Moses Byamugisha, a close ally of FDC founder Kizza Besigye, on Sunday declared he will run for the party’s top position in the next elections.
Byamugisha made the declaration after a thanksgiving ceremony hosted at his residence in Namugongo, Kampala in which tens of hundreds turned up to show their support.
He becomes the second FDC official to proclaim his quest for the job after his boss, Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu reaffirmed early this year that he would seek a re-election.
Muntu assumed office in 2012 after a hotly contested race which saw his rival Hon Nandala Mafabi dispute results and called for an independent election audit.
Like Byamugisha, Mafabi is also Besigye’s loyalist.
Byamugisha said he comes to represent a faction of young people who are the majority supporters of the party but deliberately been denied an equal share of representation in leadership at all levels in the country.
“I was no longer seeing any reason to participate in the FDC because as a youth I saw that we were actively engaging in the full affairs of our party. But following your announcement I can assure you that we are back,” a youth leader is quoted to have assured Byamugisha.
“I am sober, I don’t drink alcohol neither do I smoke. Whatever decision I take know I have thought about metaphorically,” radical Byamugisha responded.
He added that he enters the race with clear conscious that an election isn’t a possible channel to remove the current regime leader Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Therefore a new strategy so different from what the current FDC leadership subscribes to must be crafted.
However, he didn’t divulge details of this strategy.
Byamugisha in 2015 wanted to contest against Muntu for flag bearer but later chicken out when his ‘godfather’ accepted to be nominated in absentia.
He feigned underage as to why he withdrew from the race.
FDC constitution requires one to be a member of 35 years and beyond with advanced level certificate of education to be eligible to stand for the job.
The constitution further allows a member to vie for president only two times but open for flag bearer.
It remains unknown if Secretary General (SG) Mafabi will again contest against his political adversary.
The polls are slated for November this year.