Africa-Press – Uganda. A fierce internal battle has erupted within the Democratic Party (DP) after eleven senior members filed a petition in the High Court challenging the re-election of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao as party president.
Led by Bukoto Central MP Richard Ssebamala, the group is demanding the nullification of the outcomes of the DP’s National Delegates Conference held in Mbarara City from May 30 to June 2, 2025.
They allege that the electoral process was marred by irregularities, violations of the party constitution, and deliberate exclusion of legitimate contenders.
“What happened in Mbarara wasn’t a democratic election—it was a calculated move to sideline dissenting voices,” Ssebamala stated in a sworn affidavit.
Court filings indicate that Ssebamala and his colleagues had expressed interest in contesting various leadership positions, picked nomination forms, submitted them on time, and paid the required fees.
However, they claim their names were arbitrarily removed from the final list of candidates by the party’s electoral commission.
The petitioners also allege that the electoral commission itself was improperly constituted, citing the sudden appointment of Kennedy Mutenyo as chairperson in violation of the party’s constitution.
They claim that the election venue at Asamar Country Resort was heavily secured by armed personnel, and that they were forcefully denied access before the elections proceeded without them.
“We were deliberately locked out of the process. This undermines the core values of internal democracy that the DP claims to stand for,” Ssebamala told journalists after filing the case.
The elections went ahead, resulting in the declaration of Norbert Mao as party president and Gerald Siranda as Secretary General—outcomes the petitioners now seek to overturn.
The petitioners are seeking several remedies from the court, including:
Annulment of the elections and a declaration that the process was unconstitutional
A court order compelling the party to convene a fresh and lawful National Delegates Conference
An injunction restraining the DP from engaging in future undemocratic practices
General damages for emotional distress, reputational harm, and the inconvenience suffered
Justice Joyce Kavuma has scheduled the hearing for October 1, 2025.
The DP leadership has not yet responded publicly to the legal challenge.
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