The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party based in Najjanankumbi has revealed that they don’t have any intentions to compete with the National Unity Platform (NUP) concerning support in the Buganda region.

According to John Kikonyogo, the FDC party spokesperson, the party is not in any way concerned with the alleged NUP’s dominance in the Buganda region, stating that the FDC’s prime agenda is to take power from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

During a phone interview, Kikonyogo said that despite the internal squabbles that saw his party split, FDC has managed to rebuild its structures in different regions of the country, which may not be the case with the other opposition political parties.

“Being strong in one region like Buganda does not guarantee you victory in the national elections; what we are doing in FDC is building strong party structures to fetch support in all regions of the country. We are holding regional tours to register party members, not supporters. Many people can support you even when they are not members of the party. We have many supporters in Buganda who are not members of the party,” Kikonyogo said.

“Buganda is a complex region that needs extra attention, and at the end of the day, we are going to penetrate and get more members,” he added.

Despite a significant shift in the political loyalty of the central region, including Kampala, in favor of the opposition in the 2021 general election, the NRM has reported a more than 70 percent increase in the region’s party membership.

However, commenting on the NRM’s voter register, which indicates ownership of 11 million voters by the ruling NRM, Kikonyogo alleged that many people were registered after they were convinced to get cash from the government’s Parish Development Model (PDM).

“They were confusing them by saying that you will not get PDM funds if you don’t register. So they coercively registered,” Kikonyogo said.

FDC Deputy Secretary for mobilization in the Buganda region, Mumbejja Olivia Nassuna, appealed to the lost party members to return to FDC since it is moving on steadily.

“FDC is a people’s party with an ideology and support because we believe in a democratic change of one Uganda, one people,” she said.

The FDC has conducted regional tours in Uganda to recruit and register new party members ahead of the general elections in 2026. It is also set to hold tours in the Buganda region, commencing on August 17, 2024, in Lugazi and Buikwe.