Renowned opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye has declared his intention to throw his hat into the ring once again, vying for the highest office in the land in the upcoming 2026 general elections. This decision comes as no surprise to keen observers, as Dr. Kizza Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, has embarked on a strategic mobilisation campaign in the western region of Uganda.
This campaign is in anticipation of the upcoming delegates’ conference scheduled for September 19, 2023. The primary objective of this conference is to elect new leaders for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party. Notably, Dr. Besigye intends to utilise this platform to make a significant announcement regarding his future political aspirations, specifically his intention to participate in the 2026 general elections.
Besigye expressed his belief that the restoration of the party to its former glory hinges on his ability to regain control from the current leadership helmed by Nandala Mafabi and Patrick Amuriat.
“The only way that can be achieved is by having the support of the delegates, who elect the leadership; I have started with Tooro and the Rwenzori subregions, expressing concerns about the recent happenings in the party and what can be done to resolve them, is by getting me back the party presidency,” Besigye said.
Besigye emphasised that the national conference that has the mandate to elect new leaders was called by the party’s chairman; any other activities by the two gentlemen, Nandala and Amuriat, should be considered illegal.
However, the Najjanakumbi team has a similar event slated for October 6, 2023, and is basing their legality of holding the event on the constitution of FDC, which they say recognises the National Delegates Conference of that day and not the one the chairman and Besigye are organising.
The wrangles in FDC seem far from over, Chairman Wassawa  Birigwa was recently denied funding of 650 million for the September delegates conference, which identifies more with that Katonga group than Najjanakumbi, which set the October conference.
However, some sources in FDC have revealed that Birigwa has secured funding for that conference from an NRM top minister, and it will go on as planned.
“The chairman received funding from one of his friends, who is a top minister in the NRM government. He is determined to hold the delegates conference, where they intend to gain votes and ground for Dr. Besigye,” said the source.
The source noted that, during a closed meeting at Katonga early this week, it was decided that they would rally behind Besigye to get back the party leadership as the only way to get FDC back on track.
The sources further said that Najjanakumbi’s team believes Besigye’s desire to come back has been reawakened by Bobi Wine’s country tours, which is why he has chosen to start with areas where Bobi Wine has been, since Bobi Wine’s message has been, ‘FDC is no more; it was bought by Museveni. So they believe Besigye wants to water down Bobi Wine’s claims,” noted the source.
The allegations of FDC receiving NRM ‘dirty money’ have been a source of controversy for the party. The issue has further been compounded by the fact that the party’s leaders, like Amuriat and Nandala, have allegedly accepted the money even as they claim to reject it. This has raised questions about the sincerity of the party’s stance on the issue and is a cause for concern for many of its members and supporters.
