DP plans Greater Luweero mobilisation to beat NRM

Luweero- A section of senior members of Democratic Party (DP) coalition bloc have started mobilising residents in the Greater Luweero as part of their strategy to kick out the ruling NRM party from power.

Dr Abed Bwanika, a former presidential candidate, said they are planning to organise a reunion at Kasana playgrounds in Luweero Town Council on August 8 targeting more than 60,000 participants.

He was speaking at the launch of the DP reunion mobilisation committee in Luweero Town Council last week.

Dr Bwanika said despite Luweero being the epicentre of the five-year guerrilla war that ushered President Museveni’s government into power in 1986, the area has a traceable DP history which needs to be re-awakened through a robust mobilisation strategy.

“The NRM regime claims that Luweero is their political ‘Mecca’ but there is nothing to show more than 30 years after capturing power. Our mobilisation for the greater Luweero DP re-union is to rally the youthful population to do dislodge the NRM regime from power. Luweero, Nakaseke, Nakasongola and Kayunga Districts should champion the exit of the NRM party from power,” Dr Bwanika said.

The reunion is expected to draw members from across the political divide, including Forum for Democratic Change, Uganda Peoples Congress, Justice Forum, Conservative Party, Social Democratic Party, Alliance for National Transformation and People Power pressure group.
Mr Samuel Lubega, one of the founder members of the Uganda Young Democrats, said the reunion would show that NRM does not have deep roots in Luweero.

“We believe that the re-union will be a springboard the DP to re-assert its presence in an area that has not changed much in terms of development despite the NRM party declaration that Luweero is their cradle land. The NRM will have to find their position after the re-union,” he said.
DP has previously held reunions at Makerere University, Mukono, Gulu and Masaka districts. More are expected to be organised in Mbarara, Arua, Lira and Kasese.

Mr Erasto Kibirango, the DP district chairperson, said they have a chance to rejuvenate and take up leadership positions at different levels.

“We are talking about a re-union which means that the Democratic Party is not among the young political parties but a party with traceable background. Many of the founding fathers of the democratic systems in Uganda, including Ignatius Musaazi were from Luweero. We have records to show that DP has its roots in the Luweero area,” Mr Kibirango said.

Mr Moses Ntege, 68, a resident of Bamunanika Sub-county and a DP supporter called for a clear strategy aimed at making the party stronger through mass recruitment and not political rallies which he said will be dispersed by police.

“I remain a strong member of DP but I doubt some of the strategies and policies that our bosses are applying to revive the party which has lost support. including its former glory in the Luweero area,” he said.
“Today, we have failed to rally support for our own even at the grassroots elections. I urge our leaders to come up with vibrant strategies to rejuvenate the moral of the supporters who have now joined other political parties while many do not want to associate with the DP party,” Mr Ntege said.

However, NRM supporters and leaders scoffed at the mobilisation strategy, describing it as a misplaced venture bound to fail.

“NRM remains firm on ground after capturing from the Opposition some of the political offices that had fallen back to the Opposition, including that of the district Woman MP and that of the Luweero Town Council chairperson,” Mr Rogers Mulindwa, the NRM communications officer, said.
He said individuals such as Dr Bwanika are political failures who want to capture public attention.

“Uganda is moving forward but Dr Bwanika and group want to hoodwink people in Luweero that the situation is like it was 40 years ago which is not true. The NRM is growing stronger in Luweero, which possibly explains why the Opposition is not existing across the entire greater Luweero region,” Mr Mulindwa said.

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