Battle for DP presidency: A tale of ambition, intrigue

ELECTION WATCH

KAMPALA - The air is thick with anticipation as the Democratic Party (DP) gears up for what promises to be one of its most contentious delegates’ conferences in recent history. 

As Brian Mayanja and Joseph Batte write, at the heart of this political stand-off is a fierce battle to unseat justice minister Norbert Mao.

This May, the city of Mbarara will transform into a political battleground, where alliances will be tested, ambitions laid bare and the future of Uganda’s oldest political party will be unpacked. 

At the heart of it all? A fierce struggle to unseat Norbert Mao, the party’s president and justice minister. Ronald Kalyango, a seasoned DP member from Rubaga division, is among the many preparing to descend on Mbarara for the delegates’ conference. 

“I have never missed a DP delegates’ conference since 2005,” he said with a hint of pride.

“This time, I am going to influence things. We need new leadership — the current leadership that can help us win more seats in the next elections,” he added. 

Kalyango is not alone in his quest for change. A growing chorus of voices within the party is calling for a shake-up at the top. Leading the charge is a formidable group of Members of Parliament (MPs), including Richard Sebamala (Bukoto Central), Dr Michael Lulume (Buikwe South) and Richard Lumu (Mityana South). 

Sebamala and Lulume have thrown their hats into the ring, vying for the party’s highest office, while Lumu has set his sights on the secretary general’s position, currently held by Dr Gerald Siranda. 

DP president, and Justice minister Norbert Mao.

Not to be outdone, Deo Mjuki, a former parliamentary candidate from Busia, is also eyeing the secretary general’s seat. 

The race for the party chairmanship is also heating up, with veteran politician Francis Bwengye — a former secretary general in the 1980s — declaring his intention to challenge Dr Kiwanuka Mayambala.

Gloves off

As the clock ticks down to the May 29–30 conference, each faction is scrambling to secure the support of delegates. 

According to the DP constitution, delegates include members of the national council, the national executive committee, five representatives from each constituency and one representative each for youth, women and district chairpersons. 

“It is a complex web of alliances and loyalties, and every vote counts,” Kalyango said. But not everyone is convinced that the anti-Mao movement will succeed. Lumu, however, dismisses such predictions outright. 

“That is exactly what Mao’s group wants — for us to leave the party,” he said. “But we are not going anywhere. We are here to contest and I am the right person for the secretary general’s office. I have the experience. Others are just juniors,” Lumu added.

Soroti City coup 

The precursor to the May delegates conference manifested in Soroti city, two weeks ago. What was meant to be a routine gathering of the party’s national council and national executive committee (NEC) meetings turned into a full-blown political showdown. 

The venue? May Seven Gardens Hotel. The stakes? The future of the DP and the fate of its embattled president, Mao. 

The anti-Mao faction, led by MPs Sebamala, Lumu and Lulume, arrived armed with a clear agenda: To challenge Mao’s leadership and dismantle the controversial co-operation agreement between the DP and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government. 

Signed in 2022 at State House, the agreement has been a lightning rod for dissent within the party. The meetings were tense from the start. 

A source privy to the discussions revealed to New Vision that while the agenda was packed with various issues, the anti-Mao group zeroed in on the co-operation agreement. 

Dr Michael Lulume

“Sebamala and Lumu were initially barred from speaking during the national council meeting. When they finally got their chance during the NEC meeting, the verbal sparring was intense. Security had to step in to keep the peace,” a top DP NEC member said. 

The co-operation agreement, signed by Mao and Siranda on one side and President Yoweri Museveni on the other, commits the DP to support the NRM government on parliamentary votes and procedural motions. 

For many DP members, this alliance is a betrayal of the party’s principles — a sentiment Sebamala and his allies were quick to exploit. 

In a bold move, Sebamala tabled a motion to immediately terminate the agreement and suspend Mao from his position. But the motion was met with resistance. 

According to insiders, Mao’s camp managed to rally just nine members to his side, a stark indication of the growing discontent within the party. 

“We received reports from all regions rejecting the co-operation agreement,” Fred Mukasa Mbidde, DP’s vice-president, said. 

“During the meetings, it was shocking to see how many members were against it. The divisions were laid bare for everyone to see,” Mbidde, a strong ally of Mao, said. 
Lulume also expressed his dismay at the turn of events. 

“I had warned them not to discuss the co-operation agreement,” he said. “I was shocked to learn that they went ahead with it. This is an agreement they never sanctioned, and now it’s tearing the party apart,” Lulume said. 

The Soroti meeting, Lulume added, also exposed the deep political fissures within the DP. Yet for Mao, Soroti was just a springboard to jump-start the battle to retain his legacy and prove that his leadership can still unite the party. 

“The national council has full authority to assess the agreement’s impact and determine its future. If it does not serve the party’s interests, it can be reviewed or terminated,” Mao said. 

“DP has a rich history, and we shall not allow anyone to distort it. Our co-operation with NRM does not mean submission. We are here to push for reforms and ensure that democracy thrives,” he added.

MP Eng. Richard Sebamala

Old wars 

Infighting and intrigue are as much a part of the DP’s DNA as its green-and-white colours. From the 1960s to the 1980s, leaders of Uganda’s oldest political party were locked in bitter struggles for control. 

In 2010, during and after the Mbale conference — where Mao competed with the late Nasser Ntege Sebaggala, the former Kampala city mayor — the party’s internal conflicts reached fever pitch. 

One group, led by Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, then the party’s legal adviser and Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze, the publicity secretary at the time, boycotted the conference altogether. 

But even their absence could not stop Mao from clinching the presidency, backed by the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD). 

“At that time, UYD had significant influence in the party’s affairs. Whoever wasn’t backed by UYD stood no chance of winning any position,” Deo Kijjambu, the former Makindye division chairperson and a senior DP member, told New Vision. 

“But even when Mao won, peace remained elusive. Some factions continued to oppose his leadership. I remember how Lulume was denied a chance to serve as secretary general. That also caused a lot of confusion in the party,” Kijjambu added. 

So, to survive the Soroti political onslaught, senior party members said, Mao enlisted Mbidde at the last hour.

Fred Mukasa Mbidde

Mbidde factor

“Mbidde, who had earlier strongly opposed the DP-NRM alliance, turned at the last minute and offered a soft landing for his friend Mao. He saw the storm brewing and stepped in with a motion that was designed to buy Mao time and diffuse the tension,” a seasoned DP MP said. 

Mbidde’s motion called for the DP to issue a notice to the NRM government, demanding it show cause why the co-operation agreement should not be terminated. 

When contacted he confirmed to The Weekend Vision that: “It is true, I moved a motion in Soroti for the commencement of procedures to terminate the co-operation agreement. The grounds I gave were clear: The agreement has never been put into operation. 

There hasn’t been a single meeting to discuss transitions, amendments to laws, respect for fundamental human rights, electoral reforms, or any of the other promises. Therefore, it’s only fair that we begin the termination process.” 

This Mbidde move, Lumu argued, was a calculated attempt to delay the inevitable showdown and buy Mao breathing room. 

“You can’t issue a notice to someone you claim not to be in agreement with,” Lumu argued. 

“Mbidde’s motion implies that the entire DP endorsed the agreement, which is not true. It was signed by a few individuals, not the party as a whole,” he added. 

For now, Mbidde’s motion has shifted the dynamics of the battle. However, some DP members argue that the real showdown will be in Mbarara in May. 

“Reviewing the agreement is a delicate matter that must be handled carefully,” Henry Kacassa told New Vision. 

“If one group rejects the findings, we could see a repeat of what happened in the Forum for Democratic Change. That’s my biggest worry. If the agreement is terminated, the President can still retain Mao. He could simply overrule the termination, saying Mao still has a lot of work to do for him,” he added.

Pundit weighs in

Dr Sam Kazibwe, a political analyst and senior lecturer at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Mukono, believes the effort to oust Mao is more about posturing than actual change. 

“Deep down, they know they can’t defeat him in the national council and national executive committee meetings, or even in court,” he said. “What they are doing is creating an environment to show their supporters that they are fighting a good fight. Many of them are planning to contest in the next elections as MPs, and they want to distance themselves from Mao —either to join other parties or run as independents,” Kazibwe added.