FDC drops Ssemujju, names Nsibambi as Chief Whip

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Forum for Democratic Change-FDC has withdrawn Kira Municipality Member of Parliament Ibrahim Semujju Nganda from the position of party chief whip in parliament and appointed Mawokota South MP, Yusuf Nsibambi to replace him.

The FDC Party Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi communicated the decision in an August 7th, 2023 letter to the Speaker of Parliament. The letter is copied to the deputy speaker, the FDC party president, Patrick Amuriat Oboi, Ssemujju Nganda, and Yusuf Nsibambi.

“In the same vein, we hereby withdraw Hon. Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda as the Party Whip with immediate effect,” reads the letter in part. The decision is said to have been made by the Party working committee, which is comprised of the executive. Nandala confirmed the authenticity of the letter when contacted by URN, saying that the communication is a party decision.

He quoted section 6j (1) of the Administration of Parliament (Amendment )Act  2006 which states that a party in opposition may appoint its chief whip. The changes come amidst a crisis in the party emanating from allegations that Nandala brought “dirty” money into the opposition party from the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM with the intention of selling it to the NRM.

The allegations first made public by Ssemujju originated from FDC founding president, Dr Kiiza Besigye who says that he received information in 2020 that Nandala had received Money from the state House.  The information reached Besigye two weeks after Nandala had entrusted him with 300 million Shillings and gave another 280 million Shillings to the party president Eng Patrick Oboi Amuriat.

The allegations prompted the party’s National Council to form a committee of elders to investigate the matter. However, the committee in its report didn’t focus on Investigating the source of the money and under what conditions it was received. Rather, the Dr. Frank Nabwiso-led committee focused on reconciling Besigye, and Nandala.

Besigye dismissed the report for failing to investigate the key issues regarding money and rather dwelt on reconciling him and Nandala yet, as he says, he has no personal vendetta against him. Ssemujju could not be reached for comment by the time of publishing the story since he didn’t pick up our calls to his personal number.

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