By Aggrey Baba
(Facing growing political pressure and internal losses, DP says it’s ready to welcome back defectors, but only through formal party processes, as it locks the 2026 flag to its loyal MPs in a bid to stabilise ahead of elections).
Faced with mounting political competition and the continued erosion of its traditional base, Nobert Mao’s Democratic Party (DP) has unveiled a calculated strategy to protect its few remaining Members of Parliament (MPs) ahead of the 2026 general elections, exempting them from internal primaries and focusing on rebuilding grassroots support across the country.
In a recent press briefing at the party headquarters at Balintuma road in Kampala, DP Secretary General Gerald Siranda announced that all current DP MPs will retain the party flag automatically, without having to contest in party primaries.
The move affects four MPs, Richard Ssebamala (Bukoto Central), Fred Kayondo (Mukono South), Geoffrey Okello (Nwoya East), and Peter Okot (Tochi County), who also serves as party whip and vice president for northern Uganda.
While framed as a way to save time and financial resources, DP insiders say the decision is also aimed at protecting the party’s shrinking parliamentary presence and avoiding further internal splits.
“This is about stability and leadership,” Siranda said, comparing the gesture to servant leadership and calling it a show of trust in loyal MPs who have not abandoned the party.
DP, Uganda’s oldest political party, has suffered major setbacks in recent years, with several high-profile defections to the National Unity Platform (NUP) and other opposition groups. Among those who left are former DP MPs Fortunate Nantongo (Kyotera Woman), Luttamaguzi Ssemakula (Nakaseke South), John Lukwago Mpalanyi (Kyotera County), and Patrick Nsanja (Ntenjeru South). Others like Dr. Lulume Bayigga (Buikwe South) joined the People’s Front for Freedom.
Siranda made it clear that the new policy only applies to current MPs who have stayed loyal. Former members who left the party will not benefit from this waiver. He confirmed that DP is already fielding fresh candidates in areas where defections occurred, including Buikwe and Nakaseke South.
Even as the party moves to protect its strongholds, it is extending an olive branch to defectors. Siranda said there is still room for reconciliation, but those wishing to return must formally reapply and follow party procedures.
He jokingly said the party would “slaughter a big cow” to welcome back high-profile returnees like Luttamaguzi, but warned against jumping from one political shelter to another without direction.
Meanwhile, the party is intensifying efforts to rebuild its grassroots machinery. Siranda revealed plans to ensure that every village in Uganda has 22 DP leaders as part of its local structures, a move aimed at consolidating early support and reactivating the party’s dormant networks.
The strategy to bypass primaries for sitting MPs is not new to DP. The same method was used in 2016 when the party retained MPs like Mathias Mpuuga, Medard Lubega Sseggona, and Paul Luttamaguzi without subjecting them to contests.
This year’s decision, however, comes at a time when the party is under pressure to prove its relevance amid growing dominance by NUP in Buganda and by other parties in the north and east.
While some critics see the move as undemocratic, DP leaders argue it is a necessary political calculation to safeguard the party’s future.
As the 2026 election season gains momentum, the DP’s survival may depend less on competition within, and more on cohesion, rebuilding lost trust, and reawakening its historic grassroots support.
