The Inspector General of Police Martins Okoth Ochola has blocked the former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye and his accomplice’s delegate’s conference which was scheduled to take place in Busabala later this month.
Police’s decision follows the ongoing fights within the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party. Besigye accuses the party president Patrick Amuriat and the Secretary General Nandala Mafabi of soliciting money from the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to finance his campaigns.
On Monday, Boniface Bamwenda Tuterebuka, chairperson of the FDC Electoral commission who is also part of Amuriat’s group said at least 30 people have picked nomination forms ahead of the October 6, 2023 delegates’ conference. The conference is scheduled to happen at UMA show grounds, Lugogo in Kampala.
Conversing, Wasswa Birigwa, the Chairman of the party is organizing a separate extraordinary delegate’s conference. Birigwa’s event set for the September 19, faces funding challenges.
Eagle online learnt that on Monday Besigye’s faction petitioned police asking for provision of security however police equally received a communication from Mafabi denying any knowledge about such a meeting and complaining that if it were to take place, it would be in direct contravention of the party constitution and an illegality.
In his communication Mafabi claimed that if Besigye and the faction’s delegates conference goes on, it will cause confusion and chaos among the population.
“You are advised to reconcile the party position or seek resolution from the courts of law to avoid likely open conflict and possible clashes,” Ochola said in a letter signed by John Nuwagira.
He said police will not be ready to provide the required security for the event until party position is harmonized.