By Aggrey Baba
Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) President, Hon. Patrick Amuriat Oboi, has stirred a heated debate within opposition circles after publicly criticizing National Unity Platform (NUP) leaders (Robert Kyagulanyi and Davis Rubongoya in particular) over their reaction to their missing comrade, Eddie Mutwe.
The image, which surfaced on Thursday night and was shared by the Chief of Defense Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, showed a visibly traumatized Eddie Mutwe.
His appearance confirmed fears that he had been held incommunicado unclear circumstances, sparking outrage across social media platforms and raising renewed concerns over torture and enforced disappearances.
NUP Secretary General, Davis Lewis Rubongoya, in a strongly worded tweet, described the photo as “shocking, distressing, and disgusting.” He suggested that such evidence could one day be used to prosecute state actors for crimes against humanity.
But Amuriat, instead of joining in the outrage, lashed out at the NUP leadership for what he called “lamentations that went overboard.”
“NUP is the official opposition,” he wrote on X. “You must lead in restoring public trust in Uganda. Crying out here & nothing happens? Act differently.”
His remarks sparked immediate criticism, with human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo calling the FDC leader’s response “a cheap shot,” accusing him of being tone deaf and lacking empathy.
But the FDC top leader remained defiant, “Far from it. I sympathize with this situation, but the opposition seem to have got used to operating in a dictatorship the same way. Nothing has been learnt from our past mistakes. I am surprised that you are blind to the fact that 40 years of the same thing have come and gone,” fired back.
The debate quickly broadened to include the state of Dr. Kizza Besigye, the founding president of FDC and four-time presidential candidate, who has now been detained for nearly six months.
Critics say the current FDC leadership has done little or nothing to highlight Besigye’s continued incarceration or mobilize public action around his plight.
Enock Abenitwe, X user, took Amuriat to task: “Your founding President has been in prison for nearly half a year now. What have you done so far?”
In response, Amuriat said: “Granted, sir. First, I never play to the gallery as you must have realized. Secondly, in a struggle there has to be leadership. FDC ceded this to NUP after the 2021 elections.”
This acknowledgment, that FDC took a backseat after the last general election, has raised more questions about the party’s current relevance and role in the wider opposition movement.
The unfolding political drama paints a picture of disunity and fatigue within Uganda’s opposition.
While NUP leads in numbers and youthful energy, FDC appears to be grappling with identity and direction, even as its founding figure, Besigye, remains locked away with little outcry from the very party he created.
A house divided cannot stand, yet, with each passing day, Uganda’s opposition seems more focused on trading blame than challenging the system that has kept them all under siege. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
