What happened to the 'One Uganda, One People' party?

The silence at the Najjanankumbi based Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has set tongues wagging with some people wondering what befell Uganda’s once strongest opposition party.

Whereas the FDC says it is rebuilding its grassroots, analysts warn the party’s best days could be long gone.

After 16 years as Uganda’s leading opposition party, the journey forward for the FDC seems to be unclear.

Besides keeping their focus on removing President Museveni, they have to deal with the new kid on the block, the National Unity Platform, which is now the leading opposition part

FDC Secretary General Nandala Mafabi said they are quietly working and the fruits of their works will be seen soon.

"We are not silent, we are focusing on mobilisation and building party structures," he said.

But analysts say the party is struggling because political dynamics have shifted.

Mafabi said, they are finding a bit of challenge, because “people want money, NRM has politicized the whole thing.”

He pointed fingers at DP and NUP for their struggles.

"They (DP and NUP) are fighting us," Mafabi  said.

NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi said that they were not aware that they had issues with FDC as their focus is uprooting the incumbent President Museveni.

The DP spokesperson Okoler Amanu said they did not want to be used as a landing platform for a falling tree.

"We don’t intend to be a stage for a falling tree to land. They should have the courtesy to ask the DP on how to stand for 67 years," he said.

So is FDC on a free fall?

Political analyst Dr Patrick Wakida said FDC had failed to realize that they were losing the opposition political space to others.

"They are on a free fall, they are no longer appealing for the opposition,” Wakida told NBS Television.

Wakida said FDC dropped the ball when they failed to mange their internal disagreements years ago.

“FDC forgets that between 2012/2016, they were 2 factions; Mafabi and Besigye wanted street action against Muntu/ Alaso new's strategy of building the party. That means Muntu was right," he said.

He said FDC needs to do a major rebrand to win over new supporters.