DP to identify presidential flag bearer in May

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By Ivan Tsebeni

The Opposition Democratic Party (DP) has rolled out its electoral roadmap, which will culminate in the unveiling of its presidential flag bearer for the upcoming general elections.

Addressing journalists at the DP headquarters on April 1, 2025, Nobert Mao, the DP president general, said the entire process is aimed at laying a solid foundation for internal democracy to thrive.

"We are the mothers of democracy in Uganda's political space. We have been here preaching the gospel of democracy since 1954," Mao said.

According to the roadmap, DP will identify grassroots leadership at the village level from April 1 to April 6 this year. From April 7 to 13, the party will focus on identifying leaders at the parish level.

From April 14 to 20, DP will elect sub-county party leadership, followed by the installation of constituency leaders from April 21 to 27.

At the district level, DP will elect leaders from April 24 to May 4, 2025. The party will then identify national leadership from May 21 to May 30.

The internal electoral process will conclude during the national delegates' conference, scheduled for May 30 in Mbarara. During the conference, the party will elect its president general, who, according to DP's constitution, will also serve as the presidential flag bearer in the general elections.

According to the plan, a total of 54 leadership positions are up for grabs at the national level. In each district, there are several DP positions available for election, and there are 13 subcounty positions at the subcounty level.

Parties gear up

As the 2026 polls rapidly approach, political parties are gearing up for what promises to be a competitive democratic process. However, the road to the elections remains rocky, with major opposition parties grappling with seemingly irreparable divisions.

For example, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), after fading from the 2021 presidential race, has struggled to maintain relevance due to weak leadership, constant defections, and lingering in the shadow of its former leader, Dr Kiiza Besigye. 

Party president Patrick Amuriat faces the daunting task of uniting the party and calming its waters.

The crisis within the party began when Besigye tacitly endorsed Amuriat as party president in 2017, aligning with FDC secretary general Nandala Mafabi to challenge Mugisha Muntu, one of the party's founders, in a bitterly contested election.

Amuriat, a little-known politician who had closely followed Besigye, triumphed over Muntu, a well-known national figure, in a contest that highlighted deep ideological differences. This election mirrored the 2012 delegates' conference, where Muntu, then subtly supported by Besigye, defeated Nandala. Muntu was later branded a mole and formally quit the party in 2018.

Both the Democratic Party (DP) and the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) have signed memoranda of understanding with the NRM, where senior officials hold positions in Cabinet. 

DP president Mao is the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, while Betty Amongi, a UPC member and wife of UPC Chairman Jimmy Akena, is the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development.

Besigye’s concerns seem justified, as the NRM has successfully attracted several prominent figures from FDC in recent years, including Beti Kamya, Beatrice Anywar, Thomas Tayebwa, Anita Among, and, most recently, the high-profile defection of Joyce Ssebugwawo.