Africa-Press – Uganda. The leader of opposition platform, the Democratic Front (DF), Mathias Mpuuga has said the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) still holds an “unlawful” advantage as the country prepares for the 2026 general elections.
Speaking on NBS Television’s Morning Breeze on Tuesday, Mpuuga criticised the opposition for failing to focus on electoral reforms, which he believes are key to levelling the playing field.
“The NRM has an unlawful advantage going into the polls. This is what we were seeking to solve in the electoral reforms. This is the debate we lost in the chest thumping of the opposition,” he said.
Mpuuga, who previously served as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, warned that despite calls for change, opposition parties had failed to unite around a clear reform agenda.
He stressed that while elections should not be removed from the country’s democratic process, the way they are currently organised continues to favour the ruling party.
“DF believes that leadership in any place must be a result of an election. We have questioned the manner of organising the elections but that doesn’t mean that elections should go away,” he said.
Mpuuga added that without a serious push for reform, the opposition risks going into the next elections unprepared.
“Even when some of us disagree on methods of work and the standing of particular groups and people, we have to speak to everyone to see how we can get out of the woods,” he said.
Worth noting is that while Mpuuga pushes for structural reforms and dialogue ahead of the 2026 elections, Uganda’s biggest opposition party, National Unity Platform (NUP) has taken a different route.
NUP has openly encouraged what it calls a “protest vote”: mobilising its supporters to turn out in large numbers, despite a lack of trust in the electoral system.
NUP believes that mass voter turnout and overwhelming support can help expose irregularities and challenge the system from within.
This strategy contrasts with Mpuuga’s position, which places more emphasis on changing the laws and frameworks governing elections before heading to the polls.
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