For now FDC Can't Announce a Candidate for Kawempe North MP Seat - Amuriat.
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has informed the public through the party president Hon. Patrick Oboi Amuriat that for a time being they shall allow the mourning of the late Hon. Ssegirinya Muhammad the Kawempe North MP before they announce a candidate for the by elections.
“How would it look if FDC announced a candidate for Kawempe North just a few days after Ssegirinya’s burial. It would seem as if we were waiting for his death , yet as FDC we wished him well.”
Amuriat to say this was addressing media at the party headquarters in kampala, Wednesday, on matters regarding the forthcoming 2026 general elections and the expressed interest of the former FDC candidates to return to their mother party.
According to Amuriat, “We have been approached by a number of our former members expressing a desire to return to the party and actively participate in the party activities including mobilization towards the forthcoming elections. The FDC Constitution in article 12 gives opportunity to any returning member to do so within the requirements of the Constitution.”
Therefore on behalf of top management, Amuriat also invited all other former members of the FDC to feel free and return home to their party. To facilitate this exercise, NEC will set up a reception desk at every district for the purpose of coordinating the return of our former members.
Amuriat, however, added that he wishes to inform the public that the party has attained stability, and thanked the commitment by the leadership and members. Any previous challenges that we faced have been decisively sorted. We have embarked on an aggressive campaign to encourage young people of our country to join the party and to seek leadership positions by participating in the forthcoming exercise of party structure formation and refilling of vacant leadership positions, he said.
Commenting on the 2026 general elections, Amuriat, said that according to the National Electoral Commission Roadmap, it is expected that the next President of Uganda will be announced around January next year. Under the constitution, the Electoral Commission is mandated to provide a free, fair, and equitable environment for all citizens to exercise their democratic rights.
However, he added that the Commission has repeatedly amended this Electoral Roadmap with minimal communication to citizens and political party leaders, who are key stakeholders. One critical amendment that demands attention is the Update of the Voters Register.
The Electoral Commission intends to conduct this exercise from 20th January to 10th February 2025 a period of only 21 days for such an essential exercise. This exercise involves registering new voters and updating voter details, including changes in polling stations location. Originally, the amended roadmap had scheduled this process for 3rd to 25th January 2025, allocating only 23 days, he noted.
“As FDC, we are deeply concerned about the limited time allocated to this critical process. We strongly believe that a voter registration and update exercise of this magnitude requires at least two months. The Electoral Commission's approach to managing this process appears rushed and uncoordinated, raising serious concerns about its preparedness.”
