By Mmeeme Letcia Luwenze and Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA:
Opposition political parties, Civil Society Organizations on Thursday launched another political force to foster the struggle for change of powers.
A new formation, People’s Front for Transition (PFT) under their slogan The Front Red Card – Twetaase is a non violent resistance aimed at procuring a democratic transition in Uganda.
It was launched on Thursday afternoon at Justice Forum (JEEMA) Headquarters in Bulange Mengo Kampala.
The Front brings together the members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Justuce Forum (JEEMA), Conservative Party (CP), DP block of the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD), Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), People’s Government, among others, whereas as the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) joined as an observer.
Among other observers are Civil Society Organisations like Joint Consultation Council and Foundation of Human Rights. These appended their signatures on the agreement to commit to the front struggle.
Joint Consultation Council is the top structure of the Front, below it is the National Executive Committee and a panel that is going to be tasked with the managing of the day today works of the PFT.
The panel includes the panel of eminent persons such as Katikiro Dan Mulika,Chappa Karuhanga, Dr. Frank Nabwiiso, Henry Ssewanyana Bazila, and Imam Kasozi. The panel of Youth Women and Special Interests is heeaded by Namboozo Hasufah, deputized by Hon. Suzan Nampijja. Wycliff Bakandonda heads the panel of policy research and security deputized by Micheal Ssenyonjo.
The panel of communications media and Public relations is headed by Hon. Wafula Oguttu, and deputized by Kenneth Paul Kakande and Harold Kaija.
The panel of medical, legal and welfare is headed by Merab Nalumu deputised by Counsel Derrick Namagajjo and Counsel Ssewankambo Hamza.
The Diplomacy and foreign nations panel is headed by Ambassador Wasswa Birigwa who is deputized by Vincent Mayanja and Hon. Anna Adeke Ebaju. The Civil Society Professional Association and Trade Groups panel is headed by Omar Kalinge Nyagu who will be deputized by Asia Kamulali.
Administration , finance and resource mobilization panel is headed by Margeret Wokuli and deputized by reknown Banker Abdu Kyamundu.
The Panel on Mass mobilisation and sensitization and civil resistance is headed by Sulaiman Kidandala and deputized by Doreen Nyanjura.
Former Makindye East MP, Mike Mabike is the Secretary General to the Front and he is deputised by Aggrey Osinde.
The head of entities to the front are, Eng PatricK Oboi Amuriat who represents FDC, John Ken Lukyamuzi (CP), former presidential candidate 2016/21, Eng Elton Mabirizi reprenting PSP, and in the observer capacity is Sadam Gayila, the acting head of the PDP.
Regional Deputy Chairpersons of the Front include; former Rukungiri district woman MP Virginia Plan Mugyenyi, representing Western Uganda, Samuel Walter Lubega Mukaku representing Buganda / central region, and Counsel Peter Walubiri representing Eastern region.
Christine Iklia is the second national deputy chairperson of the front while the Kampala Capital City Authority Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago is the first national deputy chairperson of the front.
The four times presidential candidate and president of the People’s Government, Rtd Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye Kifefe is the National Chairperson of the front.
Speaking at the launch of the front, the People’s Government president, Rtd Col Dr. Kizza Besigye expressed disappointments on the crisis in the education sector in the country.
“I have been very bitter about how the education system has been totally mismanaged in this country over the last 35 years of this NRM junta. Education is the most organized and structured and resourced way on which to build knowledge in the country, it is knowledge that reigns in the world. But Uganda has faired poorest in building knowledge. ” Dr. Kizza Besigye said before adding,
“….regrettably, under the last 35yrs of NRM junta, we now have education apartheid. Africa thought we had seen the last of the apartheid system in Africa, I am sorry! the apartheid system is very much alive and well in Uganda’s education sector.”
He said the crisis in the education sector is unprecedented appealing to Ugandans to fight against the the crisis which has worsened during the last two years of COVID-19 pandemic, intensifying poverty and poor health systems in the country.
“We are gathered here to confront the crisis, we must all stand up and confront the crisis which we must face urgently. We have tested other ways and I am an expert in that testing like elections but these have failed. The whole country is in captive, we are now fighting to liberate our country through other means not through an election,” he said.
On the formation of the front, Dr. Kizza Besigye has said the front is aimed to informing all oppressed and marginalized Ugandans to understand their responsibility to fight for their rights, coming together to flee themselves.
“I say this with a smiling heart because I hear in every corner people saying that we are delaying them, we therefore need to come together and fight to flee ourselves.”
Dr. Kizza Besigye disclosed that the front is in a period of three weeks planning to confront the oppressor and flee themselves.
Besigye who said the exact dates for the actual beginning of the next step will be communicated at a later time giving a three weeks period to consult several other stakeholders.
“From here, we have given ourselves three weeks consultations to other stakeholders whom we have not consulted by today. After those three weeks from today, we shall come back to announce the next step but the next step is the one voice to confront the oppressor,” he explained.
Besigye appealed to Ugandans to prepare whistles and the front’s red card to use in the struggle to liberate themselves from the hands of the oppressor whom he says their time is out.
The JEEMA Secretary General Siraje Balinda, who represented the JEEMA president Hon. Asuman Basalirwa who was absent and outside the country, said JEEMA is committed to its membership of the front.
Using a palm symbol, Balinda asked members of the front to emphasize unity and togetherness as the five fingers on the palm on things that they have in common despite of indifferences in their political party views noting that they can be separate as fingers but still remain together on the same palm.
The Kampala City Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago said the new front unlike other attempts that have been formed during elections, is a well thought non-partisan formation that is not focusing on the subsequent election but about Uganda and people coming together for a particular cause.
He compared PFT to the 2011 “Walk to Work.” the 2017 Anti Age limit removal commonly known as “Togikwatako.”
He said the front focuses not on who should take up which position, political parties but on the liberation of this nation.
In related news, the Conservative Party president, John Ken Lukyamuzi alias Ken Lukyamuzi the man has warned president Museveni against the Court Bail talks noting that disallowing bail hinges on the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which Uganda is a signatory member.
“And I want to warn Mr. Museveni that court bail is a constitutional and global right and when you abolish it you encroach on the universal charter of human rights which Uganda is a member. So, who is Museveni to shutter a fundamental right like that?” He questioned.
Lukyamuzi warned the president that not all murder charges end up as murder charges, during the litigation in the courts of law, the murder charge can be condensed into man slaughter therefore denying the suspects bail violates of their rights. He urged to legal experts to educate Museveni to understand the fundamental law.
Engineer Patrick Oboi Amuriat, the president for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) said the front is the beginning of a hard journey of imprisonments, confinements and intimidations but urged all participating entities to remain strong.
He urged other political actors who are not members of the front to join to ensure that the front brings to reality the objectives of the struggle.
“I want to call on our friends, other political forces in this country particularly to speak to the National Unity Platform (NUP) that if they would like to cause a difference in our politics, this is a time to come together.” Amuriat said.
He added; “I heard somebody saying that unless it is us, then you know the struggle should not proceed. You need to come to us first. That is a bad spirit in as far as the struggle is concerned. What we need to do together is to speak in one voice. The animal has not been speared yet, we cannot begin sharing its body parts. So, let us spear this animal first so as that one who thinks is entitled to eat the tail, should eat the tail of that animal, the one who thinks is entitle to eat the thigh, will be given the thigh of that animal.”
He invited individuals who are outside this formation to be part of it so that the struggle continues and the dictator is thrown out of the position by the next election.
The launch was attended by among other key dignitaries, the former presidential candidate (2016/21) Joseph Elton Mabirizi of (PSP), Samuel Lubega Mukaku, KCCA deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura, mebers of the Civil Society Organisation, MPs Francis Mwijukye, FDC Spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, Moses Atia among others.
