The former Kampala District chairperson of the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD), Julius Dumba, has called on the Democratic Party (DP) president general, Norbert Mao to resign from the party leadership following the expiry of the cooperation agreement between DP and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

In a statement issued on May 11th, 2026, Dumba said the 42-clause agreement signed by Mao and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at State House Entebbe on July 20th, 2022, had officially expired and could no longer justify Mao’s continued cooperation with the NRM government.

“You cannot continue to eat from both sides of the table,” Dumba said, accusing Mao of aligning himself with the ruling party while still leading DP.

Dumba further argued that the agreement was never approved by DP’s top organs, including the National Executive Committee, National Council, or party delegates, insisting that it remained a personal arrangement rather than a formal party pact.

“The agreement is dead. It can no longer be invoked to justify attendance at NRM retreats or claims of cooperation on behalf of the Democratic Party,” he said.

He also accused Mao, who serves as Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, of failing to deliver on promises allegedly made to DP members, including political appointments, jobs, and meaningful dialogue.

Dumba said many party members viewed the arrangement as a betrayal of DP’s principles and accused the leadership of abandoning the party’s historic role as Uganda’s oldest opposition movement.

He called on party members across the country to rebuild DP structures and prepare for what he described as a genuine revival of the party ahead of future political contests.