By Ben Musanje
A high-powered delegation from DP at Heart, led by Edith Byanyima, Julius Dumba, Anthony Waddimba, Ismail Kirya and others, stormed the home of Prof. Germina Namatovu Ssemogerere, widow of the late DP legend Dr. Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere, in a visit filled with solidarity, secrets, and shocking revelations.
The visit wasn’t just a friendly call, it was a wake-up call. The delegation came bearing Easter goodies, but also a clear message: the Democratic Party (DP) is in crisis, and insiders are pointing fingers. Prof. Germina didn’t hold back.
“I married Ssemogerere in 1974… he didn’t bring me to DP; I was already part of it,” she said, asserting her deep roots in the party and hinting at how far current leaders have strayed from its founding values.
She tore into the party’s hierarchy, questioning the legitimacy of leaders who “never started from the village.” Her criticism was sharpest against DP President Norbert Mao, whom she accused of letting money control his decisions. “Mao thinks he can buy everyone with money… but he’s spoiling the party. He’s a dependent on the regime because they’ve bailed him out several times,” she said bluntly.
The conversation turned even more intense when the delegation examined the late Ssemogerere’s surviving “Black Book”, a log of names linked to historical party betrayals.
Julius Dumba warned that they would continue the book’s legacy, documenting those who “committed atrocities to the party and the country.”
Prof. Germina also spoke to the dangers facing Uganda’s politics today, condemning greed and violence. She issued a chilling warning against using guns for political power, noting that bloodshed haunts forever, a lesson she says was also shared with the National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine.
The former mainstream DP Spokesperon Ismail Kirya emphasized that the visit wasn’t just ceremonial: “The regime will do anything to disrupt, disorganize, and threaten you, as they have done with Ssemogerere, Dr Kizza Besigye, and Kyagulanyi,” he warned, highlighting the continued political battles the DP faces.
The delegation also learned from Anna Namakula, daughter of Dr. Ssemogerere, about the PK Ssemogerere Leadership Institute, a U.S.-based organization planning a Ugandan subsidiary. The institute focuses on leadership training, mentorship, and economic empowerment, aiming to create sustainable resources for the party and its members.
The visit showcased DP at Heart’s commitment to honoring the party’s founding pillars while actively resisting financial co-optation and repositioning the DP as a formidable, independent political force in Uganda.
Prof. Germina expressed deep gratitude, describing the visit as both comforting and encouraging, and pledged her continued support for initiatives aimed at revitalizing the Democratic Party in line with the values her late husband stood for.
The delegation vowed to sustain consultations, visits, and grassroots mobilization to rebuild the party from the bottom up, signaling a new, defiant chapter for DP under the banner of unity, renewal, and restoration—values that the late Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere dedicated his life to.
The visit marks the start of what DP at Heart promises will be more outspoken actions, consultations, and grassroots mobilizations, as the faction seeks to reclaim the party from money-driven leadership and revive the vision of its iconic founder.
