By Sulaina Nakidde & Godfrey Matsiko
The youth wing of the opposition Democratic Party (DP)- the Uganda Young Democrats have expressed dissatisfaction with the party’s top leadership, accusing them of going off track and prioritizing personal interests over the collective goals and democratic principles.
This was during a post-2026 general election stakeholder engagement held at Nile Luxury Hotel in Jinja on Saturday February 21st, 2026, to address the party’s performance, key challenges, and lessons learned.
The group, led by their president Mr Micheal Mpunge also listed some proposed reforms aimed at rebuilding the Democratic Party, strengthening youth engagement, and advancing democratic ideals in Uganda.
“This kind of selfishness can’t lift the party because it prioritizes individualism than the political party. The mobilization within the party is committed to restoring institutional strength and ideological clarity”, Mpunge said.
Earlier, the DP President General, also minister for justice and constitutional affairs, Nobert Mao highlighted key factors that led to the party’s poor performance in the 2026 general elections.
Mao, pointed to three major challenges including the propaganda that run for over three years that the party leadership had sold it to the ruling party which he said changed many party members and the general public’s perception towards the party.
He also highlighted the financial hardships that made it impossible for the party to finance flag bearers’ campaigns. “Most of the candidates were new in the race and had no posters, while other potential candidates failed to raise nomination fees”, Mao told journalists at earlier news conference held at the party headquarters at Balintuma in Mengo, Kampala on February 3rd, 2026.
Mao also lamented that the failure of the government to release the Interparty Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) funds which were meant to support all summit members to finance their campaigns affected most of the Opposition political parties.
DP won only six parliamentary positions in the 12th Parliament, while it failed to present a presidential candidate.
