Political drama can damage democratic institutions

______________

OPINION

By Amlan Tumusiime

A day to the elections of district chairpersons countrywide, the Bugahya county MP, Hoima district, Pius Wakabi’s family reported a case of a missing person at the police, saying he was missing. The family also ran radio announcements.

The media, including New Vision, also ran the same story. Some gullible people started claiming that I was behind the “abduction” of the MP because we contested together in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries, and that I did not want the MP to make a final campaign for the NRM district chairperson flag-bearer, Vincent Savanna Muhumuza, who lost to my 27-year-old nephew, Uthuman Mugisha Mubaraka, the incumbent LC5 chairperson for Hoima.

Social media reported that the MP was found dumped in Kinyara sugar plantations in Masindi district. Analysts claim the MP wanted voters to vote against my son as a way of sympathy because people knew he was supporting and campaigning for Muhumuza.

After the elections, the MP surfaced and addressed the media, saying nobody had abducted him, but he was hiding from some people whom he did not mention. This is similar to the National Unity Platform president Robert Kyagulanyi’s situation.

After the January 15 presidential elections, where he came second to President Yoweri Museveni (NRM), he went into hiding, claiming that the Government was looking for him. Government officials, including the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, the Information Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi and the acting army spokesperson Col. Chris Magezi, have informed the nation that government is not looking for Kyagulanyi.

This political drama is a bad trend that can erode public confidence in government institutions, lowering trust in democracy and its processes. Gullible Ugandans can easily believe that the Government is using its institutions to harass political opponents, which is not the case.

Political drama often thrives on misinformation, lies and conspiracy theories that spread faster than facts, especially in this new social media age. It creates a false narrative of the binary choices where complex issues are reduced to simplistic and often extreme options. Some people are now engaged in the Bobi Wine “disappearance,” instead of focusing on serious issues.

This political drama can lead to instability and cause hate among different groups because it encourages the “us” vs “them” narratives, creating artificial divisions, fostering animosity between groups and increasing social tension. This political rage, particularly on social media, can lead to intense hostility and a perception that politics is inherently angry and toxic. Uganda has held presidential elections since 1996 and the recent elections of 2026 2031 were the most peaceful.

When politics becomes a show, politicians may prioritise sensationalism and personal attacks over substantive policy debates, ideological discussions and the welfare of the people.

This focus on the “horse race” or dramatic conflict deters voters from judging candidates based on their policy positions.

Political drama increases political cynicism and apathy because constant political drama conflict can lead to widespread cynicism, where citizens distrust the motivations of all political actors, believing that they are guided by personal, self-serving interests rather than the public good. This cynicism can cause people to withdraw from the democratic process of participating in elections. It is on record that it is only President Museveni who cares for the people and works for the interest of the people.

I don’t believe that Kyagulanyi is in hiding because President Museveni’s administration wants to hurt him, as he claims. I have seen him on social media claiming that he is being witch-hunted by government.

How come that in the last elections of 2021, where he performed much better than in 2026, the Government did not witch-hunt him? Bushwar Generals like Lt Gen. Henry Tumukunde and the late Maj. Gen. Benon Biraro contested for the presidency, and government never harassed them. Col Dr Kizza Besigye contested for the presidency and was more grounded than Kyagulanyi, but could stay in the country doing his own business after the elections.

Former Secretary General of the NRM, also former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, Democratic Party president Nobert Mao and Uganda People’s Congress president Jimmy Akena have all contested for the Presidency, and they are safe in the country. Actually, Nobert Mao is serving as a minister in Museveni’s government, and so is Akena’s wife, Betty Amongi.

President Museveni is even working with both the children and grandchildren of former President Idi Amin Dada. Why then target Kyagulanyi?

Kyagulanyi is not fighting to become the president to serve the interests of Ugandans, but merely serving some foreign interests.

He is causing this political drama to attract the attention of his Western allies because he has tried to mobilise citizens to go to the streets, but has failed to convince them because the citizens know Uganda is a democratic country with a good president and do not want to be party to those trying to destabilise the peace and stability of the country.

The President has many times told Ugandans that he cannot kill his political opponents because his leadership has a hand of God. He also says killing opponents makes them heroes.

If Museveni is indeed a dictator, as Kyagulanyi and his allies want us to believe, how come he is working with the families of former presidents who were politically fighting him?

How come those opposed to him do not talk about this? Is it because they don’t know it or because they possess unnecessary hatred against the person of the President?

Mr President, the Government needs to ensure that Kyagulanyi is found and brought to his home. State enemies can take advantage of his political drama and hurt him, and the public will think that it is the state that has done it. They can do this to spoil the good name and reputation of your government.

The writer is NRM mobiliser for Bunyoro