The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Katonga faction, led by Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, has expressed its dissatisfaction with the conduct of High Court Judge Musa Ssekaana during a court hearing regarding the delegates’ conference dispute. The faction had sought an interim order to halt the Najjanankumbi faction’s conference.
Last week, the Najjanankumbi faction held a delegates’ conference in Kampala, where they renewed the terms of party President Patrick Amuriat Oboi and Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi.
Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the spokesperson for the Katonga faction, criticized Judge Ssekaana’s treatment of their group, stating that they felt mistreated. He claimed that the judge made them wait for two hours before the hearing, and when it began, Judge Ssekaana allowed only 20 minutes for their presentation. The judge also informed them that he had other commitments and announced that his ruling would be delivered by email, which they did not receive until the following morning.
Ssemujju expressed concerns about the judge’s conduct, emphasizing the importance of judges exercising their powers judiciously and fairly. He indicated that they intended to address their concerns formally with Judge Ssekaana and his supervisors, as this was not just an issue for their faction but for anyone seeking justice within the court system.
The Katonga group also raised objections regarding another judge, Esta Nambayo, who handled a previous application from a team aligned with Nandala and Amuriat. This team had sought orders for a temporary injunction against an extraordinary delegates’ conference organized by FDC Chairman Wasswa Birigwa. The court granted the injunction after Nandala and Amuriat consented to the request. Ssemujju argued that this was fraudulent because Birigwa, the convener of the meeting, was not part of the suit.
The Katonga group suspected that the court record had been tampered with, as Nandala/Amuriat’s lawyers had requested Birigwa to be joined in the case. Birigwa had prepared a defense based on this record, but it was dismissed by Judge Nambayo once the issue was brought to her attention.
Despite these setbacks, the Katonga faction remained committed to pursuing legal avenues to remove Nandala and Amuriat from the leadership of the FDC. According to Ssemujju, their recent conference, the first of its kind in 18 years, was deemed illegal under the party’s constitution, specifically Articles 23 and 28, which outline the procedures for the National Delegates Conference.
Ssemujju cautioned that Nandala and Amuriat had given their followers the impression that the court had already determined the legality of their meeting and election, but the court process was just beginning and might be more prolonged than anticipated.
The FDC experienced turmoil following allegations by the Katonga group that the Najjanankumbi faction had received funds from President Museveni for the 2021 general elections.
