Police on Friday arrested and arraigned before court 12 goons suspected to have been involved in the chaos at the Forum For Democratic Change (FDC) headquarters in Najjanankumbi.
The suspects were briefly detained before thry were arraigned before Makindye Magistrate’s court on charges of inciting violence and public nucanse.
Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire told the media Friday afternoon that the group was caught beating up whoever stepped at the oposition party offices.
According to Sadiq Amin, the party’s head of security, a group of youth made their way to the party premises, saying they were on a mission to take out ‘goons.’ These were countered by another group at the party premises, and violence ensued.
“There is a group of youth who stormed the party premises, saying they wanted to take out goons at the office. Those who want to spoil the party by sending people are warned. This is a meeting for party chairpersons; if you are not one, why would you come here?” He asked, adding, “As long as I am the head of security here, the meeting will go on.”
This development comes against the backdrop of internal struggles between party members belonging to different camps.
Last week, the party spokesperson, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, questioned the source of money party secretary-general Nathan Nandala Mafabi and party president Patrick Obo Amuriat were using for party activities.
Ssemujju, who was supported by the FDC Buganda region vice-president and Kampala Mayor, Erias Lukwaago, alleged that the “questioned money” came from President Museveni, who is also the party Chairperson of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
“The party has been receiving questionable money. We don’t know where this money is coming from, but we suspect it is from Mr. Museveni. I am not going to be party to activities that would lead to the sale of the party to Mr. Museveni,” Ssemujju said during Capital Gang, a current affairs talk show on Capital FM, a local radio station in Uganda.
Former party president and four-time presidential candidate Kizza Besigye also raised the same concerns, saying the state (meaning Uganda) is under capture by Museveni and his family.
Besigye alleged that Museveni has done everything to ruin the FDC, once Uganda’s leading opposition political party.
