POA’s token of appreciation

FDC changes in parliament spark fury with in Muntu’s camp

Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME & FLAVIA NASSAKA | Of all the reasons Patrick Oboi Amuriat, the president of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), has given to explain the changes he has made with the opposition leadership in parliament, one is most believable at least according to party insiders.

“The changes were informed by a number of factors including loyalty to the party and contribution to the party financially,” Amuriat told The Independent.

In these changes, Betty Aol Ochan, emerged the new Leader of Opposition, Francis Mwijukye, Buhweju County MP, a parliamentary Commissioner, Roland Kaginda, a former deputy LOP became a member of the global Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), Mubarak Munyagwa, the Kawempe South MP, the new chairman Committee on Statutory Authorities and State Entreprises (COSASE), and Moses Kasibante, the Lubaga North MP, his vice.

Budadiri West MP Nandala Mafabi bounced back at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), William Nzoghu, Busongora County North, a representative in the Pan-African Parliament, Franka Akello, Agago Woman MP, the new head of the committee on Local Government, Gilbert Olanya of Kilak South, became her deputy and Kaps Hassan Fungaroo, Obongi County MP, the new head of the Government Assurances committee.

Ibrahim Semujju of Kira Municipality became the Opposition Chief Whip. That Nganda was on the list surprised many given that unlike all the other appointees, he is a supporter of the organization camp, which pays allegiance to former party president Mugisha Muntu, who lost the presidency to Amuriat.

Generally, Amuriat’s changes are being seen as a token of appreciation to his loyalist and a purge of those that are loyal to the rival group. Some insiders say these changes might be the final push that kicks Muntu’s camp out of FDC.

Most notably, Amuriat fired Winnie Kiiza, who was the LOP and Abdu Katuntu, who headed COSASE.

This was not surprising. Amuriat’s camp, the defiance camp, has been criticized for being highly intolerant. Indeed, when Amuriat said that he was guided by party loyalty in picking the new group, some interpreted his statement to mean that he didn’t consider those he fired loyal to the party.

Even this might not be far from the truth from where Amuriat sits especially given that the group he fired has not participated actively in his activities and have continued to stand with Muntu whom he defeated late last year.

On financial contributions, the group he fired has contributed more towards Muntu’s countrywide consultations than they have towards Amuriat’s day to day running of the party. Given the fact that FDC has limited resources, every coin matters. And given the opportunity to appoint a LoP, few politicians in Amuriat’s position would hesitate to appoint their own. Muntu did it when he appointed Wafula Oguttu as LoP after defeating Mafabi in 2012. But later, he replaced him with his supporter, Winnie Kizza and appointed Katuntu, his campaign manager, as the head of COSASE.

The main difference between Muntu’s appointments and those of Amuriat is that some of the latter’s appointments can be questioned on grounds of competence.

Many critics have singled out the appointment of Munyagwa and Kasibante as merely driven by tokenism. This is Munyagwa’s first term in parliament and he hadn’t headed a single committee.  Kasibante is serving his second term but has never headed committee and yet they have now been handed COSASE, a critical committee scrutinizes the work of statutory authorities and state enterprises. Matters are not helped by the fact that COSASE was right in the middle of one of the most important investigations in many years—the investigation of Bank of Uganda.

But Amuriat doesn’t buy any of this. The former Kumi County MP said all members of parliament qualify to head committees because they have academic qualifications that made them make it to parliament. He particularly passionately defended his appointment of Munyagwa, who is known for his comic antics than legislative performance.

“Munyagwa is an honest person,” he said, “He was a chairman of a division in the city for five years. He is an intelligent man. The public is being unfair to him by judging him even before seeing what he can do. Let’s give him time.”

Amuriat says the only quality of a chairperson is to play a stewardship role and adds that the chairperson is not the alpha and omega of the committee.

“People are attaching emotions to this but if I was a reactionary leader I should have caused change in December when members said you can do what you want. I understood that they were acting because of the political injury they had just suffered,” he hits back.

Commenting on Ochan’s appointment as new Leader of Opposition, Amuriat says his own story tells a lot about how useless the notion of ‘little known’ is.

“Recently I was being referred to as a villager. They did not know whether I can express myself but here I am. The party is running effectively. We are attracting people from other groups to the FDC,” Amuriat adds.

Amuriat says Ochan made her name at the time of Reform Agenda, the precursor to FDC. “She is in her third term in parliament” the FDC president explains, “I have confidence of the people I have appointed. This team can push our agenda in parliament.”

Amuriat also says those angered by his decision should know that change is inevitable.

Changes illegal

However, some FDC members say some of the changes he has made are illegal. Prof. Ogenga Latigo, Agago County MP, and a former Leader of Opposition told The Independent that his team is on notice and will take action. “The LOP is not a party leader,” Latigo noted, “He or she is a leader of those in parliament. As the first LOP, I was elected because we contested.”