The Democratic Party (DP), once a formidable force in Uganda’s post-independence politics, is teetering on the edge of collapse after seven more prominent figures—led by Buikwe South MP Dr Lulume Bayigga—announced their defection to the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF).
Bayiga’s departure, along with his immediate appointment as a national vice-chairperson in PFF, has reignited internal turmoil and fueled public speculation that the DP’s historic run may soon end in political extinction.
“DP died long ago,” Bayigga declared during the announcement. “Every attempt we made to breathe life back into it was blocked by the current leadership, so we chose to leave the morgue rather than stay with the corpse.”
He warned that more exits were imminent and issued a grim prediction: “Anyone who remains will be buried with the party.”
Some long-serving DP members, however, are not ready to concede defeat. Veteran party loyalist Ssebuliba Mutumba admitted the party was in critical condition but argued that revival was still possible—if party president Norbert Mao and Secretary-General Gerald Siranda stepped aside.
“DP’s problem is not its founding values,” Mutumba said. “It is the leadership. When they step aside, those of us who remain will revive the green flame.”
Mutumba, who says he is committed to “fighting from within,” described the latest defections as “a heavy blow” but not the final one.
Political historian Mwambutsya Ndebesa offered a more sobering assessment, suggesting that DP's decline is part of a broader historical pattern.
“Liberation-era parties rarely survive beyond seven decades,” Ndebesa said. “DP is past its hospice stage; the hearse is warming up. Anyone who cares about their political future should climb out while the engine is still running.”
Ndebesa likened the current wave of defections to “the latest tremor before total collapse,” warning that the DP no longer offers a viable political platform for serious contenders heading into the 2026 general elections.
As the crisis escalates, the DP’s top leadership has fallen conspicuously silent. Secretary-General Gerald Siranda had initially agreed to an interview but failed to appear at the appointed time and has since ignored follow-up calls.
Hours later, photos emerged of him attending an Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) meeting at State House with President Yoweri Museveni—further stoking controversy over his ties to the ruling establishment.
Repeated efforts to obtain comment from DP officials remained unsuccessful by press time.
Founded in 1954, the Democratic Party once dominated Uganda’s politics, especially in central and southern regions.
But decades of internal wrangling, ideological drift, and charges of collaboration with the ruling National Resistance Movement have steadily eroded its base.
With defections accelerating and its leadership under growing scrutiny, many political observers now believe the DP may not survive long enough to mount a meaningful campaign in 2026.
The question for Uganda’s oldest political party is no longer how to regain relevance—but whether it can remain alive at all.
