Ssebugwawo no longer FDC member, says Amuriat
President Museveni appointed Ms Joyce Ssebugwawo (pictured) to his cabinet early this week
What you need to know:
- Ms Ssebugwawo, a founder member of the FDC which she joined more than 20 years ago has been serving as the party deputy president. Mr Museveni appointed her to his cabinet on Tuesday this week.
Ms Joyce Naboosa Ssebugwawo is no longer a member of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) following her appointment as Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance in President Museveni’s new cabinet, the party president Patrick Amuriat has said.
Ms Ssebugwawo, a founder member of the FDC which she joined more than 20 years ago has been serving as the party deputy president. Mr Museveni appointed her to his cabinet on Tuesday this week.
“I can confirm that she has accepted the appointment and as a result has offended Article 12 of the FDC Constitution. She therefore ceases to be a member of FDC and has accordingly voluntarily relinquished her position as Deputy President. All of you will appreciate the hard work, sacrifice and commitment that Owek Joyce Naboosa Ssebugwawo put into the formation, growth and running of the party over the last more than 20 years of her political life,” Mr Amuriat said in a statement on Friday.
The former presidential candidate said Ms Ssebugwawo has “chosen to abandon the party at the time when the struggle has reached a critical stage and requires all of us.”
“Her decision to leave the party in order to join our tormentor is purely personal and the organs of the FDC were never consulted. She now joins our former colleagues who earlier on parted ways with us leaving behind an even stronger party,” Mr Amuriat added in a statement tweeted on FDC handle before admitting that the former Rubaga Division Mayor’s departure will hurt the organization but will not lead to their disintegration.
After consultation with the party organs, Mr Amuriat said he will a caretaker deputy president within two weeks to replace her.
“I wish to appeal to you my dear friends to desist from unnecessary attacks on the person of Owek. Joyce Naboosa Ssebugwawo as this does not add any value to our political mission and is not in our culture as FDC. To Mama Joyce Naboosa Ssebugwawo I wish you well in whatever you hope to achieve for your country using your new assignment. The FDC doors remain open to you and whoever left us before just in case you may wish to return,” he added.
By the time of filing this story, our attempts to get a comment from Ms Ssebugwawo failed as our repeated phone calls to her known telephone numbers went unanswered.
In January this year, Ms Ssebugwawo lost Rubaga Division mayor seat to Zacchy Mberaze Mawula, a member of the National Unity Platform (NUP) led by Mr Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine.
