DP summons NEC for emergency meeting over internal conflicts
“Due to misinterpretation of our party constitution, party leaders and some members have been running to courts of law without exhausting internal party structures to resolve such conflicts like any other political party, including the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government,” Siranda added.
The summons, issued on Tuesday (September 1) by DP secretary general Gerald Siranda, calls for 54 NEC members to convene from Thursday, September 10 to Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the party headquarters on Balintuma Road in Kampala. (Credit: Isaac Nuwagaba)
Members of the Democratic Party (DP) National Executive Committee (NEC) have been summoned for an emergency meeting to address escalating internal conflicts and what he termed “deliberate constitutional misinterpretation” threatening to tear apart Uganda’s oldest political party.
The summons, issued on Tuesday (September 1) by DP secretary general Gerald Siranda, calls for 54 NEC members to convene from Thursday, September 10 to Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the party headquarters on Balintuma Road in Kampala.
At a weekly party press conference on Tuesday, Siranda said the party had been engulfed by confusion caused by some members misinterpreting the DP Constitution for selfish political interests, leading to parallel structures, illegal meetings and public insults against the party leadership.
“As secretary general and custodian of the party constitution, records and register, I have summoned the legitimate NEC to resolve the internal conflicts and put to rest the misinterpretation of our constitution. We cannot continue to operate as if we have no laws,” Siranda said.
“Due to misinterpretation of our party constitution, party leaders and some members have been running to courts of law without exhausting internal party structures to resolve such conflicts like any other political party, including the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government,” Siranda added.
He said the meeting was convened on the instructions of DP president general and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao, under Article 32 of the DP Constitution, which mandates the president general to convene NEC.
They accused Siranda of “ditching” Mao and instead “endorsed” former ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate and Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among.
At the heart of the DP crisis is the interpretation of when the term of the cooperation agreement the duo signed with the NRM expired and when the National Delegates Conference should be held to iron out the rift between Mao and his deputy, Mukasa Mbidde, who have for months been involved in public outbursts.
A faction led by Bukoto Central MP Richard Sebamala argues that the current NEC, led by Mao, has overstayed its mandate.
According to them, Mao automatically ceased to be DP President when he signed a cooperation agreement with the ruling NRM and became Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in 2022, citing Article 14, which bars a DP President from serving in a government led by another party without approval from the National Council.
“Those members ran to court, but the case was dismissed. I personally went to Sebamala to hand him a DP card, and he helped us and won the party a seat. That’s why we need NEC to chart a new path for our party,” Siranda emphasised.
“Some members have deliberately refused to read the constitution as amended in 2020 and are using the old 2015 constitution to confuse members,” he insisted.
“Some members are moving around with photocopies of the 2010 constitution, claiming Mao should have vacated office. We have amended our constitution three times. The current constitution is 2020 as amended in Mbale 2023. Anyone using an old constitution is causing confusion,” he warned.
DP has been split into two main camps since 2022. The Mao camp, which controls the party headquarters at Balintuma, supports the cooperation agreement with President Museveni’s NRM and says it has kept DP alive financially and politically.
This camp includes Siranda, organising secretary Herbert Rutagwera and national chairman Kiwanuka Mayambala.
The other camp, calling itself “DP at Heart”, opposes cooperation and wants Mao to resign. It includes MP Richard Sebamala, former Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) leaders Ismail Kiirya and Julius Ddumba, and party historicals led by Edith Byanyima, the daughter of former DP chairman Boniface Banyima.
According to the agenda released by Siranda, the NEC meeting will handle five critical issues relating to the recently concluded general elections, team building and strategy, budgeting and internal conflict resolution.
“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 noted.