New Formation defectors in Ankole are ghosts - FDC

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) national deputy treasurer, Mr Francis Mwijukye, has said majority of people who recently crossed to the New Formation are not known in the party leadership structures.

“We cannot be worried about the New Formation; we would be worried if they are fishing members but they are fishing ghosts. Why should we worry when somebody is parading members that do not exist?’’ Mr Mwijukye said.

He was speaking during a meeting of 72 FDC leaders from 10 districts make up Ankole sub-region in Mbarara Town on Monday.

Mr Mwijukye, who is also the Buhweju MP, said the party leadership organised the meeting to audit the list that was published in the media by New Formation, a political group formed by former FDC party president Mugisha Muntu, with plans to formally register as a political party.

He added that of the 16 people from Kiruhura District, who were listed as having left FDC for New Formation, only three are known leaders in the party.
Mr Mwijukye added: “If you look at Buhweju, of the four [defectors], only one is known in the district FDC leadership, three are ghosts; that is also [the case] in Bushenyi, Mitooma, Isingiro, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Rubirizi, Ibanda and Sheema. So in all the districts, most of the people on the list are fake; they do not exist. I think they just wanted to make a political statement but unfortunately, they made it using ghosts.”

Mr Robert Arinaitwe, the FDC chairperson for Bubare Sub-county in Mbarara District, acknowledged that he was part of the group that joined the New Formation but pledged total support to FDC, saying he was hoodwinked. “They called me in the press conference and I was there but I cannot join the New Formation. I am still in FDC because I started it when it was Reform Agenda. Why would I leave a party that is about to capture power and join pioneers who are not sure of where they are going?” Mr Arinaitwe said.

Ms Betty Nuwamanya, the FDC secretary for mobilisation in Kashari, said they included her on the New Formation list simply because she had voted for Maj Gen Muntu during FDC presidential elections in 2017 but she has never thought of leaving the party. “I have been an FDC delegate for three terms; there is no way I can join the New Formation to start a new thing yet we have already established our strong party,” Ms Nuwamanya said at the meeting.

The FDC chairperson for Mbarara District, Mr Stanley Katembeya, said they are reorganising themselves to make the party stronger in the region. He added that the new members they recently recruited into the FDC from NRM are a big boost.