NUP Still Strong, FDC’s Amuriat Shifts Blame on his Party’s Decline to In-House Conflicts.

By Abraham Lincolns | Kampala

Patrick Amuriat Oboi the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party president has conceded that the National Unity Platform is still strong on ground attributing his party’s sharp decline in parliamentary representation to internal divisions.

As the party seeks to rebuild ahead of the 12th Parliament, Amuriat added that NUP used FDC’s weaknesses of including financial suppression coupled with numerous defections of party leaders hence the rise and growth of the National Unity Platform (NUP). “The internal party challenges and changes political dynamics in Uganda, the decline in the number of elected party leaders is attributed to both in internal differences and financial suppression” Amuriat said.

While speaking to party’s leaders in a retreat for newly elected Members of Parliament on the FDC ticket held at Kiyindi Landing Site in Buikwe district, Amuriat revealed that FDC secured only nine parliamentary seats in the 12th Parliament, down from 32 seats in the dissolved 11th Parliament. “Without any doubt, FDC has over the last 10 years registered challenges originating from blackmail of it’s leaders, internal differences, political fatigue, weak grassroots structures, defection of members, and suppressed funding,” Amuriat said.

He further pointed to the emergence and rapid rise of the National Unity Platform (NUP) as a major factor behind FDC’s declining political influence, arguing that the party had increasingly occupied FDC’s traditional opposition space. According to Amuriat, NUP attracted several leaders, supporters, and financiers who had previously been FDC’s financial strongholds. “The emergence of what seemed to citizens a better alternative in the National Unity Platform not only caused a shift of support in our strongholds but also robbed us of some of our leaders, supporters, and long-standing financiers,” he noted with pain.

However, the Jinja South East County MP elect on NUP ticket Paul Mwiru who is also a former FDC party stressed that the once strong opposition party’s decline stemmed from poor internal decisions than external political competition. Mwiru accused some party leaders of deviating from the party’s founding principles and damaging public trust through perceived closeness to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the ruling establishment.

“Some party leaders within FDC chose to align with President Museveni, and that affected public trust yet leaders stand for issues that resonate with the Public,” Mwiru said urging his former bosses to join NUP if all their efforts drain. Despite the party’s reduced parliamentary presence, Amuriat urged the newly elected legislators to remain active and vocal in Parliament, particularly on national issues such as political transition and governance reforms. “Debates about transition in this country will be central in the 12th Parliament. Despite your small number, you must put up a spirited fight it is not the size of the dog that matters, but the size of the fight in the dog,” he emphasized.

The retreat, which brought together FDC’s top leadership and incoming legislators, also focused on strategies to rebuild grassroots structures, restore confidence among supporters, and reclaim lost political ground. Amuriat additionally criticized former party members who defected from FDC, including former Deputy President Yusuf Nsibambi, accusing them of weakening the party’s unity and strength.

He nevertheless called on current members to work toward reconnecting with former supporters and rebuilding the party’s support base. The retreat underscores what many within FDC describe as a critical moment for the party as it attempts to redefine its role within Uganda’s changing political landscape while preparing its legislators to remain influential despite reduced numbers in Parliament.