The Forum for Democratic Change has started an aggressive fundraising drive to raise 16 billion shillings for running party affairs this year.
A seven-man committee was set up in January comprising of the party President Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Treasurer General Jack Sabiiti, Leader of Opposition Nandala Mafabi, and Secretary General Alice Alaso. Others are secretary for mobilization Major General Mugisha Muntu and two members from outside the party.
Wafula Ogutu, the Party spokesperson says the old committee in which he was a member was disbanded because it had failed to do its work.
//Cue in: We have a budget of…
Cue out: going to be included.”//
Sabiiti tells URN that most of the party affairs are funded by the Inter party organisations dialogue, a multi party democracy group, Democratic Governance Facility and the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. He reveals that most of the money from these organisations facilitates projects, seminars, training the mobilization department and local leadership.
He adds that FDC is currently negotiating for more funding from the organisations since their projects ended.
//Cue in: Most of these international…”
Cue out:…another new contract.
Money is also got from party branches abroad including USA, Canada, London, Scandinavian countries and South Africa among others, which is then sent to the party headquarters in Kampala.
The FDC has 29 members of Parliament out of which 19 are shadow cabinet ministers.
MPs also contribute a total of 14 million shillings each month which is deducted from their salaries. The money got from MPs is used to pay up for the party headquarters offices at Najjanankumbi.
MPs contribute 400,000 shillings each, shadow ministers and committee chairpersons contribute 500,000 shillings while the leader of opposition Nandala Mafabi contributes 600,000 shillings.
Apart from selling party cards, district chairpersons contribute 50,000 shillings each, LC3 chairpersons pay 30,000 and the FDC Mayors pay 50,000 shillings each.
Four MPs had declined to remit the money to the party arguing among other reasons and grievances that the party is not a commodity for which one pays. They include Kampala woman MP Nabilah Naggayi Ssempala, Reagan Okumu of Aswa County, Geoffrey Ekanya of Tororo County and Judith Akello Franca, the woman MP for Agago.
The MPs are demanding that they pay the money but also benefit from the party and get better opportunities. Before being nominated for the 2011 general elections on the party ticket, all candidates were mandated to sign an agreement that the money will be paid.
Wafula without mentioning names reveals that so far three have agreed to remit. He reveals that the party has given Mafabi the mandate to drop them from any assignment and deny them opportunities to represent the party abroad.
//Cue in: The party has given the…”
Cue out:…represent us abroad.”//
However, Sabiiti denies these reports saying it’s a party affair and MPs who fail to remit the money do so because they have other pending financial problems but eventually pay up.
//Cue in: For one reason or another…”
Cue out:..all our members are contributing.”//
