Africa-Press – Uganda. The Democratic Party (DP) in Buikwe District has suffered a major blow following the defection of its longtime political heavyweight, Micheal Lulume Bayigga, who has officially joined the newly formed People’s Front for Freedom (PFF).
Dr Lulume’s exit, announced during a mobilization tour in Misindye Village, Buikwe Town Council, has triggered a mass defection from the party, with hundreds of supporters and local leaders pledging allegiance to the new political formation.
“While I have left the DP, I have not changed my mission. I remain committed to fighting injustice, land grabbing, and illegal giveaways of forest land in Buikwe. I have only changed the political vehicle,” said Lulume.
A former presidential aspirant within the DP, Dr Lulume cited dissatisfaction with the party’s direction under Norbert Mao, whom he accused of abandoning the grassroots and aligning too closely with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
“For years, our elders in Buikwe warned me that the DP we knew was gone. I have followed the footsteps of other leaders like Erias Lukwago who made the same decision,” he said.
Buikwe South, where Dr ulume has held sway for years, has historically been a DP stronghold.
In the 2021 general elections, DP won more than 90% of elective positions in the district, from village chairpersons to councillors and sub-county leaders.
Among those who have followed Lulume into PFF is Edward Mukasa Kayemba, the Buikwe Town Council Chairperson.
“His departure was painful, but necessary. After what we saw in the Mbarara Delegates Conference, I have no doubt in his decision.
He has always been our political mentor, and I will follow him,” Kayemba said.
Madina Namusisi, another local leader, cited frustrations over the party’s secretive alliance with the NRM.
“We were forced into a partnership without consultation. As grassroots leaders, we were completely sidelined. That’s why I’m moving to PFF with my people,” she said.
Other defectors accuse Mao of abandoning the district entirely, noting he has never held a single rally in Buikwe during his tenure as DP president.
Still, not everyone is convinced. Saad Mawejje, a long-time DP member, said Lulume’s departure was a personal loss but stopped short of following him.
“We remain disappointed by his exit, but we support him personally while continuing to study the objectives of the PFF,” he said.
Masituula Nabukenya, a councillor from Lweeru A in Buikwe Town Council, echoed mixed feelings.
“Dr Lulume’s efforts defined our party here. I feel like the legacy of DP in Buikwe is collapsing. Physically, I’ll follow him — but in spirit, I remain DP,” she said.
Lulume’s defection follows his unsuccessful bid for the DP presidency at the controversial National Delegates Conference in Mbalala.
His decision marks a seismic shift in Buikwe’s political scene and may significantly alter opposition politics in the wider region ahead of the 2026 general elections.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
