UGANDA: OLIGARCHY POLITICAL WILL IN ACTION-REAL WORLD EXAMPLES

President Museveni force unveiled a true militarism on August 25, 2025. National Resistance Movement delegate conference at Kololo brings together NRM delegates from across the country for election, policy discussions and strategy sessions ahead of the 2026 general elections.

However, in October 2020; National Unity Platform’s (UNP), planned rallies in Kampala were canceled abruptly just hours before were due to start, with police citing vague “Security threats” this moves many political observers view as curtailed opposition outreach at a critical moment ahead of 2021 elections.

GULU CITY-FRIDAY AUGUST 26, 2025. 

By Okumu Livingstone Langol (our Correspondent)

Moro District Campaign heats as Okot Andrew Bitek Obi Bii and Okello Francis Mawa threaten that the Omoro Community will boycott the NRM and move out since the NRM tribunal annulled the election of LCV CHAIRMAN Okot Obibii announcing his rival Okello Dogless Okao as NRM flag bearer.

Both Okot Obi Bii and his campaign manager Mawa Francis accused long hand, saying we know that there are some interferences by people outside Omoro District who are behind rigging out Obi Bii, without mentioning names.

“We are moving out in the NRM party, and I am going to stand to face those who are behind election rigging, Okot Obi Bii warned that we are going to support Betty Layika as independent candidates. Also, Mawa says we are moving out of NRM and facing those who are behind the Omoro NRM grassroot election, without mentioning names.

Both Mawa Francis and Okot Obi Bii reiterated that they will support the NRM president in the Feb. 13 2026 presidential polls, but promised Omoro NRM supporters to stand with them and vote out election rigging. “I am standing as an independent candidate for Omoro District chairman, we shall deal with those who are behind election rigging.

Walter Okidi Ladwar, lawyer of Okello Peter Douglas Okao informs Radio Rupiny FM 95.7 that the electoral Commissioners who was dragged by his client Okello Peter Okao before NRM tribunal never appeared and sent their representative to defend the position where Prof. Tango Odoi declared Okot Obi Bii winner of Omoro LCV district chairman.

“None of you or NRM Commissioners appeared to defend why the two Sub Counties Lakwaya and Labora voters were not counted as voters during NRM primary election, you cannot blame me as Okidi Walter Ladwar who is a lawyer.”

Mathias Mupuga, the President of Democratic Front DF party launched his political campaign in Gulu City on Friday August 29, attracting 9 Aspirants Members of Parliament MP who defected from National Resistance Movement Party as NRM delegate conference are locked in Kampala City decried for money.

“We are here in Gulu City for business and we are to do something to liberate our people from the bandage of political patronage, you see from the eyes of people who are to be liberated. The DF party is struggling to build a country which has been destroyed by gun men. Museveni wants to tell us how he lives the power, but we are the one to tell him that time is over, we need to discuss the future of Uganda political road map transition.”

Mupuga ads, President Museveni is on clip is going down where is strategic of political parties to check Uganda, D.F party is a party of reformist, I am one of the founder members of National Unity Platform, but political party is not run from the bedroom, i am here to reform our document so that we can take over power from dictatorship Museveni.

I have three agenda to fulfill, first, is reconciliation because for the last 62 years Uganda have been killing themselves, without reconciliation, this gun men will also face the same, secondly, my party will address transitional justice framework for Uganda, because we want to address the past and reform the constitution since 1995 when Uganda Constitution was amalgamated, the constitution has been diluted. The country cannot be run without the document and the rule of law.This must be decided by building consensus with all Ugandans.

We don’t want the constitution that is to be led by gun men, we are not going to election where the winner takes it all, this Uganda belong to us all, we need reform to rehabilitate the citizens, Gen Museveni is exiting out, but is going the wrong way, he wants to handle Uganda through cultural constitution, we have to change in a reformist way.

Democratic Front party paraded dozens of MP aspirants MP candidates defected from NRM party including former Aruu North MP, Hon. Achiro among other, Matthias Mupunga went To Gulu City accompanied by D.F vice president

The Opposition’s political parties have witnessed brutality since President Museveni came to power in 1986, first he disbanded political parties’ activities to operate within Kampala party offices. Dr. Kizza Besigye who founded Uganda Reform Agenda in 2001 had faced military challenges. So in the 2021 election period, Robert Kyagulnayi aka Bobi Wine NUP went through multiple arrests and policy violence, severely restricting his campaign’s ability to mobilize voters.

Yet in contrast, a case in point, the National Resistance Movement held large rallies with full state security support and no interference. When Ugandans ask themselves as we look back at the role of Uganda Electoral Commission ability to conduct free and fair elections there has been unequal enforcement. Both during the four attempted Presidential elections by Dr. Kizza Besigye in 2021, 2006, 2011 and 2016, and the latest during 2021 elections the opposition rallies were frequently capped on crowd size and movement.

While NRM events routinely violated these regulations without repercussions, this selective enforcement of law undermines the integrity of electoral processes. Does Uganda have a legal framework and rights at stake, or we are witnessing shadow democracy cum militarism within the armpit of African statement Museveni?

And yet the Constitution of Uganda 1995 guarantees fundamental rights to freedom of assembly (article 29) says freedom of expression, and political participation are guarantees to every citizen of Uganda regardless.

However, Uganda parliament which the school of thought chartered as a rubber stamp, mooted Public Order Management Act (2013), intended to regulate public gathering, but has often been used disproportionately against the opposition parties, by restricting their lawful political activities.

The one man shows Uganda Electoral Commission Guidelines that would have been a watchdog aim to ensure fair campaigning, but are evenly applied, favoring ruling party events over opposition.

Ugandans and the political think thanks view the selective application of laws and regulations raises concerns about violations of constitutional guarantees and international commitments Uganda has ratified, such as the African Charter on Human and People rights, which underscores political freedoms and democratic participation.

What could have been the part forward political transitions as Museveni prepared to hand power either to his family root or would be the process of rule of laws Ugandans Wants?

The events that unfolded since president Museveni released Uganda opposition parties from the bandages prison, when Uganda undertook a referendum on politics in 2005. This partner of selective political will distorts Uganda’s democratic fabric, creating uneven playing field that risks political stability and citizen trust to foster a genuinely competitive political environment that grants reform that Uganda is yearning to achieve post Museveni military era.

What are the keys political hallmark that evincing the political transitions road map for Uganda to achieve fully democratic rule of law:  Electoral Commission must ensure impartial enforcement of laws and electoral regulations to promote transparency in public funding and campaign to finance for all parties, protect opposition rights to assembly, expression and political participation without fear of harassment or violence as has been order of the day for the last 40 years president Museveni has been at reign of power.

Finally, does Uganda under the semi democracy and militarism manage to strengthen independent oversight bodies like Electoral Commission and the judiciary, if not all the underlying issues have not been addressed, there is no political transition as President Museveni beat African leaders to stay in power stressing over to almost 50 years. If not one day God makes him fail to wake up.

The challenges most third world countries face is failure to make pronounce advocacy and civic education as part moving towards democratic reform, as Uganda is bedrock the so-called global fight on terrorism the yard stick President Museveni thrives to curtailed rule of law.

We have seen in the recently concluded NRM delegate’s conference how billions of moneys were used. And yet the preparation toward civic education coupled with dwindling poverty and ignorance of the population in regards to civic education campaigns would have empowered citizens with knowledge of their constitutional rights and mechanisms to demand for accountability. However, the deep state system used polarization creating almost a single party system when Norbert Mao, Presidential General of Democratic Party (DP), Jimmy Akena, son to Dr. Apollo Milton Obote the founding father of Uganda Independent, leader of Uganda People Congress (UPC), Party marched and joined NRM party (money lender), is there advocacy and civic education to demand advocacy efforts aimed at government institutions and international partners.

The opposition parties can press for reforms that can establish clear, fair, and transparent procedures for rally permits and public venue use to promote balanced media coverage across political parties. And also hold security agencies accountable for impartiality in protecting all political actors and finally increase public funding and ease access to financial resources for political parties.

The bigger picture impacting of political imbalance in Uganda has been largely seen within internal party elections continue as international bodies also observed systemic imbalances that undermine Uganda border democratic process as follows:

There has been election risk due to failure to make electoral reform, where by the opposition parties should have hand in appointing EC Commissions or intendent bodies procedural rather than genuinely competitive to accommodate citizens apathy and distrust grow as political apace narrows

Finally, would International Observations, the EU election Observation Missions, Human Rights Watch and ACFIM have all reported disproportionate use of state power against opposition?

What has been the case when the ruling NRM party rigged elections even the African Union has continued to occasionally accuse and raise issues about the shrinking civic space in Uganda, a system where one party enjoys state machinery while other are punished for organizing is not a level playing ground.

“It corrodes the legitimacy while other endangers political stability in the long term for Uganda to advance political will it must be applied impartially, respecting constitution rights to assembly, expression and association in regardless of party format

Otherwise, the recent NRM delegate’s conference mired a true transitional power from Museveni to yet another Bananas republic, Museveni ruling NRM government has demonstrated chaos during primary NRM election where Uganda witnessed violence shooting of others contestants, ballot votes stuffing, killing and so on. Where is Uganda heading after Museveni says Goodby

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