DP members distance themselves from NRM–DP Cooperation agreement
“The Democratic Party is not dead; it is awakening,” he declared.
Kampala: A section of members of the Democratic Party (DP) has publicly distanced itself from the cooperation agreement signed between the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and DP in 2022.
In a press statement released on Monday afternoon, Julius Dumba, former chairperson of the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) Kampala District and current Publicity Secretary for DP Lubaga Division, declared that the agreement officially expired on May 11, 2026.
The 42-clause agreement was signed on July 20, 2022, between Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Norbert Mao at State House Entebbe.
According to Dumba, the agreement was never subjected to any official organ of the Democratic Party. “That pact was never ratified by the National Executive Committee, never presented to the National Council, and never endorsed by delegates of the Democratic Party. It has now run its course,” Dumba stated.
He added that many DP members had consistently viewed the arrangement as a personal agreement between two individuals rather than a formal party-to-party cooperation.
“The agreement is dead. It can no longer be invoked to justify any action, attendance at NRM retreats, or claims of cooperation on behalf of the Democratic Party,” he said.
Dumba further accused Mao of failing to fulfil promises allegedly made to party members, including political appointments, committee leadership positions, jobs, and meaningful political dialogue.
“Instead, we have witnessed silence in the face of draconian laws, complicity in the erosion of civil liberties, and continued participation in NRM activities under the guise of an expired agreement,” he noted.
He also challenged Mao to formally resign from the leadership of DP if his political allegiance now lies with the NRM. “The Democratic Party belongs to its members, not to any one individual. The era of using Uganda’s oldest opposition party as a vehicle for personal political survival must come to an end,” Dumba said.
In a press statement, Dumba described the expiry of the agreement as “a liberation” and called on members to intensify efforts to rebuild the party through grassroots mobilisation and nationwide consultations.
“The Democratic Party is not dead; it is awakening,” he declared.
Dumba reaffirmed that DP remains committed to social justice, accountability, the rule of law, and offering Ugandans what he described as a genuine political alternative.
“Whether you are in Kampala, Gulu, Mbarara, Mbale, or the remotest village, DP remains committed to speaking truth to power and putting Uganda first,” he said.
The statement comes amid continuing debate within DP over the party’s cooperation arrangement with the ruling NRM government and its political implications for the opposition party.
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