Inside battle to replace DP’s Nsubuga

The debate on who should replace Democratic Party’s former secretary general Mathias Nsubuga (RIP) refuses to go away, notwithstanding party president general Norbert Mao’s call for party members keen on the replacement to “shut up,” proclaiming a one year period of mourning.
It now threatens to reignite the party’s factionalist feuds, stoking Uganda’s oldest political party’s long standing differences.
The party last week unveiled Dr Gerald Blacks Siranda, who is the deputy secretary general, to act in the capacity of his departed boss pending elections after a year, a move that has elicited an angry reaction from a section of party youth.
Breakaway youth wingers led by their secretary general Charles Wasswa castigated the party’s leadership, saying Mao had transformed himself into “the prime law under which DP must conform”.
They promised to petition the party’s national congress to set aside the status quo and organise fresh elections to elect a “substantive secretary general”.

In an interview with Sunday Monitor, Mao said the party would not rush into elections right away and accused the youth of being manipulated by people within the party who are undermining his leadership.
“They are not fighting Siranda, they are fighting me. Let them come and say they don’t have confidence in me because it is me who asked Siranda to act for a year. I will offer them the opportunity to fill two vacancies; that of president general and secretary general,” Mao says.

He adds that the forces behind the current rebellion against Siranda are those with a false sense of entitlement in the party but adds that they will be defeated.
“There are cliques that behave like they own the party, but I will disperse them,” Mao says.
He challenged the dissenters to step forward and support the acting secretary general.
Siranda, who exercises the functions of secretary general, told this writer he is acting within the confines of the party’s constitution, which he says validates his actions.

He is also furious at suggestions made by the youth that the position is too big for him.
“I have held several senior managerial positions and was voted by the same delegates’ conference that voted for Nsubuga to deputise him. So what does it take to be secretary general?” says a visibly angry Siranda.
He also cautioned those calling for elections to tread carefully because they may be upset by its outcome.
“Don’t get surprised if any of those people offer themselves and I defeat them because I can win the elections,” Siranda says, dismissing concerns over his age with the examples of past party leaders like Ben Kiwanuka whom he says ascended to party ranks during their youthful days.
He, however, remains non-committal on whether he will finally run for the position when the vacancy is announced.
“I will take a decision in the interest of the party. It will be incumbent upon party delegates to choose who should become secretary general,” Siranda adds.

Speaking to Sunday Monitor, Uganda Young Democrats president Christopher Okidi distanced the mainstream youth league from the comments attributed to the breakaway faction.
“People who want the secretary general position are using them,” Okidi says, adding that they are still recovering from defeat at the last delegates’ conference.

“All the names they are fronting are of people who were defeated at the delegates’ conference like [Brenda] Nabukenya and Dr Lulume Bayiga,” he says, stressing that the period of one year is “reasonable” and urges the rebellious youth to support Siranda.
Those reportedly interested in the position are former Luweero Woman Member of Parliament Brenda Nabukenya, Dr Lulume Bayiga, former Buikwe South MP, and Masaka Municipality Member of Parliament Mathias Mpuuga.

Who is Siranda?

Dr Gerald Blacks Siranda, 34, was born to George Siranda and Harriet Bamutolewo Siranda (both deceased).
He hails from Namodi parish, Kasodo Sub-county in Pallisa District and is married with two sons and a daughter.
He holds a PhD in Gender, Sexuality, Human Rights and Conflicts from the Open University, UK, and a master’s degree in Gender, Sexuality, Human Rights and Forced Migration from Lund University, Stockholm, Sweden
He also studied ethics and development studied from Uganda Martyrs University and a myriad of other qualifications which he said he obtained by way of scholarships through sports, specifically football.
Siranda served as deputy programme manager of the Refugee Law Project at Makerere University, is a visiting lecturer at Lund University and executive director of Centre for Democracy, Governance, Human Rights and forced Migration.