By Moses Mulondo
A new political party, the United Uganda Peoples Party, has been launched in Kampala with the mission to campaign for eradication of militarism, to promote peace and democracy.

“Militarism is the greatest enemy of democracy in Africa. When Obote had become unpopular in 1966 he resorted to militarism which was the only way he could cling on power,” Eng. Swabri Ali Mukungu, the founding president, said yesterday.

“After Mengo legislators moved a motion for passing a vote of no confidence against Obote, which was supported by all legislators except William Kokoma, Obote arrested the ministers opposed to him. He subsequently abrogated the 1962 constitution hence ushering in a military government,” Mukungu added.

He also said his party was registered in 2005 as Uganda People’s Party but had since changed its name to suit the campaign menu in 2011.”

Mukungu, a lecturer at Kyambogo University, said he would contest in the 2011 presidential race.

A seasoned politician, Haji Sulaimani Masaba is the party chairman.

Launching the party at Christ the King Hall on Tuesday, party officials vowed to resist an imminent law regulating cultural leaders.

The officials said they would also file a case in the Constitutional Court seeking exclusion of Article 246, which talks about cultural leaders.

Although Mukungu hails from Busoga, he said when he becomes the president, he will make Luganda the national language, arguing that it is widely spoken in the country.

Unlike other opposition groups, the party is not opposed to Badru Kiggundu’s Electoral Commission.

“Rigging is not done by the Electoral Commission. It is fueled by government-inspired intimidation and stuffing of ballot boxes. We need to give space to the Electoral Commission to efficiently carry out this work,” he said.