Eperu: FDC party unites to send off pioneer, activist

Sarah Eperu, a pioneer and steadfast member of the now struggling Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party starts her final earthly journey today. 

Her body will be taken to her Greater Kampala home at Kireka in Wakiso District today to enable friends, neighbours, relatives and party loyalists pay their last respects. 

Eperu, the former FDC party press secretary and veteran political activist, died at 61 on Sunday at Life Link Hospital in Wakiso District.  She was born on June 1, 1963.  The former FDC president, Dr Kizza Besigye made the first public announcement of her death. 

Mr John Kikonyogo, the FDC party spokesperson, said Eperu stood out as one of the few members who remained dedicated to the party’s ideals amid the challenges that have led to divisions within the once powerful Opposition party in national politics.

Mr Kikonyogo said he first met Eperu in 2001 during their days at the Reform Agenda, where they both worked as political activists. Reform Agenda was a loose political coalition-cum-pressure group under which Dr Besigye campaigned for the 2001 General Election. 

“We moved together from the Reform Agenda to FDC in 2004, where she served the party in different capacities. She was a member of the publicity committee, an activist for women rights, the spokesperson of the party’s Women’s League and FDC party chairperson for Ngora District,” Mr Kikonyogo said. 

By the time of her death, Eperu was serving as the FDC chairperson of the Kapir County Constituency Branch in Ngora District. 

In 2011, she contested for Ngora District Woman Member of Parliament but lost the election. Nonetheless, Mr Kikonyongo said Eperu was one in whom hope springs eternal, and she had plans of contesting for the same seat during the upcoming 2026 General Election. 

He described her as a bold and informed person who always researched on topical issues and freely shared information with members of the public. 

Mr Kikonyongo said the Najjanankumbi faction of the FDC party was working with her family to ensure Eperu is accorded a decent send-off. 

Ms Ingrid Turinawe, the former chairperson of the FDC Women’s League, said Eperu, whom she worked with for more than 20 years, was a pillar in both the FDC party and its Women’s League. 

“When I was elected chairperson of the Women League at the Reform Agenda, she was the secretary of the Women League. That was after participating in the Vote Kizza Besigye taskforce.  When we transitioned to FDC, I became the National chairperson of FDC Women League while she became the spokesperson of the Women League,” she said. 

“We worked for 10 years in the Women League. At that time, she was hyper active. She was always available and never missed any party activity. She could speak out her mind without fearing anything, or favouring anyone. Even when FDC had problems and there were these factions of Katonga and Najjanankumbi, she stuck to the ideology,” Ms Turinawe added. 

She cited the walk-to-work protests as some of the campaigns that Ms Eperu actively participated in. The protests were mounted by FDC around 2011 against the high fuel prices and rising cost of living. 

“We have lost her at the time when Uganda needs activists like her. May her soul rest in eternal peace,” Ms Turinawe said. 

Mr Kassiano Wadri, the National Mobiliser for Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) party, who also worked closely with Eperu while in FDC, described her as an outspoken human rights activist who stood firm on the side of truth.

“I have learnt with great shock and a heavy heart about the death of my sister, Hon Eperu, who I used to work with in FDC, when I served in the capacity of deputy secretary general in charge of administration. She was a very committed member of the party. She was very knowledgeable about the socio-economic and political issues in this country,” Mr wadri said. 

“I got the opportunity to move with her to different parts of the country at that time when we were mobilising and recruiting for the party. She used her experience, having served at Radio Uganda, to critically analyse the socio-economic and political situations under which people were living. She was so appealing, especially to the women folk,” he added. 

Mr Wadri said Eperu was arrested and imprisoned several times for standing firm for the truth. He said she was vocal in advocating for end to the Entebbe women murders that rocked the country in 2017. The then Internal Affairs Minister, Gen Jeje Odongo, linked the murders to illuminati, a religious sect. 

“It is very unfortunate that she has passed on before we have achieved total liberation from the maladministration of the current regime and creating equal opportunities for everyone. We shall miss her contributions,” Mr Wadri said. 

Mr Isaac Kasamani, a Daily Monitor photojournalist, who covered most of her activities, said Eperu was an iron lady who accompanied Dr Besigye during party activities and demonstrations. 

“She was an iron lady for sure. You wouldn’t threaten her. If she meant to come and demonstrate, she would always be there to demonstrate and wherever Dr Besigye was, she was always there; always,” Mr Kasamani said. 

Mr Patrick Oboi Amuriat, the FDC President, said Eperu was a political activist who he met during the introduction of the Reform Agenda in Teso.

“At that time, it was quite risky to belong to the Opposition openly, Sarah stood out as somebody who challenged that situation. She was a woman of courage, somebody who stood up for the cause, and expressed openly without fear or favour,”  he said. 

Amuriat said Eperu fought dictatorship for nearly half her life and she was caught on the wrong side of the dictator and many times got beaten up and incarcerated in different detention centres. 

“As a party, we have lost a pillar of our struggle. A person who sacrifised a lot towards bringing change in Uganda and for the common citizen to enjoy her country. She was one of the best communicators the party has ever had. She was fluent in Ateso and several other local languages. 

We shall miss her as someone who laid a strong foundation for the FDC party in Uganda. She has gone without being rewarded and witnessing the new beginning for this country,” he said. 

Mr Amuriat said in memory of her legacy, they would continue fighting until they overcome the dictatorship. 

He said details of the funeral ceremonies would be shared by family members but the tentative programme indicates that the body will lie at her home in Kireka, off Namugongo Road  on Wednesday and then taken to St Jude Church at Naguru in Nakawa Division. 

The body will then leave for Koloin Parish, Kapir Sub-county in Ngora District on Thursday. Eperu will then be laid to rest on Saturday. 

Ms Alice Amony, the deputy post conflict and reconstruction member of the FDC party National Executive Committee, said: “She was the first person who introduced me to ekimeza, the open radio talk show, especially the one hosted on CBS. She trained us to research on topics before we could debate. 

“She was an activist and go-getter. She told us not to talk to the media when we don’t have facts,” Ms Amony said.