DP halts NEC to honour King Oyo’s send-off
The Democratic Party has postponed its three-day NEC meeting in Mbarara by one week to honour the late Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV and stand in solidarity with the kingdom during the mourning period.
Democratic Party President General and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Nobert Mao. He directed that the party’s NEC meeting be postponed to the first week of October to allow members to stand in solidarity with the people of Tooro. [Photo by Isaac Nuwagaba]
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The Democratic Party (DP) has postponed its highly anticipated three-day National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting that was scheduled to take place from Thursday, September 10, 2026, to Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Dream Wood Suites Hotel, Mbarara city in Mbarara district, to honour the departed King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro Kingdom.
The emergency NEC meeting, which had been summoned by Secretary General Gerald Siranda to deliberate on the party’s future after the 2026 general elections, has been pushed forward by one week.
In a new circular issued by the DP party President General and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Nobert Mao, directed that the meeting be postponed to the first week of October 2026.
The relationship between DP and Tooro is historical, and we need to respect that, Mao added.
“In the 1961, 62 and 1980 general elections, Tooro sub-region returned DP MPs; among them was the late William Nyakatura, who was elected on a DP ticket in 1980. Nyakatura later served as the Prime Minister of Tooro Kingdom under King Oyo.
For these reasons, DP postpones its NEC in order to stand in solidarity with the people of Tooro and the rest of Uganda during this period of grief," he stated.
Siranda revealed that the new dates for the residential NEC meeting at the same venue, Dream Wood Suites, Mbarara City, will be communicated in due course.
“One of the key issues at the centre of our operations is to update on the DP/NRM cooperation agreement and its implementation in the next five years ending 2031,” Siranda said.
The NEC members have been in office for only one and a half years, but we need an evaluation to streamline our operations until 2031, he concluded.
“The gathering will also elect two NEC members to sit on the finance committee and conduct a review of the DP constitution.”
NEC meetings are called to address party administration, resolve internal conflicts, manage structural compliance, and address matters concerning party interpretation and leadership alignment.