The Democratic Front president, Mathias Mpuuga, has called on Uganda’s opposition to reassess its strategy and focus on the responsibilities ahead rather than dwelling on the outcome of the 2026 elections, asking them to move beyond lamenting the outcome of the recently concluded elections because political struggle goes far beyond the ballot.

Speaking on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026, during a discussion titled “Beyond elections: Is the opposition ready for the hurdles ahead?” Mpuuga asked opposition political leaders to quickly move past disappointment and remain accountable to those they represent.

He stressed that political duty leaves little room for dwelling on defeat, adding that leaders have obligations to those they represent despite electoral setbacks.

“I have no luxury to mourn about the election loss. I owe a duty to myself, my family, my community, and my party. I have no time to cry about what happened,” Mpuuga noted.

Reflecting on past political experiences, Mpuuga said that the election losses can deeply affect political actors.

“I was in Nigeria over 7 years ago just after an election. One of the leaders of the party that lost told me they were taking time to counsel their colleagues who lost because some were suicidal,” he said.

He, however, questioned the credibility of the recently concluded electoral process, asking whether the exercise truly met the standard of a democratic vote.

“The question of the day is, was there an election? Was that exercise in any way close to an election apart from the printing of ballot papers?” Mpuuga asked.

Mpuuga said that Uganda’s opposition is divided into different motivations and approaches to power.

“In my considered view, the opposition in Uganda has three strands, and when you understand them, you can ask questions on where each of them stands. There is a section of opposition whose responsibility is to wrest power at whatever cost,” he said.

He warned that effective opposition politics requires more than expression.

“Opposition isn’t about sloganeering,” Mpuuga stated.

Mpuuga further criticized opportunistic politics, saying some actors join the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) out of personal interest rather than principle.

“It’s not the problem of the wine if a fool takes it and staggers in the forest…you can’t blame the NRM for picking up those who are desperate to join the dining table and then complain while eating,” he noted.

Mpuuga’s remarks come after the 2026 elections dominated by the ruling NRM, in which the Democratic Front failed to win parliamentary seats, reflecting the broader challenges facing Uganda’s divided opposition landscape.