Muntu is Free to Consult in Individual Capacity, not FDC – Youth Activist

Former coordinator of the ‘Jobless Brotherhood’, Norman Tumuhimbise has defended former party President, Mugisha Muntu over claims by the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leadership that Muntu’s ongoing consultation meetings are undermining the party.

Norman Tumuhimbise, an FDC supporter currently part of ‘The Alternative’ youth group, says that Muntu is conducting the consultations in his personal capacity as a change activist.

“Muntu is not doing whatever he is doing as an FDC leader, he does it as a concerned citizen and also a concerned FDC member, not leader,” said Tumuhimbise who is aligned to Muntu’s ideology of institutional building.

“That’s why all stakeholders including NRM, DP, UPC, Independents, civil society members, clergy were all present in Hoima which shows that it’s beyond FDC as a party but rather a national cause”, Tumuhimbise said in an exclusive interview with SoftPower News.

Tumuhimbise said that Muntu is consulting from the general public on how better and quickly Ugandans can organize and capture state power, and also prepare for the post President Museveni era, as opposed to removing him from power which he says is dangerous to the country.

He noted that Uganda does not have be like Libya where people focused on removing the late President Muammar Ghaddafi and never bothered about what would follow.

Mugisha Muntu kicked off nationwide consultations on Monday in Hoima district seeking people’s views on the state of governance in the country.

When asked about the fate of the consultations, Tumuhimbise reiterated that a report on the outcomes shall be tabled from which a way forward will be forged.

“We all expect a conclusive report on the opinions from the general public which will help us forge a way forward and by doing so, our team will be enabled to make decisions based on true facts and opinions of the general public,” Tumuhimbise said.

While in Hoima on Monday, differing opinions were raised by individuals who attended the meeting. Some asked Muntu to start his own political party while others called for solutions to the problems that currently exist in the party. Tumuhimbise said that all views will be listened taken into consideration.

Mugisha Muntu who is on record for championing building party structures in FDC as means of capturing state power, lost the FDC Presidential race to former legislator, Patrick Oboi Amuriat in November last year.

He is accused of siding with the NRM government by some of Amuriat’s supporters, but Tumuhimbise says Muntu should be judged by his deeds.

When contacted, Harold Kaija, the party deputy Secretary General abstained from commenting on the issue saying that the party is currently engaged in promoting their new strategy.

“I have no comment on that, we have a campaign code named ‘Tubalemese’ that we are promoting now. It’s the only topic i am discussing lately”, Kaija told Softpower news.

FDC seems to be at the verge of splitting should Gen Mugisha Muntu decide to start a separate political party as some party are already suggesting. FDC has previously lost some key members like Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga, Minister Betty Kamya and MP Beatrice Anywar whose relations with the the FDC have recently deteriorated.