NRM Director of Information and Public Relations, Emmanuel Dombo, has vigorously defended President Yoweri Museveni, asserting that the president's long-standing leadership is a product of democracy rather than authoritarianism and that the president has established the frameworks necessary for the emergence of leaders such as opposition MP Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda.
Dombo expressed his views, responding to a recent wave of criticism aimed at Museveni’s extended stay in power. He stated, “President Museveni has been consistently around because of democracy and what he has done is to create instructions that have enabled the emergence of leaders like Ssemujju.”
His remarks come after Ssemujju publicly criticized Museveni, claiming that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) no longer functions as a political party, accusing the president of dismantling the party’s leadership to consolidate his power.
In contrast, Dombo defended Museveni’s legacy, emphasizing that the president has laid down democratic frameworks that allow even his fiercest critics, like Ssemujju, to rise through the ranks of leadership.
Dombo’s statement aligns with the NRM’s longstanding position that Museveni’s prolonged tenure has been the result of free and fair elections and the will of the people.
However, critics argue that Museveni’s government has stifled democratic space by suppressing opposition voices and extending his rule through constitutional amendments that removed presidential age and term limits.
His comments have reignited the debate about the health of Uganda’s democracy and the role Museveni plays in shaping its future.