By Aggrey Baba
JEEMA is facing internal strife as a faction of party members accuses the leadership of constitutional violations, illegal tenure extensions, and deliberate sabotage of democratic processes.
A meeting held on March 6, 2025, in Kampala resulted in a formal petition condemning what members describe as a blatant disregard for party rules.
The conflict centers on the failure to implement resolutions from the 2015 and 2020 National Delegates Conferences (NDC). The party’s Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), chaired by Prof. Abas Kiyimba, was tasked with amending the party constitution but failed to act for over a decade. It only responded in 2024, allegedly under pressure from party members and the then Secretary for Legal Affairs, Namakajo Deric Fredric.
Many members now question whether the constitutional review will ever be finalized or if it has become a tool for stalling party reforms.
A major grievance is the extension of party president Asuman Basalirwa’s tenure. His mandate expired in 2020, but due to COVID-19, the National Executive Committee (NEC) extended it for two and a half years, a decision approved by the NDC. This extension ended in April 2023, yet NEC illegally extended its tenure further in May 2023. Petitioners allege that Secretary General Kateregga later altered records to indicate a two-year extension instead of one.
The party’s electoral process has also come under scrutiny. In March 2024, the Electoral Commission, led by Nsamba Ibrahim, organized grassroots elections in preparation for the NDC, where new leadership was to be elected. However, the petitioners accuse Basalirwa and NEC of deliberately delaying the NDC, illegally postponing it from June 2024 to early 2025, overriding the Electoral Commission’s independence. This, they argue, was done to prevent leadership changes.
Financial transparency is another issue, with members questioning the use of the UGX 100 million the party receives annually. They claim party leaders have repeatedly cited financial constraints as a reason for postponing the NDC, despite funds being available, which has raised suspicions of mismanagement.
The petitioners accuse NEC of holding the party hostage, comparing their actions to President Museveni’s prolonged rule. They also criticize the failure to empower the CRC for over a decade and demand its resignation.
Additionally, they call out Disciplinary Committee Chairperson Imaam Idd Kasozi for failing to act on a petition against Kateregga, who is accused of secretly collaborating with President Museveni and defying party resolutions.
In response, the petitioners demand that the Disciplinary Committee act on the complaint against Kateregga, the Board of Trustees convene an all-inclusive members’ conference, and the Party Electoral Chairman release certified records of elected delegates. If their demands are ignored, they threaten to rally party members and pursue legal action against what they see as constitutional violations.
Among the signatories are senior party leaders, including Youth League Chairperson Musanje Haruna Chwa, former Secretary for Legal Affairs Namakajo Deric Fredric, and several district representatives.
They warn that JEEMA risks losing credibility if it fails to uphold the democratic principles it claims to champion. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
