The Democratic Party (DP) has officially set May 30 as the date for its much-anticipated Delegates Conference, where new party leadership will be elected.
The announcement was made alongside the unveiling of the party’s roadmap for internal elections, a process that is expected to shape DP’s future amid ongoing internal divisions.
According to the roadmap presented at a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Mengo, the election process will kick off at the grassroots level, starting with village elections from April 1 to 6. Parish elections will follow from April 7 to 13, with sub-county elections scheduled between April 14 and 20. The process will culminate in constituency-level elections set for April 21 to 27, paving the way for the National Delegates Conference at the end of May.
During the conference, DP delegates will elect key party officials, including the party president, deputy president, secretary-general, treasurer, and other strategic leadership positions.
Unveiling the election roadmap, DP President General Norbert Mao emphasized the importance of party members’ participation, urging them to ensure they are duly registered to take part in the process.
“This is like a bus; it finds passengers at the stage waiting for it. Members who are not prepared and ready will be left behind,” Mao stated.
Mao also took the opportunity to reaffirm his leadership, challenging those who oppose him to leave the party if they disagree with the current direction.
“You must respect the current leadership,” he declared, sending a strong message to factions within the party calling for his removal.
The announcement comes at a time of heightened internal tensions within DP following an agreement signed between Mao and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. A faction of DP members has since questioned Mao’s commitment to the party’s independence, accusing him of aligning with the government.
As the elections approach, political analysts predict a highly contested race for DP’s leadership, with party members eager to redefine their direction ahead of Uganda’s 2026 general elections.
