Veteran opposition politician and JEEMA President Asuman Basalirwa has defended the relevance of smaller political parties in Uganda, while acknowledging the structural and financial constraints that continue to undermine their competitiveness in the country’s political landscape.
Appearing on Morning Breeze, a programme hosted by journalist Simon Kaggwa Njala and known for its hard-hitting political interviews, Basalirwa revisited long-running debates about the viability of opposition politics in Uganda, the role of ideology-based parties such as JEEMA, and the challenges of sustaining political mobilisation in a resource-constrained environment.
Basalirwa said the opposition remains heavily constrained by resources, arguing that political competition in Uganda is shaped by more than just ideas.
“Opposition is constrained by money and structure,” he said, adding that political competition is not only about ideas but also about resources, organisational reach, and sustained mobilisation.
He argued that this imbalance has forced many opposition parties into survival mode rather than strategic expansion, weakening their national presence and electoral influence.
Basalirwa also defended JEEMA’s ideological positioning, rejecting claims that the party has stagnated due to leadership dominance or lack of visibility. He insisted that consistency should not be mistaken for weakness.
He said JEEMA’s political approach should instead be understood as endurance in a difficult political environment where smaller parties are often pressured to merge, align, or dissolve into larger formations.
Basalirwa further stressed that ideological parties require time to mature, noting that building institutional political culture in Uganda is a gradual process that cannot be rushed by election cycles.
On opposition cooperation, Basalirwa addressed the shifting alliances that often emerge during elections, saying they tend to lack structure and long-term planning.
He observed that opposition collaboration in Uganda has largely been informal and issue-based rather than built on structured coalitions, a factor he said weakens strategic coordination.
He also noted that political alignments tend to shift rapidly around election periods, making sustained unity difficult to maintain beyond immediate electoral needs.
The interview also touched on the role of media in shaping political narratives. Basalirwa called for more balanced coverage of opposition parties, arguing that media scrutiny often focuses more on internal weaknesses than on the broader structural challenges affecting political competition.
He said media narratives sometimes overemphasise opposition shortcomings while underreporting systemic constraints that affect all political actors, particularly smaller parties.
Looking ahead, Basalirwa reaffirmed JEEMA’s continued participation in national politics, but stressed the need for stronger organisation, strategy, and cooperation among opposition actors if they are to remain competitive.
The Morning Breeze interview underscored a recurring theme in Uganda’s political discourse: “ideology alone is not enough—structure, money, and strategy remain decisive factors in political competition.”