Kampala – The Democratic Party (DP) is grappling with a fresh and public leadership crisis after its Deputy President, Fred Mukasa Mbidde, openly endorsed incumbent Speaker Anita Annet Among for re-election to lead the 12th Parliament—directly contradicting DP President Norbert Mao, who had declared his own bid just a day earlier.
Mao, who also serves as Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs and was recently elected MP for Pece-Laroo in Gulu City, announced his candidacy on February 24, 2026. He joined a field that includes Among, State Minister Persis Namuganza, and Lydia Wanyoto Mutende. Mao positioned his campaign as a reform effort focused on tackling entrenched corruption and restoring accountability in Parliament. He said he had consulted widely and was prepared to run without mounting an elaborate campaign.
However, the reaction from within his own party was immediate. Appearing on Radio 4’s Kigambo Ku Kigambo with Adam Kungu and in clips later circulated on NBS TV, Mbidde questioned the process behind Mao’s decision. He said there had been no formal consultation with party organs or consensus-building within DP before such a major announcement.
Mbidde also challenged the political calculations behind the bid. He argued that any realistic pathway to victory would depend on the cooperation agreement between DP and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), which he noted is set to expire before the Speaker’s election. Without firm backing from the NRM—whose parliamentary majority is expected to exceed 300 seats—Mao’s chances, he suggested, are slim.
DP is projected to enter the 12th Parliament with only six or seven MPs, a number widely viewed as insufficient to mount a viable challenge in a House dominated by the NRM. Mbidde described the move as politically impractical and instead called on DP members and MPs to support Among’s re-election. He commended her stewardship of Parliament, describing it as steady and effective.
The public endorsement has intensified perceptions of internal division within DP. Speaker Among was quoted as questioning whether Mao commands the support of even his own party MPs. Online platforms quickly filled with commentary highlighting the visible rift between the party president and his deputy.
Tensions over DP’s cooperation arrangement with the NRM have been evident for months, but Mbidde’s open break marks a significant escalation. The disagreement now places Mao’s speakership bid under serious strain, raising questions about unity and strategy within the party.
For DP, the episode risks further weakening a party that has struggled in recent years to expand its parliamentary footprint. Visible fractures at the top could undermine confidence among supporters and complicate efforts to rebuild its influence.
Meanwhile, Among’s bid for a second term as Speaker appears strengthened by the unexpected cross-party backing from a senior DP official, reinforcing her position ahead of the 12th Parliament’s opening in May 2026.
As preparations for the new Parliament continue, the unfolding dispute within DP highlights the broader challenges facing smaller opposition parties in a legislature where the NRM retains overwhelming numerical advantage.
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