Magara Darious the MD eastafricanwatch.net talked to Hon Jack sabiiti in a Questions and answer interview. Read the details below;
1 How far has FDC party gone in countrywide mobilisation?
Ans: There is individual mobilization especially by aspiring candidates who seek different offices. We’ve encouraged this as a means to mobilize for the party as well. Institutionally we decided to halt the much anticipated second round of countrywide engagements in order to give time to for two major undertakings; Kawempe North by elections and countrywide completion of grassroots elections. After these we shall start the countrywide activities.
2 How many Ugandans are you targeting to draw to FDC party?
Ans: In order to be assured of winning an election we need to draw 50%+1 of the electorate and that should be over 9 million voters. We will strive to reach our target though numerous activities.
3 Do you think you have done enough to put you back as leaders of opposition or to become the next government?
Ans: This is work in progress. Any political party can never claim to have done enough to meet its targets because we are dealing with a moving target. What this means is that other than us there are other political players involved. Coupled with our own internal dynamics, we have wake up every morning to work towards strengthening the party and preserving this strength. Our internal disagreements notwithstanding, we have managed to stabilize the party and have now fully recovered.
It has always been our desire to win elections, be declared and take over government. Being Leaders of Opposition has been incidental to our main objective of taking power in this country.
- Do you miss the Katonga break away people and do you plan to woe them back since their leader Besigye is in prison and with serious charges?
Ans: Losing a single member of the party is counted as a great loss to us. Losing a leader is even a much greater loss. We have lost leaders who broke away based on a scramble for political influence on the party. It definitely has a negative impact on the strength of the party, but we’ve been so quick in trying to mitigate the loss as we did when the major split in 2018 involving one of our former Party Presidents. On the flip side we now enjoy the advantage of having one centre of power which was not the case before the brake away and this substantially reduces the administrative headaches we encountered before. It’s also noteworthy that the Katonga break away manifested itself and became public knowledge 4 years after it happened and so we saw it coming and prepared for it.
Like any organization desirous of recruiting members we continue to welcome those who disagreed with us whether the belong to the recent splitter group or this who left earlier. I’m doing this we don’t take any advantage of the situation in which Dr. Kizza Besigye finds himself.
- How has FDC planned to win seats again in Kigezi?
Ans; The party has embarked on the following:
– Restoration of confidence in the party in the region
– Party structure formation and gap refilling
– Candidates identification and training
– Local fundraising activities
– Early campaigning
- What do you think is the actual problem of Uganda especially that the Masses are poor?
Ans: NRM Government priorities are upside down with much spending in the nonproductive areas of our economy. The lack of democracy, the rule of law and good governance and the insatiable appetite Mr. Museveni has for power has pushed the cost of sustaining the regime in power extremely high. This has left very little funding in areas where the majority population are employed. Self-enrichment of those in power and their close associates has encouraged the vice of corruption which imposes a burden on common citizens. With this the gap between the few supper rich and the majority downtrodden poor keeps widening every day. All these ills have cause failure by government to create jobs for the huge young population.
7. What would FDC party do to revamp Uganda’s economy?
Ans: Maintaining a growth favorable fiscal policy through:
– Cut down administration costs by downsizing government
– Bring down hemorrhage of public fund through corruption by severely punishing those involved in stealing public funds
– Invest in practical education tailored towards creation of jobs
– Invest in production more in preference to consumption
– Reduced on foreign and domestic borrowing especially in the non essential areas
– Push for the industrialization of the economy
– Introduction of a tax regimes favorable to the common person.
- What could the opposition parties do so that they can win against NRM party in the next presidential and local elections?
Ans: Push for and ensure free, fair and credible elections.
- Do you think the opposition in Uganda can manage to cooperate in the next elections?
Ans: Cooperation between opposition political parties may not be possible before the next elections mainly because of varying interests between them. There is also intra disagreements within all major parties in the opposition that need to be managed to enable a unified approach to the next elections. However there is a possibility of a united opposition in the event that there is a rerun.
- What is the problem of Kigezi and continuous poverty among the Banyakigezi in the area?
Ans; I call upon our young MPs to work for the people of Kigezi through cooperation and hard work. They need to hold regular meeting, which we used to have when I was a Member of Parliament.
Our leaders should banish sectarian politics; let them work for all the people and stop competition and fights.
It will also be important to identify and support a cash crop to support the income of the Banyakigezi which can be based on to raise house hold incomes.
But also the government needs to put in place necessary infrastructure especially roads (tourism roads) and others to make it easy for the locals to work and do businesses.
- What about the Banyakigezi ICOBI organisation?
Ans; It is a good organization I support it has supported education and I urge our leaders to support the organization which has supported education.
12. Lastly what do you comment about Dr. Besigye’s imprisonment and case and what do you advise him so that he can overcome the treason case?
Ans: The case of Dr. Besigye has been mishandled from the manner of his arrest through his arraignment in the GCM to his delayed production in the civilian court. There is no doubt that he has been targeted for political reasons. Subjecting him to what he has gone through qualifies this case as political persecution.
He should be given the opportunity to prove his innocence in the legally established courts of law and given adequate medical treatment to stay healthy. Manipulating the law in order to return his case to the GCM for the military to be in control of the fate of Dr. Besigye can be a political plunder on the part of government. My only advice to Dr. Besigye is for him to exercise usual resilience he has exhibited in his many years of tribulations. We are hurt that our old friend has been subjected to this serious suffering.
Who is Sabiiti?
Hon Sabiiti was born in Mparo Parish, Rwamucucu Sub-county, Kabale District on 27 April 1947 in an Anglican family of the Bakiga. He is the second of five children and a brother to the late Dr. Jimmy Kamugisha. His father, Festo Bakainaga was an agricultural extension worker and his mother, Tabitha Rwomushana, a nurse.
His paternal grandfather, Sirasi Kikooko, was a Gombolola chief and his maternal grandfather, Tomasi Rwomushana, a Saza chief.
He is a Ugandan lecturer, public administrator and politician. He is the former member of Parliament for Rukiga County, Kigezi sub region and a founding member of FDC Party, one of the main opposition parties in Uganda. He was the first treasurer general of FDC and now serves the national Party chairman.
