Mao suspends party publicist for supporting youth elections

Kampala

Democratic Party president Norbert Mao has suspended the party spokesperson, Mr Kenneth Paul Kakande, for opposing the party position on the youth elections slated for tomorrow.

Addressing the party weekly press briefing in Kampala yesterday, Mr Mao said another party spokesperson would be announced soon. “He (Kakande) cannot continue being the party spokesperson when he is opposing decisions of the party,” he said

Mr Kakande supports the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) faction that organised the two-day youth national delegates’ conference which starts today at Mandela National Stadium , which Mr Mao and the party secretary general, Mr Mathias Nsubuga, cancelled on grounds that the organisers faulted normal procedures to hold such elections . Mr Kakande, who has been in acting capacity for close to two years, replaced Mr Emmanuel Lutukumoi who defected to the ruling NRM.

Kakande remains defiant
When contacted, Mr Kakande scoffed at Mao, saying he had no powers to suspend him. “Mr Mao is not the right person to discipline or punish any member who misbehaves in the party because I was elected by the delegates’ conference not him,” Mr Kakande said.

In a telephone interview with this newspaper on Monday, Mr Mao warned that if UYD leaders continue to disparage his leadership, he would be forced to convince the Norwegian Labour Youth Organisation to suspend funding their activities. “We are in touch with the funders and if the Kakandes don’t change heart, we shall be compelled to ask them (the Norwegians) to stop giving them money,” Mr Mao said.

The party president said although UYD is semi- autonomous, its executive has to respect decisions taken by the party. “Being semi-autonomous doesn’t mean they are independent. It is like saying a Mothers Union in church which is semi-autonomous can change leadership without informing the church. How can you organise elections without informing the party president?” He said.

DP, the country’s oldest party, has lived a fighting life, battling with both internal and external challenges. But Mao said the party’s national executive committee is expected to reconvene later this month to devise ways of resolving the current crisis.

On Monday, Mr Mao attacked former FDC leader Kizza Besigye and the 4GC pressure group, who he accused of fueling divisions in UYD by offering money to one of the factions led by Ms Brenda Nabukenya.

The UYD has not held elections for almost a decade due to internal bickering in the party.
Mr Sulaiman Kidandala, the outgoing UYD organising secretary, said all was set for the conference and more than 300 delegates had confirmed attendance.

Kidandala’s take
“They (DP leaders) are saying we are above age and don’t want to leave office but they are the same people blocking the elections. What do they want us do?” he said. Anti-riot police kept monitoring DP offices to avoid any possible bloody scuffle. This followed reports that Mr Kakande and a group of UYD members supporting the elections were planning storm the offices.

A source in UYD intimated to this newspaper that after getting new UYD leaders, the next step will be pushing for the national delegates’ conference to change party leadership.

[email protected]