Mpuuga is right about opposition unity. Is he the best person to deliver it?

Mathias Mpuuga yesterday launched the Democratic Front with a call for opposition parties to unite against President Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) ahead of the 2026 elections.

Mpuuga, a seasoned politician known for advocating electoral reforms, emphasized the need for collective action.

“Only through unity can we achieve meaningful political change,” he told the crowd, proposing a common opposition front to counter what he termed as Museveni’s “divide-and-rule” tactics.

He also highlighted his push for constitutional amendments, including restoring presidential term limits and establishing a bicameral legislature, drawing from his observations of the 2024 U.S. elections.

Despite his impassioned call, none of the major opposition parties—National Unity Platform (NUP), Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Democratic Party (DP), Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), or Justice Forum (JEEMA)—attended the event or sent representatives.

There were no leaders from the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), a political group on the verge of becoming a party.

This was ominous, and for many political observers, Mpuuga’s message was on key. But was he the right person to deliver it, given his strained relationships with some opposition figures?

Mpuuga’s exit from the DP in 2020 to join NUP, alongside MPs like Medard Lubega Sseggona and Betty Nambooze, helped NUP dominate Buganda in the 2021 elections.

As Leader of the Opposition, Mpuuga gained prominence but clashed with NUP over a Shs500 million “service award” he received. He eventually broke ranks with the Kavule-based party and formed the Democratic Alliance, a political pressure group.

The DA has now morphed into the Democratic Front (DF) after the acquisition of another smaller party, the Green Partisan Party.

So far, the DF has attracted smaller parties like the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP). SDP and PDP have been in existence for more than 20 years and have failed to make any significant political impact.

Some could argue that Mpuuga’s regional influence in Masaka and Buganda, where NUP secured 73% of the vote in 2021, makes him a strong candidate to lead unity efforts within the opposition.

Critics, however, point to his history of party defections and internal conflicts, labeling him a “political nomad” unfit to unify the opposition.

With NUP worried about replicating or bettering its 2021 election success, FDC still reeling from internal divisions, and with DP and UPC seemingly in bed with the NRM, Mpuuga’s coalition dream ahead of 2026 faces significant hurdles and questions.

Which major opposition party will heed his call?

Can he overcome his differences with NUP and DP to fashion a formidable coalition? Will they accept his overtures?

As the 2026 elections loom, Mpuuga must find answers to the above questions. His message on opposition unity is certainly the right one. But some might question whether he is the right person to deliver it under the current circumstances.