Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) President Patrick Oboi Amuriat has lashed out at former FDC vice president Salaamu Musumba and accused her of hypocrisy and bitterness over his receipt of an international democracy award on behalf of the incarcerated Dr. Kizza Besigye.
Amuriat said Musumba, who left FDC, had no moral standing to criticize him for receiving the Nana Akufo African Democracy Award, which was bestowed upon Dr. Besigye by former Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the Democracy Union of Africa (DUA) Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.
“Hon. Salaamu Musumba has shamelessly always attended DUA activities across Africa and IDU events in Washington, DC as an FDC invitee even after she abandoned FDC. We have restrained ourselves from exposing her, but she has abused the goodwill given to her by attacking our leaders,” Amuriat stated.
Amuriat clarified that he did not seek the honor of receiving the award, emphasizing that DUA officials chose him as the most senior FDC member present at the event.
“I did not solicit to receive this particular award, but was chosen to do so. I believe it was because I was the most senior leader from FDC in attendance, and therefore had no reason to turn down the request of the DUA board,” Amuriat said.
He added that his participation was purely in honor of Dr. Besigye’s contribution to democracy and human rights, not for personal or political gain.
“I was not seeking to earn any political capital in accepting the award on behalf of Dr. Besigye. I also do not believe there was any political capital to gain from accepting this award,” he said.
Amuriat also dismissed suggestions of animosity between him and Dr. Besigye, insisting that their relationship remains grounded in mutual respect despite past political differences.
“I have worked very closely with Dr. Besigye for over 20 years, including coordinating his field activities during the 2016 presidential elections,” he said.
He added, “We once lay beside each other on a bare floor at Nagalama Police Station for 13 days while waiting to be charged with suspected murder.”
He explained that his recent absence from visiting Dr. Besigye in prison was not due to personal hostility but to avoid escalating tensions caused by individuals spreading malicious propaganda against him.
“My not visiting Dr. Besigye in prison is largely because of the hate campaign the people around him have leveled against me. They have even claimed I could be a danger to him, which is completely wrong. My motivation for staying away has been to maintain peace and not create more trouble for him,” he explained.
Amuriat praised Besigye as the enduring symbol of Uganda’s liberation struggle and condemned attempts to belittle his legacy.
“Without any shade of doubt, Dr. Besigye remains the number one driving force in the bid for the freedom of Ugandans. It is incomprehensible that some individuals would trivialize his decades-long struggle by labeling him as part of an inconsequential political group,” he said.
He revealed that he plans to seek an audience with Dr. Besigye soon to personally deliver the award, which could not be presented to him in prison.
“In the next few days, I will be seeking an audience with Dr. Besigye, if he grants me. Since his award can’t be allowed in prison, I will be handing it to Wafula Oguttu, who has remained level-headed amidst all this political noise,” Amuriat said.
Amuriat reaffirmed that FDC remains Uganda’s only party fully subscribed to the International Democracy Union (IDU), a global alliance of center-right political parties.
“Unless under specific arrangements, anyone from Uganda attending DUA activities does so as a member of FDC or DP. It is also true that FDC is the only party in Uganda that is fully subscribed to the IDU,” he noted.
The award recognized Dr. Kizza Besigye’s outstanding sacrifice in advancing democracy and good governance in Uganda and across Africa.
