The former leader of opposition in Parliament who is also the Kasese district woman MP Winfred Kiiza, is facing expulsion from the FDC party for shunning the party activities. Kiiza’s trouble continues to escalate every hour that passes but the latest is her Monday incident where she shunned the visit of party President in the district.
The district party officials say that Kiiza has not only stopped at shunning the party activities but also disrespecting the leadership of party President Amuriat and the functionaries of Besigye-led people’s Government.
On Monday April 29th 2019 FDC President Patrick Oboi Amuriat, Ingrid Turinawe the party National mobilizer and former party President Kizza Besigye were in Kasese district for a mobilization meeting but Kiiza and three other MPs whose stand between Gen Muntu’s ANT and FDC were not present. This Has since angered the FDC district leadership calling for a disciplinary action against them.
The four out of six FDC MPs who include Jackson Mbaju Katika (Busongora County South), Atkins Godfrey Katusabe (Bukonzo County West), Robert Centenary (Kasese Municipality), and Winfred Kiiza (district Woman), all did not show up to welcome the party President and they have since been under attack by both the district leadership and voters.
Only Bukonzo County East MP Harold Muhindo and Busongora County North MP William Nzoghu were present.
The FDC district chairman, Saulo Matte, furiously told the media that those MPs who shunned the party activity have been called to give an explanation and that they risk expulsion from the party. He added that their apologies to the district party office have been rejected because of the lies that were involved in. Talking on top of his voice, matte said that: “I want to tell you that I have rejected all the apologies given to us now by the MPs. It is all total lies. Some lied to had travelled but we are reliably informed that they were somewhere monitoring us on TVs. I have rejected their explanations and we want them to leave our party flag for other people,” Mr Matte said.
PUNISHMENTS
He said FDC supporters in the district are devising means to have the four MPs account for their actions and may end up recalling them or else wait them for 2021.
If Matte maintains his position these MPs may lose seats without sympathy come next elections as he threatens that the electoral college can decide to isolate and fail them during vetting for next elections. “We may recall them; we [leaders] shall make sure that we fail them in the primaries so that nobody goes back to Parliament on our ticket. We have many people who are capable of doing better than them, maybe they should go to hold the NRM flag but as FDC, we are done with them,” Matte said.
Matte further revealed on how these MPs have been defiant by not contributing to the party to enable office activities as agreed.
NAJANANKUMBI TASKED
Mumbere Serikani from Bukonzo West wondered why the party did not punish the area MP he accused of mobilizing FDC members to attend President Museveni’s visit to Karambi playground last month but failed to mobilise for his own party.
“I want to know what you [party president] have done to Hon Katusabe who mobilized the rest of party members to meet president Museveni. As we speak now, those who were involved in the preparations for President Museveni’s visit have changed the slogan,” Mumbere reported to the top FDC leadership.
Ruth Kikusa, the Kasese Municipality FDC youth chairperson, called for immediate disciplinary action against the four MPs for disobeying party orders.
Ingrid Turinawe said that the punishment is in the hands of the voters whom she advised to solicit signatures to recall the MPs whom they are not satisfied with.
“I want to tell you that there is a procedure you follow if you want to recall your MPs, go and write a petition, attach the signatures and bring it to the head office, we shall act,” said Turinawe.
However, Amuriat told the supporters that there are some steps being taken to address the issues. He said he believed in dialogue and giving people a chance to change.
MPS RESPOND
The responded saying that they have no trouble surrounding them because a member of parliament can’t be recalled on flimsy grounds. Jackson Mbaju a lawyer by professional, said that the leaders have no mandate to recall them from Parliament.
MP Katusabe said: “I highly honor and deeply respect Matte as my senior leader. He continues to diligently serve our country with distinction and indeed with nothing held back.”
Katusabe further denied mobilizing people to join President Museveni’s NRM but only mobilized his comrades and voters to welcome the head of state who was in the area to promote fish industry and modern agriculture. MP Katusabe is a member on People’s Government Cabinet.
Kasese Municipality’s Robert Centenary who has always criticized the leadership of Amuriat and seen on air giving negative comments on FDC (a party that sponsored his candidature), asked: “What value did Amuriat’s visit add to the people of Kasese, did he bring roads or money for Bodaboda riders, ask Matte if we the MPs are not the ones renting the office where he sits to demonize us, isn’t the party head office receiving Shs30m from government because we are MPs, what else does he want from us. Is welcoming FDC party president one of the roles an MP should play, did Amuriat invite us anyway?” MP Kiiza while appearing on radio later in the day said the current MP seats in Kasese were her efforts meaning that FDC in exists because of her. This left many angered, regretting why they have been spending their nights in the coldness to solicit and guard her vote.
