Many people seeing the fast disintegration of Uganda’s biggest political party, the Forum for Democratic Change, are quick to point out to the fast rising star of Robert Kyagulanyi’s People Power as a wave sweeping the political storm in the country. Others blame Kizza Besigye’s large persona on the opposition frontline.
Even if these too could be factors, there is however, another if you dig deeper, of a man pulling the strings in this music. It is a man who for sometime has been eyeing the topmost position of FDC.
For sometime, Budadiri West lawmaker, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, has seen himself as a natural replacement for Besigye, given his abrasive, militant politics. However, time has flown, and the ship has left the deck, showing Bobi Wine has taken off the high seas.
Despite the fact the tide is against him, one can conclude you cannot rule out the chaos in FDC without mentioning Nandala’s name, and seeing his finger somewhere.
In trying to build his political base in FDC, Mr Nandala Mafabi, has fought anyone who he has seen as an obstacle, directly or using proxies.
Mafabi has always desired a political vehicle to drive his political ambitions. When he lost the FDC presidency to General Mugisha Muntu, Mafabi toyed with the idea of forming his own Farmers’ party. When it failed to take off, he quietly returned to FDC. No one locked him out. Mugisha Muntu opened the door for him. It is therefore surprising that the same person is accusing others of hobnobbing with other parties and not showing commitment to the FDC.
Nandala’s return to FDC however saw a new formation in the party. Instead of joining forces, he decided to make Muntu’s FDC ungovernable, by creating discontent, and created parallel groups in the party.
For him to rise his fortunes in the party, Mafabi saw an opportunity to keep inside but play the devil’s advocate. His opus operandi worked well on Muntu who was not unconfrontational.
Mafabi also knew there was no love lost between Kizza Besigye and Muntu and he exploited the differences by portraying himself as Besigye’s blue-eyed boy, a role he abandoned when he took over as Secretary General.
Mafabi, portrayed himself as pro-Besigye and oiled the machinery that continued to soil Muntu as Museveni’s spy in FDC, which undermined the former army commander in the eyes of ordinary supporters.
When Nandala group propped up Patrick Oboi Amuriat to contest against Muntu. And won, Nandala was triumphant. He engineered changes in FDC members roles in Parliament, including, throwing up in revenge, Winnie Kiiza who had proved an efficient Leader of Opposition.
The defeat of Muntu made him and his supporters uncomfortable in the party, because it undermined their political futures. They finally formed their own party, The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).
Alice Alaso who is a former secretary general of FDC, quit, and became the de facto head of the ANT secretariat. And reports that several MPs would follow suit was only a matter of time, since they didn’t want to cause byelections in their constituencies.
Finally, we have seen the deputy spokesman of FDC, Paul Mweri (Jinja West) going home, and Gerald Karuhanga (Ntungamo municipality).
Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri), Winnie Kiiza (Kasese woman) is said to be headed to run Muntu’s campaign. Among others.
Surprisingly, as secretary general of the party, Nandala is less bothered. He seems to be in a jubilant mood, seeing every contender running out of the room.
Many people believe he would be preoccupied with wanting to return his troops in order. No, he is still chasing more as witnessed in his outburst with Kampala Woman MP Nabillah Naggayi Ssempala. He doesn’t mind that all strong politicians in his party “went and died”.
In short, did Nandala return to FDC to finish it off? Why is he angry with some people in the party?
The reason comes down to revenge. Nandala has not healed from the bruising defeat by former FDC president Mugisha Muntu.
And the aftermath of the defeat saw him replaced as Leader of Opposition in Parliament. His supporters then said Muntu was being vindictive towards a man who challenged him for the party presidency in 2012. Muntu picked Wafula Oguttu, from Nandala’s camp and elevated him to LoP. Mafabi was still unhappy, threw tantrums, and even got his supporter, Mr Polly Mugoya, the FDC chairperson for Sironko district where Mafabi hails from, to announce the formation of the Farmers Development Party, a platform they said will be used “to advocate their issues and concerns… For justice, hard work, equality and liberty”.
Whereas Nandala Mafabi, has in the past portrayed himself as a man who turns things around, it looks like the tide in FDC has left him naked.
As we speak, there is no one left in the party to talk back to Nandala, let alone, take interest in the presidential aspirant position. Hopefully, Mafabi will now come out of his shelf and declare his interest in the FDC presidency. And certainly, by the time he comes out, there will be none, not even his “president” Amuriat will have balls to contest against him.
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