FDC’s Mafabi Responds To Speaker Among After Declining His Request To Remove Ssemujju Nganda From Parliament

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) General Secretary who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Budadiri West has responded to Speaker Anita Among following her decision to retain Kira Municipality legislator Ssemujju Nganda in parliament as the party Chief Whip.

This follows Nandala’s decision to relieve Ssemujju of his duties as FDC Whip in Parliament and notified the speaker which prompted some members in troubled FDC to petition the speaker who later sent a letter halting the firing of Ssemujju as FDC Whip in Parliament.

”I note that section 6J (1) of the Administration of Parliament Act and Rule 15 (7) of our rules of procedure require a party in opposition to appoint its whip. The petition I received is essentially telling me that the party did not sit, through its organs, to take a decision to withdraw and replace the current whip. I also note that unlike in the past, on this occasion no meeting of a Party organ has been mentioned in your communication as having taken this decision and yet it has serious consequences on the workings of the legislature”. Among said in her response.

”The above notwithstanding, while these are internal party matters, they affect the harmony, cohesion and operation of Parliament. I am therefore unable to effect your communication until the matters raised by the petitioners have been resolved and a communication made to that effect to avoid legal consequences of the same and disruption of Parliamentary Business” She added.

However in response, Nandala noted that FDC isn’t removing Ssemujju from Parliament, but the Party is rather relieving him of his duties as FDC Whip in Parliament & asked the FDC MPs aggrieved by this decision to petition the Party, instead of Parliament.

Earlier this month, Nandala Mafabi notified Speaker Among via letter that the FDC had chosen to replace Nganda with Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi, the Member of Parliament for Mawokota South and a fellow FDC party member. Nsibambi, was expected to take on the role of FDC Chief Whip.

The development comes at a time when the party is divided into two wings accusing the other of ‘selling’ the party to President Yoweri Museveni’s government.

Kizza Besigye, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, and FDC Buganda central region vice president, who also doubles as the Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, are battling Nandala Mafabi and party president Patrick Amuriat Oboi.

Mafabi and Amuriat have since denied receiving money from the state, saying that the money they got was from a “safe source” and should therefore not be a cause of alarm within the party.

While addressing journalists yesterday at his offices on Katonga Road, Besigye said Mafabi had lied about the money he delivered to his home in Kasangati. Besigye said he lied to him and said the money was his, yet he later learned from a source in State House that he had received money from President Museveni.

Besigye also rubbished the report authored by the FDC council of elders following an investigation into the matter. He said the report does not absolve the apparent issues within the party, and declared war on the party’s top leadership.