Dr Kizza Besigye, who has run for president four times, has responded to recent criticisms from Patrick Amuriat, the leader of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). Amuriat had threatened to take legal action against Besigye for using FDC’s party symbols and colours during his tours. However, Besigye has fired back, emphasizing the importance of the opposition focusing on substantive issues rather than getting caught up in symbolic disputes.
Two weeks prior, Dr Kizza Besigye, the founding member of the Forum for Democratic Change, commenced a tour across various regions of the country. Despite his strained relationship with the current FDC leadership, Besigye continued to display the party’s symbols during his travels.
Throughout his journey, he consistently utilized the iconic two-fingered victory salute and prominently featured the FDC’s signature blue colour, emphasizing his continued association with the party’s values and principles, despite any internal disagreements.
However last week, Patrick Amuriat Oboi, stressed to the media that although Dr Besigye is free to participate in political activities across the nation, he must not use the party’s emblems while he is not formally associated with the FDC and has vowed to sue him.
“We are going to take legal actions against this group not because they are running around the country, that’s the right but because they are misusing or abusing the instruments that portray the FDC, they are misusing our flag, our colour, they are abusing our motto, our slogans and going around the country masquerading as the FDC! They are not FDC, in fact, in doing what they are doing they are also violating the FDC’s constitution,” he said.
At a press conference on Monday at Katonga, Dr Besigye publicly mocked Amuriat’s fixation on frivolous issues, asking why the head of a whole political party would take time away from the vital task of freeing Ugandans from the grip of the current regime to participate in what he called “petty children’s fights” over party colours and symbols.
“The struggle is not about these parties, it’s about getting the country out of captivity whether it’s Katonga, Najjanankumbi, DP or NUP, we are all captives. So I can not spend even the blinking of my eye at what Amurait is saying. It’s too inconsequential and I have no time to listen to such things,” he said.
Besigye emphasized that party colour and symbol disputes are insignificant compared to the urgent concerns facing the opposition, which call for a prompt response. “People dying who shouldn’t be dying is a very big problem that needs to be solved, and you’re talking about symbols,” he emphasized. I find it impossible to focus on someone who is still trapped in this way of thinking.”
Besigye stressed the need to bring people together from different political backgrounds—the NUP, the DP, the FDC, and even some members of the NRM—in order to work together to free the nation from its present problems. In closing, he denounced those who merely wanted to attract public notice and reiterated his dedication to sincere efforts for the advancement of the country.
It should be noted that there was a significant financial scandal involving the FDC last year. Allegations surfaced that some key figures within the party, including Secretary General Nandala Mafabi and President Oboi, had received large sums of money from the State House.
Several prominent members of the party, including Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, Kampala’s Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, and Ambassador Wasswa Birigwa, held meetings at Katonga. In these meetings, they accused the party’s leadership of corruption and were very vocal about their concerns. They strongly believed that the current party leadership was tainted by corruption.
The party split deeply as a result of disputes, creating two factions: Katonga, arguably led by Dr Besigye, and Najjanankumbi, officially known as the headquarters of the FDC led by Amuriat.
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