Uganda's opposition leader arrives in Tanzania, to attend Chadema meeting

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania

Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, jetted into Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Wednesday and is expected to attend a three-day meeting organised by Tanzania’s opposition Chadema party.

Kyagulanyi, the leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), was invited to attend Chadema’s General Assembly which begins on Wednesday.

Chadema is expected to, among other issues, rule out the appeal of its 19 special seats MPs who had been stripped of their membership by party’s Central Committee on November 27, 2020.

The party holds that it neither proposed nor endorsed the names of the 19 for special seats in the August House, stressing it was to the party’s surprise that their names came up in Parliament as MPs.

The 19 MPs had been defended by former House Speaker Job Ndugai, who resigned earlier this year due to pressure following his remarks on public borrowing.

“All these MPs have already received their invitation letters and have received them. They will have to come to the meeting to hear the decision of the General Assembly following their appeal,” said John Mrema, Chadema’s director of Protocol and Communications.

Mr Mrema said in a statement early this week the General Assembly will “discuss the unabated rise in fuel which has also exerted pressure on the cost of living in Tanzania.”

Other items on the agenda will include the party’s five-year strategic plan, which includes plans for the 2024 local government elections and the 2025 general election; and discussions on a new constitution and an independent electoral commission.