Prof. Otunnu, Gen. Saleh Back Five-Year Plan to Address Uganda's Divisions

A comprehensive five-year plan, dubbed the Consociational Democracy Agreement (CDA), is being developed to address Uganda’s persistent political, ethnic, religious, and regional divisions. Championed by historian Prof. Ogenga Otunnu, an advisor to Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho (Salim Saleh), the proposal moves beyond elite discussions to engage communities and stakeholders directly.

Prof. Otunnu emphasized that the CDA is envisioned as a long-term program, not a short-term political project, requiring sustained national involvement over five years. The proposal was initially presented to NRM MPs in April 2026 and has since been shared with President Museveni, religious leaders, and opposition parties.

The core argument behind the CDA is that past reconciliation and power-sharing efforts have often failed to address the root grievances affecting ordinary citizens. Issues such as land conflicts, regional inequality, unemployment, and poor public services fuel divisions, and previous arrangements did not adequately involve those most affected.

The proposed structure includes a National Consociational Council with three chambers: an Elite Chamber for government and political parties, a People’s Chamber for civil society, religious, cultural, women, and youth groups, and a Delivery Secretariat for technical implementation. The process aims to identify grievances, facilitate dialogue, secure agreements, and monitor progress.

Otunnu clarified that the goal is not to institutionalize divisions based on ethnicity or religion, but rather to resolve the underlying grievances that lead people to seek protection through such identities. Consociational democracy, a model of power-sharing in divided societies, is seen as a way to manage these divisions through elite cooperation and broad representation, complementing existing parliamentary and cabinet structures.

This initiative aligns with Prof. Otunnu’s increasing involvement in projects associated with Gen. Saleh, including community dispute mediation. The success of the CDA will depend on its ability to translate policy discussions into tangible improvements in people’s lives and secure broad participation across the country.

Source: Nile Post