A look back at Uganda's politics in 2023
Dec 30, 2023
Uganda’s oldest political party, the Democratic Party (DP), split into two groups, with key Members of Parliament saying the new ‘DP phase three’ had been formed to wrest power from the party’s president general, Norbert Mao.
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party matters hogged Uganda's political space in 2023. (New Vision archives)
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The dates shown are for when the respective stories were published in the New Vision newspaper.
January 4: DP splits, new parallel offices established
Uganda’s oldest political party, the Democratic Party (DP), split into two groups, with key Members of Parliament saying the new ‘DP phase three’ had been formed to wrest power from the party’s president general, Norbert Mao.
January 10: Detractors want to kill me, says Mao
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao, revealed that detractors wanted to kill him, justifying his security detail which he said was beefed up even before he was appointed justice and constitutional affairs minister.
January 11: Museveni to seek re-election in 2026, says VP Alupo
The Vice-President, Maj. (rtd) Jessica Alupo, in a categorical insight about President Yoweri Museveni’s future political plan said that the chairman of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) would seek re-election in 2026. She was speaking to 514 headteachers drawn from central region districts at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi.
January 12: NUP suspends leaders over misconduct
The leadership of the National Unity Platform (NUP), suspended five of its members over allegedly engaging in gross misconduct.
February 5: EAC leaders call for ceasefire in eastern Congo
East African Community (EAC) leaders called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and resolved that all foreign armed groups must leave the country.
February 23: Omoding replaces dad as Serere County MP
Emmanuel Omoding trounced four other candidates to replace his late father Patrick Okabe, as the Serere County Member of Parliament. Omoding, an independent candidate, garnered 15,638 votes ahead of his closest challenger, NRM’s Phillip Oucor, who polled 13,206 votes.
February 26: Mao asks NUP to publicize constitution
The justice and constitutional affairs minister, Norbert Mao, kicked up a political storm within the National Unity Platform (NUP), with a demand that the opposition party publicly tables its constitution.
March 2: Serere’s Omoding signs pact with NRM
The newly elected Serere County MP, Emmanuel Omoding signed a pact with the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
March 30: Kampala NRM leaders table demands on PDM
President Yoweri Museveni urged the National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders in Kampala to render all the necessary support to ensure the success of government programmes aimed at lifting people out of poverty.
April 16: NUP legislators to serve for two terms
The National Unity Platform (NUP) amended its constitution and imposed a two-year term limit to all its party leaders including the party president and Members of Parliament (MPs) effective the next general elections.
May 9: EC declares 500 political positions
The Electoral Commission (EC) announced at least 515 vacant political positions across the country. The EC said that the positions had been vacated by virtue of office bearers dying in office or seeking greener pastures outside of politics.
May 11: Ugandan-born Kalibala elected to Swiss Parliament
Dr Jacklean Kalibala, a Ugandan-born Swiss national, became the first Ugandan to be elected as an MP in Switzerland.
June 12: Besigye quits elective politics
Speaking at a consultative workshop on constitutional and electoral reforms at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Col (rtd) Kizza Besigye downplayed calls that he should contest as a joint candidate for the Opposition in 2026.
June 15: NRM’s Akol wins Bukedea LC5 seat
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Mary Akol wrote history in Bukedea politics after she emerged as the first female district chairperson in a by-election.
June 22: Mapenduzi signs deal with NRM
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bardege Layibi MP Martin Ojara Mapenduzi. The agreement allowed the MP to formally associate and work with the NRM as an independent MP without necessarily crossing to the party.
June 28: FDC probes sh7b bribery allegations
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party instituted a committee to investigate allegations that a section of its party members received sh7b to finance their campaigns.
July 3: Museveni orders probe on Bukedea polls
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) personnel started a probe into irregularities in Bukedea district chairperson byelection following a directive by President Yoweri Museveni to SHACU’s head, Brig. Henry Isoke, to investigate the violent byelection, which saw one of the candidates attacked, beaten and his clothes torn at the Electoral Commission (EC) offices.
July 6: UPC’s Apio wins Oyam North county seat
Richard Onoba, the Oyam district returning officer, announced Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) flag-bearer Dr Eunice Apio Otuko as the winner of the hotly contested byelection.
July 22: Speaker calls for probe of political parties over funds
The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among directed the Auditor General, John Muwanga, to audit all political parties with representation in Parliament. She argued that although parties such as JEEMA, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), the National Unity Platform (NUP), People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), the Democratic Party (DP) and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), receive money directly from government, such funds have never been accounted for.
July 28: Chaos as FDC unleashes kiboko squad
Chaos marred the special Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) meeting convened for all district chairpersons to resolve the current impasse among the top leaders.
July 30: FDC elders’ report pins Besigye
Most of the party leaders and elders interviewed pinned Dr Kizza Besigye, former party president and founder, of continued attempt to micro-manage the institution. They also accused him of abandoning the party plan to mobilise funds and being a stumbling block to party cohesion.
July 31: Row over FDC polls
Tension remained high in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) over the internal party elections. The party national council convened and resolved that in areas where elections were not held would wait for a new date set by national executive committee (NEC).
August 01, 2023: EC releases 2026 election roadmap
The political fever began to take hold across the country when the Electoral Commission (EC) rolled out a roadmap for the 2026 general election at Hotel Africana in Kampala. The EC drew a budget of over sh1.387 trillion for implementing this roadmap, almost doubling the amount of sh698.656b it spent to organise the 2021 general election.
August 1: 2026: Cabinet readies new electoral laws
The Government committed to table new electoral laws by the end of the year. The move was expected to smoothen the running of the 2026 elections due in three years’ time, to ensure they are freer and fair.
August 3: FDC crisis takes new twist
A section of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) National Executive Committee (NEC) members denounced the leadership of the secretary general, Nandala Mafabi and Patrick Oboi Amuriat, the party president. They said the activities supervised by Mafabi and Amuriat at FDC were null and void.
August 7: FDC crisis: Besigye spills ‘dirty’ money secrets
At his Katonga Road offices, former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party president Dr Col (rtd) Kizza Besigye broke down as he narrated the genesis of the current party crisis.
September 14: NRM wins Hoima chairperson seat
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party candidate, Uthman Mugisha, was declared the winner of the Hoima district LC5 byelection. Mugisha garnered 18,353 votes, defeating his closet rival, Vincent Muhumuza (independent), who polled by 12,020 votes.
September 16: I will stand for president in 2026, says Mafabi
Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the secretary general of the crisis-hit Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), declared intention to stand for president in 2026.
September 28: NRM caucus quizzes Nabbanja over UN trip
Members of Parliament from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party asked President Yoweri Museveni to stem what they called wasteful expenditure on travel abroad. Citing what they described as the bloated team that escorted the Vice-President, Jessica Alupo and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
October 6: FDC holds 8th national delegates meeting
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) held a national delegates conference to elect new leaders after the High Court declined to issue a temporary injunction requested for by the splitter group.
October 11: How Ssemujju was ousted as FDC whip
Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda was dethroned as the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party whip, putting an end to a month-long protracted legal battle. He was replaced by Mawokota South MP Yusuf Nsibambi as the new FDC whip.
November 23: 2026 polls: NRM roadmap out
Ahead of the 2026 general elections, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) electoral commission chairperson, Dr Tanga Odoi, unveiled the road map for internal polls, noting that over four million leaders would be elected next year.
November 24: Nyombi appointed new UCC boss
Former ICT state minister Nyombi Thembo is the new executive director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). ICT minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi appointed the 59-year-old former Kassanda South MP to lead UCC for the next five years.
November 26: Gen. Kayihura vows to support MK Movement
The former Inspector General of Police, Gen. (rtd) Kale Kayihura, vowed to support the MK Movement in whatever it wants to do. He said the civic organization and pressure group was following in their footsteps as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) revolutionists.
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