By Aggrey Baba
Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, interim spokesperson of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), and Kira municipality MP, has said Ugandans should never trust any political party that appears too smooth on the surface. According to him, internal disagreements are a sign of democratic health, not weakness.
“If you find a political party with no disagreements, it is a cult,” he said during a Monday morning appearance on today’s NBS Morning Breeze. “I can assure you there will be disagreements in PFF.”
His remarks were part of a broader discussion on the direction and internal dynamics of the newly-formed political outfit, which is still awaiting formal recognition from the Electoral Commission. He described the PFF as a movement born out of necessity, committed to civic awakening rather than political comfort.
The Outspoken MP revealed that the party submitted its constitution and signatures to the EC as early as November last year. Since then, however, it only got the gazettement last week. He expressed concern that the EC appears to be treating its constitutional duty like a favour.
“The Electoral Commission has a duty under the law. They are not doing anyone a favour,” he said firmly.
While some may expect the PFF to focus on accumulating parliamentary seats, the spokesperson said the party’s true mission is much deeper, challenging what he called “the rule of Museveni and his family” through civic mobilisation, insisting that elections are not useless, but that their results are often pre-determined.
“We have never said elections are meaningless. We have always maintained that the outcome of elections is influenced,” he noted, adding that elections, even when flawed, are an opportunity to speak to Ugandans and rally them toward change.
According to Ssemujju, many Ugandans are quick to embrace new political parties with high energy and fresh faces, but over time, they are confronted with the same walls that have frustrated earlier opposition efforts.
“Anyone new will think they have come with more energy, but along the way, they face the same hurdles. The hurdles that Besigye faced, that NUP faces, everyone will face them,” he said.
He insisted that PFF was never formed to become the biggest opposition party in Parliament but rather to be a spark in the ongoing struggle for democracy. “Our success would be measured against the target to remove Museveni and create change,” he explained.
Responding to questions about the party’s identity, Ssemujju said most political parties in Uganda, be it NRM, NUP, and others, have blue as their dominant colour. PFF, he said, deliberately chose white as its main colour, with only a small strip of royal blue, to symbolise clarity and a new beginning.
He dismissed the notion that fighting for democracy is the responsibility of a few prominent names. “Fighting for democracy isn’t a preserve for a few. Every Ugandan has a duty to make sure their country is free,” he said, urging ordinary citizens to stop waiting for “heroes” and instead join the struggle.
As for the uncertainties that lie ahead, Ssemujju invoked the age-old wisdom that life itself is a game of chance. “Life is about gambling. If something works, it works. If it doesn’t, you look for another opportunity,” he said, painting the PFF as a calculated risk worth taking.
Whether PFF will gain the EC’s nod in time or not remains to be seen. But if Ssemujju’s words are anything to go by, the party is ready for the storms that come with genuine political agitation, and in Uganda’s political theatre, where appearances often mask reality, he made one thing clear that disagreement is not dysfunction, but a proof of life. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
