The country is currently witnessing the greatest intrigue and open anger from various opposition political parties all directed to Uganda’s leading opposition political party the NUP. But why would an opposition political party fight another opposition political party?
In Uganda, opposition political parties no-longer disagree on fact, strategy or policy as the terrain has been turned into an open area to approve and disapprove personal grievances. This casts the final doubts about the future of the Country’s opposition politics against president Museveni’s four-decade tenure.
In different attempts to occupy opposition political space in the country, various political parties have cropped, and deliberate attempts are currently being made through international processes to field candidates in various positions of presidential, parliamentary and local governments. However, other parties are largely focusing on fielding only presidential candidates only and with no concerns about the rest of the positions which analysts claim could be a move to reduce Bobi Wine’s relevance especially in his strong hold Buganda sub region.
However, this will see a division of the opposition votes against president Museveni’s NRM block vote which immediately reflects an early lead. Will the opposition parties unite against the ruling NRM? It’s nearly impossible depending on the ongoing beef and verbal exchanges directed toward each other.
It has since become an open secret about the ongoing grievance amongst the newly formed political parties against the NUP and its party president Bobi Wine who has always faced blackmail as an incompetent and lost fellow. This has been evident on both social media and mainstream media like Televisions and radios.
The newly formed Democratic Front, Ecological Party, Common Man’s Party, FDC-Najjanankumbi among others have always been quoted despising Bobi Wine as a waste in opposition efforts to overthrow president Museveni’s 40 years tenure citing incapability and lack of direction. Many of these party leaders are always on social media and Mainstream media asserting these allegations. Most notorious include Mathias Mpuga, Muhamad Nsereko, Mubarak Munyagwa, Lubega Mukaku, Mike Mabike, Michael Kakembo, Solomon Bigirwa among others.
Some of these parties’ leaders claim that Bobi Wine and his accolades like the NUP secretary General Lewis Rubongoya, Joel Ssenyonyi Leader of Opposition in parliament, Chairman Nyanzi among others are state agents created by the regime to weaken the opposing forces against the regime. However, no one will ever prove this allegation unless declassifications are made. It could be true; it could be false.
Furthermore, the greater opposition claims that Bobi Wine vulgarized the political terrain with his keyboard politics that saw the emergence of online/social media foot soldiers with several fake accounts on Facebook, X, tik tok among others.
These are always facilitated by the NUP and tasked with instructions to abuse or discredit any dissenting views parallel to what their party president believes in, which has made the political atmosphere obscene and un-bearable for very many actors. Indeed, these allegations are evident on social media.
Could the NUP be creating a cult? This is because the said online fake accounts are always targeting fellow opposition politicians and their activities, government projects, government officials, president Museveni and anything about president Museveni which creates a self-belief in only NUP and what Bobi Wine says.
This is a similar ideology to the Italian fascism/ fascist regime that only believed that only and only Mussolini was always right all the time. The same ideology of the NUP will easily give birth to radical extremism, and can easily lead to unpredictable violence that could plunge the country to anarchy.
Is the opposition beef yet to end? Anybody would be optimistic to see this happen but seems not likely soon. Is it the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end to the beef in Uganda’s opposition politics?
Richard Byamukama is a Lawyer and a Security Studies Expert
