s his personal decision,” Dr Besigye said, adding, “Yes, it might affect those who supported him, but that’s his decision.”

He noted during a talk show on Voice of Lango: “When you are entrusted with the office you are serving under the trust of many people who have put their destiny in your hands.  So, if you do that, you aren’t only betraying the discussion you had with Besigye; you are betraying the whole of the people who put their trust in you. And this is why we have this big problem—if we had individuals who felt like that, we wouldn’t be having this discussion at all.”

Although there is a narrative that there could be a reconciliation between the two factions, Dr Besigye appeared to rule out that possibility. 

“As I told you, we had discussions for two years, but since then I haven’t considered it worthwhile,” Dr Besigye said. 

Najjanankumbi response

In response to the Katonga faction’s whistle-stop tours across the country, the Najjanankumbi faction has asked the party’s members to pick forms showing interest in the elective positions for the 2026 General Election.

Although Uganda is still years away from the general election, in January, the Najjanankumbi faction out-of-the-blue announced that it was about time those interested in tickets picked forms. 

“We want to prepare as early as possible so that we can identify potential candidates as early as now. Those who are interested in the FDC ticket can show their interest now. We don’t want to reach a certain level and begin panicking. We should have candidates early enough,” said Mr Toterebuka  Bamwenda, the electoral boss for the Najjanankumbi faction. 

Although that’s the official position, sources say Najjanankumbi made a move to establish who is with them and who is not.

“Most of the current FDC MPs picked the forms and others are civil servants whose names we can’t disclose,” a source within the Najjanankumbi faction, who preferred anonymity, told Saturday Monitor. 

This account was confirmed by Mr Walid Mulindwa-Lubega, the Najjanankumbi faction’s deputy secretary general. 

“We wanted to know where we stand. We wanted to know those who have gone with the Katonga group and those who have stayed with us.  We know where we have to improve and where we are strong,” Mr Mulindwa-Lubega said. 

Who’s in, who’s out?

According to sources close to Najjanankumbi, Teso FDC lawmakers such as  Anna Ebaju Adeke (Soroti District Woman), Stella Isodo Apolot  (Ngora District Woman) and Joan Acom Alobo (Soroti City District Woman) have picked forms. 

Of particular interest has been Ms Adeke, who has gone quiet ever since the split happened last year. The Katonga faction had counted on Ms Adeke, who deems Dr Besigye as her mentor, to be its lynchpin in Teso Sub-region.   

Before the split, Ms Adeke had become the youngest person in FDC history to become party deputy president. Her meteoric rise, party leaders say, embodied the vision of grooming leaders right from the grassroots.   

“We are moving away from the old norms to the new normal. In FDC, we believe in cardre-ship training. That’s why the honourable Anna [Adeke] has risen through the ranks at the university. She was identified by the party and was fielded by the party as guild president thereafter she went to contest as the national youth female youth MP and from there, we supported her instead of Angelline Osegge in Soroti. So, it hasn’t been by accident for her to be appointed,” said Walid Mulindwa-Lubega, the deputy secretary for publicity, publications and documentation.

He added: “We had to deploy whatever we had to make her in her constituency. Even after winning, we felt she was up to the task and that’s why we entrusted her to lead the party.”

After the split, Mr Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the Kira Municipality lawmaker, led the way in making clear that he wouldn’t stand on the FDC ticket.

“ …. That  FDC that was forcefully taken over by Museveni has now been given the recognition that the [Nathan] Nandala [Mafabi] and [Patrick] Amuriat [Oboi] group need; us the legitimate leaders we can only reverse that by going to the Judiciary,” he said back then, adding, “When we appeared there, before [Musa] Ssekaana, he almost insulted us; so, I don’t want to fight a losing war when I’m aware that it’s a losing war. I don’t want to spend the rest of my political career fighting to rescue the FDC; I want to spend the rest of my time fighting to rescue Uganda.”

Adeke casts dice

While Teso MPs, including Alobo, Apolot and former Soroti East MP Moses Attan have unequivocally indicated their support for the Najjanankumbi faction, Ms Adeke tried to forge neutrality as she never appeared at any of the delegates’ conferences organised by either faction. This prompted the Najjanankumbi faction to drop her as its deputy president-in-charge of eastern Uganda, a position they gave to Ms Margret Wokuli Madanda—an ally of Najjanankumbi’s secretary general, Mr Mafabi.    

Sources close to Ms Adeke say she thought there would be reconciliation, but once this failed she decided to side with the Najjanankumbi faction. She did this, we are told, on the account that if she chose Katonga, it might be seen in Teso as a betrayal of its son of the soil, Mr Amuriat, who heads the Najjanankumbi faction.

“She decided to pick forms from Najjanankumbi because she felt she wouldn’t win the elections if she went against Amuriat, although many in Katonga have been counting on her. However, the reality is she decided to save her political career by sticking with Amuriat,” a source within the Katonga faction said on condition of anonymity.

Mr Mulindwa-Lubega indeed confirmed that Ms Adeke had picked forms at Najjanakumbi, although she is now just an ordinary member. 

“She is part of the team. We are now working with her and she picked the forms indicating that she will stand again on the FDC ticket in Soroti,” Mr Mulindwa-Lubega said.

Katonga faction hopeful

Ms Adeke’s decision to stick with Najjanakumbi has left Katonga weakened in its efforts to galvanise support in the Teso Sub-region, which along with Kasese and parts of Bugisu Sub-region, are bastions for the FDC party.

“We aren’t sure about Anna’s support, but for us, we aren’t after leaders. We are after the people and we are sure we have the support of the people,” said Mr George Ekwaro, one of the pro-Katonga activists, who has been traversing the country with Dr Besigye.  

In Acholi Sub-region, the Katonga faction has been boosted by the support of the former leader of the Opposition Betty Aol Ochan (Gulu City Woman) and Denis Onekalit Amere (Kitgum Municipality).  “We have confidence that people in Acholi will support the new formation since they have been backing Dr Besigye for a long time,” a source within the Katonga faction said. 

Another area where Katonga faction feels it has an edge over Najjanankumbi is the Bunyoro Sub-region where efforts have been made by Asinasi Nyakato, the Hoima City Woman MP. 

“The people have been turning up in big numbers to welcome Dr Besigye.  Not even the heavy deployment could intimidate or shake the spirit of the people of Bunyoro,” Ms Nyakato, who is now the Katonga faction’s secretary for mobilisation, said.

What they say...

Dr Kizza Besigye

When you are entrusted with the office you are serving under the trust of many people who have put their destiny in your hands.’’

Mr George Ekwaro, pro-Katonga activist.

“We aren’t sure about Anna’s support, but for us we aren’t after leaders. We are after the people and we are sure we have the support of the people.”

Asinasi Nyakato, Katonga faction’s secretary for mobilisation.

“The people have been turning up in big numbers to welcome Dr Besigye. Not even the heavy deployment could intimidate or shake the spirit of the people of Bunyoro.”

Mr Walid Mulindwa-Lubega, Najjanankumbi faction’s deputy Secretary General.

We want to know where we stand. We wanted to know those who have gone with the Katonga group and those who have stayed.’’