By Aggrey Baba
Kampala Lord Mayor and leader of the Peoples’ Front for Freedom (PFF), Erias Lukwago, has said the new political platform is not competing with any opposition party for dominance, but is instead focused on rallying all forces committed to ending the long-standing rule of the NRM.
Speaking during the unveiling of the PFF leadership, Tuesiday, at their offices at Katonga Road, Lukwago noted that the time for disorganised activism and divided political efforts was over.
He said the opposition must rise above party identity and work jointly to confront the root causes of the country’s stagnation.
During the event, PFF formally unveiled a new leadership lineup with Lukwago as the Party Chairman, Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda as Secretary General, and Gulu Woman MP Betty Aol Ocan as Deputy President. The party also confirmed Dr. Col. (Rtd) Kizza Besigye as Chairperson of its Summit, the highest decision-making organ, placing him at the core of strategic direction.
Besigye, who could not attend in person due to detention, delivered a pre-recorded message that was played to delegates.
In his address, he said Uganda has for years been run by a small clique that has hijacked state institutions and manipulated public resources for its own benefit, leaving the majority of citizens trapped in poverty and despair.
He described the country’s education and health systems as “collapsed,” blaming the deterioration on a regime that only invests in what benefits its survival.
Besigye warned that without collective effort and strategic mobilisation, the suffering of Ugandans would only deepen.
Lukwago, in his speech, made it clear that the PFF is not in competition with FDC, ANT, NUP or any other opposition group, but instead, offering a new home for serious actors ready to commit to the bigger picture of dismantling dictatorship, restoring rule of law, and building institutions that serve the people.
He said that the party’s structure was carefully set up to reflect experience, national character, and a renewed energy to push back against repression. According to him, what has failed Uganda’s opposition is not lack of leaders, but the absence of coordination and a united strategy.
While the launch drew support from notable political figures such as Ken Lukyamuzi, Wafula Oguttu, Alice Alaso, and Gen. Mugisha Muntu, it also drew sharp criticism from FDC, the party from which several of the new PFF leaders defected.
FDC has since dismissed the platform as a project driven by selfish ambition and short-term political calculations.
A senior official who was contacted after the event, according to today’s Newvision, said they believe PFF lacks the legitimacy to mobilise Ugandans without first submitting to democratic structures.
Lukwago, however, brushed off those accusations, insisting that the time to act is now. He said Ugandans are yearning for hope, and that the PFF intends to give them reason to believe in change again.
He called on all change-seeking forces to come together and face the regime as one united front, instead of wasting energy fighting among themselves.
The senior lawyer also urged that the Front will not hesitate to engage other opposition groups on matters of shared interest, but warned that unity must be based on discipline, truth, and the desire to serve, not on convenience or survival politics. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
