DP Faction Calls for Referendum on Proposed NRM-Opposition Deal

What the report says

A faction within Uganda’s Democratic Party, DP at Heart, has urged that any proposed cooperation between the ruling National Resistance Movement and opposition parties be put to a national referendum. The group says a deal of this kind should not be settled by a small circle of politicians and argues that citizens should decide whether it should go ahead.

Speaking to journalists in Kampala, faction leader Ismail Kiirya said opposition leaders had not adequately briefed their members on the proposal. He said the arrangement was discussed during a political retreat in Jinja on October 15 and 16, 2026, where attendees reviewed a 137-page document linked to Gen Salim Saleh Akandwanaho and Prof Ogenga Otunnu. According to Kiirya, the document outlines a power-sharing model based on consociational democracy, which aims to distribute political participation among competing groups.

DP at Heart says it is not rejecting dialogue with government in principle, but is objecting to what it sees as secrecy and limited consultation. The faction warned that the plan could weaken opposition parties, reduce scrutiny of government in Parliament, and shift too much influence to party elites. It also raised concerns about the impact on elections, parliamentary power and the role of the Electoral Commission if a referendum were held.

Kamya Kasozi, the DP chairperson for Mawokota North Constituency, also backed the referendum call and asked religious leaders, cultural institutions, civil society and trade unions to join the push for wider public consultation. The issue comes amid broader debate over possible political accommodation in Uganda, including how much room opposition parties should have to cooperate without compromising their independence.