“Stop Meddling in Our Party Affairs”. Nandala Mafabi Responds to Speaker Among After Blocking His Move to Sack Semujju.

In a rapidly escalating controversy within the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Nandala Mafabi, the Member of Parliament for Budadiri West, has responded to Speaker Anita Among’s letter, accusing her of meddling in the party’s internal affairs. The dispute centers on the FDC’s decision to relieve Ssemujju Nganda, the MP for Kira Municipality, of his duties as FDC Whip in Parliament, prompting a call for aggrieved FDC MPs to address their concerns within the party.

The conflict reached a new level of intensity when Speaker Among sent a letter halting the firing of Ssemujju Nganda as FDC Whip in Parliament. However, Mafabi’s response accuses Among of overstepping her boundaries and interfering with internal party matters, in violation of the provisions outlined in the Political Parties and Organisations Act.

Mafabi clarified that the FDC is not removing Nganda from Parliament but rather relieving him of his duties as FDC Whip in Parliament. He urged the FDC MPs who are dissatisfied with this decision to follow proper protocol and petition the party internally, rather than turning to Parliament for resolution.

Nandala Mafabi (Budairi West) has responded to Speaker @AnitahAmong's letter halting the firing of Ssemujju Naganda (Kira Municipality) as FDC Whip in Parliament, accusing her of meddling into FDC's internal matters, contrary to provisions in the Political Parties and… pic.twitter.com/D4b5doOV9f

— Parliament Watch (@pwatchug) August 17, 2023

Yesterday, on August 16, 2023, Speaker Among rejected the controversial decision made by the FDC to replace Nganda. The Speaker’s refusal came after several FDC MPs petitioned Parliament, urging a halt to the changes. These MPs alleged that Nandala Mafabi, the FDC Secretary General, had bypassed the Party’s National Executive Committee in making the decision.

The upheaval began on August 7, 2023, when Nandala Mafabi notified Speaker Among via letter that the FDC had chosen to replace Nganda with Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi, the Member of Parliament for Mawokota South and a fellow FDC party member. Nsibambi, was expected to take on the role of FDC Chief Whip.

However, the decision faced immediate resistance from a faction of FDC MPs who claimed that Mafabi had not consulted them or the party’s National Executive Committee before announcing the changes. They accused Mafabi of attempting to undermine Nganda’s leadership and influence both within the party and in parliament.

The opposing MPs argued that Nganda had demonstrated exceptional coordination skills with other opposition parties and MPs during his tenure as Chief Opposition Whip. They warned that replacing him at such a critical juncture would only sow confusion and division among opposition MPs, ultimately weakening their collective voice in parliament.

Speaker Among’s refusal to confirm the replacement decision adds another layer of complexity to the situation. It raises questions about the role of the Speaker in internal party affairs and underscores the need for clarity regarding the boundaries of parliamentary proceedings.