A group of youths stormed the Forum for Democratic Change-FDC party offices in Kasese District on Tuesday, contesting the withdrawal of nomination forms issued to Busongora South MP Mbaju Jackson Kathika.
The youth accused the commission and FDC area leaders of plotting to block their representative from contesting as the official candidate of the party. This commission withdrew the nomination forms last week accusing Kathika of impersonation.
The MP had allegedly presented that he had been cleared by the FDC National FDC to participate in party primaries. But the District FDC chairperson Saulo Maate said that there was no proof that the candidate that been cleared by the head office. The FDC has previously blocked the nomination of MPs from Teso who had earlier signalled a move to the Alliance for National Transformation-ANT, a relatively new political party championed by Maj Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntu.
The youth ganged up at Saulo Maate accusing him of taking over the responsibilities of the Electoral Commission to frustrate the MP’s political career. One of the youths, Johnson Maate said they were surprised that the party chairperson was trying to block a candidate who has stood to build the party.
Mbumbi Muhindi, another youth argued that they came to the office to ensure that their candidate was fully declared a candidate by close of the exercise on Tuesday. “We need clarity why he (Mbaju) was been denied declaration by the person who isn’t part of the party EC,” Muhindo said.
The situation was later saved by Ernest Musoke the the Kasese FDC party acting Secretary-General who presented a declaration letter at the closing hour of the exercise indicated that the commission had clearly the MP. Musoke also dismissed allegations that the party head office had stopped the MP from aspiring under the party flag.
The MP confirmed that he had been nominated and declared as a candidate by the party on the eleventh hour. However, he says, the precedent might divide the party supporters in the district.
Meanwhile, Kasese Municipality MP Robert Centenary didn’t pick the party nomination forms while Winnie Kiiza the district woman representative announced her retirement from active politics. The two have been some of the strongest pillars of FDC at both the district and national level.
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