By
Emma Bwayo
National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders in Sironko District are under fire for allegedly showcasing their own members while falsely branding them as defectors from the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
In the past month, the district’s NRM leadership has presented several individuals as new members defecting from the FDC. On Thursday morning, Wilson Wambaka, the district’s NRM party administrator, introduced an individual, claiming him to be the FDC leader for Legenya Sub County in Budadiri East. This announcement quickly circulated on Bugisu WhatsApp forums.
However, Patrick Waniaye, the FDC party chairman for Sironko, has strongly denounced the defection as fraudulent. Waniaye clarified that the person shown by Wambaka has never held any leadership position within the FDC in Legenya. He confirmed that the actual FDC Sub County Chairman for Legenya is Alex Nandala Sojja, a committed party member dedicated to challenging NRM’s 40-year rule in the district.
Waniaye further accused the NRM leadership of deliberately spreading disinformation to undermine the FDC’s strong presence in Sironko. He suggested that the NRM is attempting to mislead higher authorities into believing the party is gaining traction in the district, which could be used to justify additional funds for their mobilization efforts.
In response, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the Secretary General of FDC, urged party members to remain steadfast in their commitment. Speaking during a recent radio interview in Mbale, Mafabi emphasized the importance of the upcoming mass mobilization exercise and advised members to disregard fake news designed to confuse them.