DP takes mobilisation drive to Busoga

IGANGA | A section of Democratic Party (DP) legislators have embarked on a countrywide exercise of rejuvenating the party to ensure that they attract new members and change its leadership.

The mobilisation drive is also expected to attract interest in DP flag at various political levels across the country in the forthcoming 2026 general elections.

Led by Buikwe South MP Michael Lulume Bayiga and his Mityana South counterpart Richard Lumu Kizito, the staunch DP members says the rejuvenation is also aimed at attaining the party’s lost glory by having leadership that will stand on the party foundation principles.

This was revealed on Thursday when the MPs under DP parliamentary caucus were meeting the party leaders from all districts in Busoga sub region at Fort Lugard Hotel in Iganga where the members raised a number of concerns which needs to be worked on for the country’s oldest political party to flourish again.

This has come when DP president Norbert Mao was appointed as a minister in the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) of President Museveni while secretary general Gerald Siranda is also dining with the NRM, something the DP members said has caused the public to think that the party was sold to the ruling government.

“Our party has been sleeping and it has been in a state of confusion since Mao crossed to NRM, so we as the parliamentary caucus are having an effort to bring back the party to the attention of Ugandans that the party is national, alive and kicking," Bayiga said.

"We are delighted to see that all districts in Busoga have been represented in this meeting."

He added that they have also embarked on registration of new members to lay a foundation for structure formation, and addressing the weakness of the party after knowing their members and where they are situated.

“We have addressed the concerns of our members and they are going to undertake the process that we have directed them to do," Bayiga said.

"We admit that there were mistakes in the leadership of the party and this forced many of our great leaders to leave but we realise that it is necessary now to clean up our house and enable them come back to an attractive house where they can offer leadership to this country."

However, Lumu called for determination in building the party.

He pledged commitment in realigning the party and said that the party will survive the entire storm.

“The people here are telling us that we need to realign the party and we are determined to do that," he said.

"We are going around the country and meeting those people, reassuring them of the party and the values and we are determined to be ready by the time we reach the national delegates conference.

"Everyone has been talking about every bad thing about the DP but I want to assure people that DP will never die, it will survive all storms."

Lumu said the meeting reflected the commitment by DP members to go down and look for others who will be registered and said their major aim is to take leadership of the country.

He commended the people in Busoga for their effort towards rejuvenating DP but asked Mr Mao step down.

“We gave him the message long ago, I wrote and told him in a text that for the good of the party and actually I am still asking him to relinquish the power for the good of the party and nothing will happen to him," Lumu said.

"Actually, if tomorrow he says he is not contesting, he will come out to be the greatest leader of this party, after messing it up and he comes to admit and afterwards the party will continue with fresh blood."