The opposition parties in Uganda are currently entangled in internal fights, incoherence and poor leadership with each party having at least more than two factions.
The Democratic Party is divided with Nobert Mao faction against Lulume Bayiga’s team, FDC has Najjanankumbi faction led by Patrick Amuriat and Nandala Mafabi against Besigye’s Katonga faction. The National Unity Platform is grappling with Pro-Mpuuga team against Bobi Wine and a developing rift with Ssenyonyi, and so is the old UPC grappling with infights.
These sharp divisions and fights in these parties are due to lack of ideological foundation and selfishness that has seen leaders fight for positions and resources in the relevant parties. The same reason has affected the performance of these parties in elections to the extent that even when they think of uniting for a common cause, ego cannot allow the leaders to unite, the example is the recently planned united forces of change that did not see the light of the day.
Apparently none of the leaders in their respective parties blames himself for the confusion, instead of owning mistakes and do soul searching, they use the media platforms to blame the NRM and President Museveni for their internal fights and mal-administration. The NUP president accuses Museveni of using money to bribe some of his members but ideally everybody who follows politics closely understands that Bobi Wine’s political expediency and lack of leadership skills have slowly but surely pulled NUP down.
In 2018, Mugisha Muntu was harassed and branded a mole by Kizza Besigye and group until he quit the Forum for Democratic Change. After a few years, his tormentors who included Nandala Mafabi have since been branded by Kizza Besigye as moles and accused of receiving money from president Museveni. Like Muntu’s scenario, there is no evidence that has ever been tabled to prove the allegations on both Muntu and Nandala.
Building these political parties on individuals rather than ideology is the main cause of these divisions. These individuals look at the parties as personal properties and use them as vessels for selfish interests, reason fighting for resources and patronage have dominated these parties and it is not about to stop.
The reason NRM has remained strong and still counting is because the party’s strong ideological base and values and so it will be hard to defeat even in the future elections.
It is high time these opposition leaders own their mistakes and do soul searching instead of apportioning blames. The question is at what time are they going to? The leaders seem to have learnt nothing and forgotten nothing from their past election losses and they have continuously committed similar strategic mistakes. It is without doubt that the same mistakes will have a toll on their election performance in 2026 and hence giving NRM soft landing.
