DP supporters fight during Masaka meeting
What you need to know:
- The meeting was organised under the auspices of DP bloc, a coalition of parties and other political groups working together to dislodge President Museveni from power in 2021.
- In the ensuing melee, some party members sustained injuries. The situation calmed down when police intervened and the meeting went on in the afternoon uninterrupted.
- Dr Abed Bwanika, the People’s Development Party (PDP) president, who directly participated in organising the meeting, described the scuffles as regrettable and urged members iron out their differences for the good of the party.
Democratic Party (DP) supporters in Masaka on Wednesday exchanged blows and kicks as the party officials convened a meeting to rejuvenate its lower structures in the area.
Trouble began in the morning hours when youth allied to DP Vice President Fred Mukasa Mbidde attempted to block Masaka Municipality legislator, Mathias Mpuuga’s group from entering the meeting venue, Masaka Social Centre.
The meeting was organised under the auspices of DP bloc, a coalition of parties and other political groups working together to dislodge President Museveni from power in 2021.
In the ensuing melee, some party members sustained injuries. The situation calmed down when police intervened and the meeting went on in the afternoon uninterrupted.
Dr Abed Bwanika, the People’s Development Party (PDP) president, who directly participated in organising the meeting, described the scuffles as regrettable and urged members iron out their differences for the good of the party.
“DP is bigger than all of us and fighting each other won’t deliver the desired victory we want in 2021,” he said.
DP President, Mr Norbert Mao, blamed the infighting on some self-seeker’s who he said are bent on crippling the struggle to acquire state power.
“I have heard that people were fighting before I came, but I want to inform young democrats that they should not fight for small political positions. No one has a monopoly on any political office, anyone with the required qualification is free to express interest,” he said.
Meanwhile, both Mbidde and Mpuuga were conspicuously absent after warring party youth members threatened to attack them on arrival.
Mr Mbidde, who is currently serving his second and last term in the East African Legislative Assembly, wants to unseat Mpuuga, who is also a DP stalwart. Mpuuga has served two terms in the Ugandan Parliament since he succeeded another DP stalwart John Kawanga.
Mr Mbidde started early ground work to unseat Mpuuga in July last year when he financed campaigns for many party flag bearers in village elections where DP won in 23 out of 26 villages in the three divisions of Katwe-Butega, Kimaanya-Kyabakuza and Nyendo-Ssenyange.
Recently, Mr Mbidde who also doubles as Masaka District DP chairperson claimed during a press conference in Masaka Town that Mr Mpuuga had become unpopular in Masaka Municipality and DP risks losing the seat if they dare give him the party ticket in 2021.
The bad blood between Mpuuga and Mbidde’s supporters was first evidenced on September 28, 2018 when the party convened a reunion at Masaka Liberation Square. The seemingly peaceful event turned chaotic a few moments later after party loyalists from both camps starting fighting each other, leaving some people with injuries.
