DP Faction Demands National Referendum on Proposed NRM Power-Sharing Deal

A faction operating under the umbrella body DP at Heart has strongly opposed a newly proposed political power-sharing framework, warning that it threatens multiparty democracy in Uganda. The leaders are demanding that the sweeping changes be subjected to a national referendum before any implementation takes place.

The political controversy centers around a 137-page working paper reportedly co-authored by Gen Caleb Akandwanaho, also known as Salim Saleh, and Prof Ogenga Otunnu. The document was presented during a high-level political retreat held in Jinja on October 15–16. It proposes establishing a National Consociational Council designed to unite the government, political parties, religious and cultural institutions, and civil society to build national consensus.

Speaking to journalists in Kampala, former Uganda Young Democrats president Ismail Kiirya accused opposition leaders who attended the Jinja retreat of failing to consult their party members. He claimed participants were given a two-week window to gather internal feedback but chose to keep party organs in the dark. Kiirya cautioned that the arrangement echoes previous controversial co-existence pacts that lacked broad grassroots backing.

Echoing these concerns, Mawokota North DP Chairperson Kamya Kasozi insisted that party structures must properly scrutinize the document. Kasozi warned that bypassing internal organs could strip citizens of their voting rights and sideline longstanding demands for regional autonomy and federalism. Meanwhile, Kayunga District DP Chairman Anthony Waddimba raised alarms over clauses restricting voter mobilization along religious, ethnic, or regional lines, arguing it suppresses legitimate identity expressions. Waddimba also alleged that financial inducements influenced some opposition figures during the retreat.

Despite the pushback, the draft working paper outlines a comprehensive three-tier structure intended to foster national unity from elite political circles down to grassroots communities through specialized chambers and a technical secretariat.

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