By Emma Kirunda
How Lukwago, Ssemujju, Besigye Plotted FDC Coup Failed.
As the National Executive Committee (NEC) members were warming up for the Friday 28th July 2023 special meeting at the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) home in Najjanankumbi-Kampala, a section of members allied to the former FDC party president Rtd Col. Dr .Kiiza Besigye’s camp housed at Katonga road in Kampala were busy working out plans on how to achieve a takeover of the party offices that are currently under the control of the sitting party president Eng. Patrick Oboi Amuriat and Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi.
That NEC meeting followed animosity between the two embattled FDC leaders (Amuriat -Nandala), Dr. Besigye, party’s vice president for Buganda region also Kampala city lord mayor Erias Lukwago and party spokesperson also Kira municipality Member of Parliament (MP) Ibrahim Nganda Ssemujju, with accusations and allegations against the dual of bringing money for 2021 election campaign from what was called hostile undeclared sources, prompting investigation into the same by Dr. Frank Nabwiiso led party elders’ commission.
One of the key items on meeting agenda was presentation of the long-waited committee report to the party chairperson Wasswa Birigwa for further action. However, before the report was officially out, Ssemujju, Lukwago with a few of their teammates told journalists that they had information that it had been doctored.
However, the above according to the Najjanankumbi administration was a preparation of the ground for rejection of the report findings having known that it was not in their favor as well as inciting violence that eventually played out.
How Plan for a Bloody Takeover of FDC Head offices Was Hatched.
Trusted News learnt from the reliable sources at Katonga road camp that it all started by the lord mayor’s personal assistant Kennedy Okello and one Mugisha a boda boda rider also said to be a staunch Besigye supporter was given an uphill task to mobilize 200 goons popularly known as the kifeesi from one city slum area to be used to violently storm the party headquarters on the meeting day and take it over, on condition that they were to be paid 30, 000 shillings each.
The source said that the deal was sealed with selection of a team of dangerous assailants (kifeesi and kanyamas) who were tasked on briefing to execute the mission by wreaking havoc and violence on Friday morning, the meeting day under the leadership of among others, Kennedy Okello, Nasur Basalirwa, Hassan Kirunda and Mugisha, as NEC members were flocking in the premises.
Nasur Basalirwa is one of the FDC party drivers, while Hassan Kirunda a member of FDC publicity committee working with the party spokesperson Ssemujju. They were all to execute their mission using rude mentally tools including among others, pepper for spray and big sticks, according to sources.
It later emerged that only a few of the kifeesi showed up in the morning of the event day clad in the FDC party blue t shirts, with some having their heads hooded, faces covered with masks and blacks spects amid protest from the majority of them who at last chickened out on grounds that they had not been paid as per their initial agreement.
“After taking over the headquarters, we would declare ourselves as the wagner group”, one of the planners of the game said.
Another source said that the assailant’s plot prematurely flopped when a few of them sneaked into the party premises through a narrow gate, not knowing that they were heavily guarded inside by a group of the young party activists who were also in the same t shirts, only to be detected as negative forces, which sparked off a scuffle that left some of the attackers scattered at large, while others captured after the defeat.
“Our game plan was Okello to lead the team with his car through the wide gate, Mugisha with some kifeesi from the opposite side, Nasur and Kim from above”
Lord Mayor Lukwago Retreats from the Deadly Mission
Sources told the Trusted News that on realizing that he could not access the premises using his car as earlier planned with his other team players after he was refused by the party security personnel who could not allow any car inside as a measure against possible chaos and violence, Lukwago who had already reached near one of the gates at Njjanankumbi while in the company of some of the said hired goons, tactically pulled back for city hall, arguing that he was not sure of his safety had he got inside since he was not allowed to enter with his car.
His deputy Doreen Nyanjura shortly arrived and accessed the premises the same way other invited party members did on foot, ending up causing commotion in the meeting that had already been going on inside, shouting around that she had been badly beaten by those manning the gate.
Another source said, that having lost the fight inside, the deputy lord mayor resorted to making frantic calls outside the gate to Dr. Besigye who was expected to join them shortly, reporting to him on how events had played out.
Lukwago, Ssemujju and Besigye Takeover Plot Secrets Leak.
Trusted News has obtained from reliable sources the sound recordings of one of the review meetings by the trio’s henchmen that was held shortly after plotting the failed coup, in which they were giving an account of what failed their well-orchestrated move.
Some of the voices that are being heard in the recordings said to be of the former Kawempe Municipality FDC mayoral candidate in 2021 elections Kizza Bakasambe and one Badru, calling Dr. Besigye a political failure who lost the clout for being mean with cash, so as of one Taufik a staunch follower of the lord mayor Lukwago from Kawempe.
One of an aggrieved attendees of the meeting is heard in one of the recordings bitterly accusing the lord mayor’s personal assistant Okello, Nasur Basalirwa and Sam Makokha of going behind his back when they secretly went down to one of the city ghettos and took over his given role of identifying and coordinating the kifeesi for hiring from the deadly Ripanda group for their mission.
“Our bosses had assigned Kennedy Okello, Sam Makokha and Hassan Kirunda to lead the security but they failed us”, one of the members said.
Sam Makhoka is an FDC NEC member and deputy secretary for foreign affairs while Hassan Kirunda sits on the publicity committee working under MP Ssemujju.
In another recording, another person is bitterly heard blaming Lukwago, Ssemujju and Besigye of being responsible for their failed plotted coup of the Amuriat and Nandala FDC administration by being reluctant to release their payment, which demotivated the whole team, ending up frustrating the whole game plan.
Another person is heard blaming the FDC youths based at Dr. Besigye’s Katonga road offices for incompetence and pride that hugely impacted their mission.
Lukwago according to sources eyes the party presidency in the forthcoming elections against Amuriat while Ssemujju secretary generalship with full support of the founding party president Besigye.
However, our efforts to seek comments from Lukwago, Ssemujju and Besigye were futile by the time we filed this story as they couldn’t answer our calls.
