MBARARA, Uganda – As the Democratic Party (DP) gears up for its National Delegates Conference next week in Mbarara, Richard Sebamala, the MP for Bukoto Central, is poised to challenge incumbent Norbert Mao in a high-stakes presidential election that could reshape the party’s future. With the 2026 general elections looming, Sebamala’s campaign has rallied supporters with a promise to restore DP’s opposition roots, but faces formidable obstacles from Mao’s camp, accused of deploying manipulative tactics to secure victory.
Sebamala’s team has decried a series of moves by Mao, alongside allies Gerald Siranda and Fred Mukasa Mbidde, to tilt the playing field.
Reports indicate Mao’s group has withheld the delegates list, opting to contact delegates personally, a strategy Sebamala calls a blatant attempt to control the vote. Further complicating matters, Mao’s team has imposed strict requirements for delegates to present membership cards, national IDs, and passport photos—demands that could disenfranchise many long-standing members who lack updated cards.
“This is a calculated plot to silence our supporters,” Sebamala charged, highlighting the party’s outdated membership system as a tool for exclusion.
There are also unsubstantiated reports alleging that three delegates from select districts were taken to Gulu to meet Gen. Salim Saleh, President Yoweri Museveni’s influential brother, raising suspicions of external interference. Though no evidence confirms these claims, they have intensified tensions, with Sebamala’s camp accusing Mao of leveraging his ties to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). Mao’s 2022 cooperation agreement with the NRM, which secured him a ministerial post, has been a lightning rod for criticism, blamed for DP’s decline from 15 MPs in 2016 to just 6 in 2025.
Undaunted, Sebamala’s campaign has mounted a robust response. His team has mobilized supporters nationwide, establishing hotlines and regional committees to independently verify delegate lists. A key victory came when Sebamala’s legal team petitioned the electoral commission to allow alternative identification methods, such as witness testimony, to ensure broader participation. “We will not let their tactics derail our fight for a new DP,” a campaign aide declared. Sebamala has also leveraged social media, with hashtags like #SebamalaForDP galvanizing support, particularly in Buganda, where Mao faces accusations of fueling tribal divisions.
A leaked audio, purportedly capturing Mao’s allies discussing vote-rigging strategies, has further bolstered Sebamala’s campaign, though its authenticity remains contested. As the conference approaches, Sebamala’s team is preparing for last-minute challenges, with a legal unit ready to counter attempts to disqualify delegates. Political analysts predict a tight race, with Sebamala’s grassroots momentum potentially tipping the scales against Mao’s entrenched machinery.
If Sebamala prevails, his victory could signal a revival of DP’s opposition credentials, distancing it from the NRM alliance. As delegates converge in Mbarara, all eyes are on whether Sebamala’s resilience and strategic acumen can overcome the odds and usher in a new era for the Democratic Party.
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