The Democratic Party was founded by seven revolutionary Catholics to fight for Uganda’s Independence and national unity.

They were the products of the famous Catholic schools: Namilyango College, St. Mary’s College Kisubi, St. Henry’s College Kitovu and St. Peter’s Secondary School Nsambya.

They were Joseph Kasolo who was the founding President General, Joseph Kasule, founding Secretary General, S.B Kibuuka, A.B Serubiri, L.M Tyaba, M. Kiddu and Alphonse Ntale. The Democratic Party was founded on October 6, 1954 at Rubaga, a Kampala city suburb. The party is the second oldest political party in Africa after the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa which was founded by Albert Luthuli and others in 1912.

Currently DP has 15 members of Parliament who include the fiery “iron lady” Betty Nambooze who represents Mukono Municipality and the preacher of “truth and justice” Mohammed Muwanga Kivumbi of Butambala County.

The strongest base of the Democratic Party right now is Buganda. This is where it was founded. However, the party under Nobert Mao from Acholiland, embarked on a vigorous and aggressive campaign to regain grassroots support and membership in Parliament in Ankole, Kigezi, Acholi, West Nile Madi, Busoga, Busia, Bugisu and other areas of Eastern Uganda. In the olden days; at the time of Uganda’s Independence, those were the areas were the Democratic Party was very strong, where DP got many Members of Parliament.

In 1961, the Democratic Party won overwhelmingly outside Buganda and Ben Kiwanuka who was the leader of DP at that time, formed the internal self-government and became the first Prime Minister of Uganda.

The situation only changed in 1962 after the approval of the Independence Constitution in London and Buganda kingdom’s decision to enter directly into the party politics of Uganda. Milton Obote then shrewdly worked with Buganda and his party; the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), acquired a majority in Parliament because of the 21 Buganda MPS who were nominated by the Buganda Lukiiko. In 1966, Obote outlawed political parties and arrested DP leader Benedicto Kiwanuka.

When Obote was overthrown in 1971 by Idi Amin, Benedicto Kiwanuka accepted a ministerial post in the new government. He was eventually murdered by Amin’s agents. All political parties were banned in Uganda during Idi Amin’s rule.

The Democratic Party emerged again after Idi Amin was overthrown in 1979. The absence of the Kabaka Yekka party now made the Democratic Party the main political force in Buganda and Southern Uganda, while the UPC consolidated its support in the north.

The new leader Paul Ssemogerere provided a significant challenge to the UPC led once again by Milton Obote in the 1980 elections. These elections are widely believed to have been rigged by the Military Junta that ruled Uganda after Idi Amin in favour of Milton Obote and the UPC.

There was pressure on the Democratic Party to reject the result, but the leadership decided to take their seats in parliament much to the disappointment of their supporters. However one of Democratic Party’s younger leaders Andrew Kayiira did take up arms to fight the new government, joining an organisation called Uganda Freedom Movement.

When Yoweri Museveni took over power in 1986, the party activities were suspended and most of the party officials joined the new National Resistance Movement to form a national government. DP leaders such as Kisamba Mugerwa, Maria Mutagamba and Paul Ssemwogerere were in Museveni’s cabinet.

However, in 1996, Ssemwogerere resigned his cabinet position to challenge Museveni in the presidential elections. He got only 23.6% of the vote against Museveni’s 74.3%.

After the 2005 referendum that allowed parties to operate freely, DP started mobilizing again and took part in the 2006 general elections. However, it leader John Ssebana Kizito got only 1.59% of the vote.

The Rukungiri Municipality NRM flag-bearer for Rukungiri mayor, Geoffrey Tindarwesire Kenzigye, has vowed to scrap parking fees once elected mayor to encourage residents own cars.

Tindarwesire said this on Thursday during NRM flag-bearers joint rally at Maaya and Katobo trading centres in Kitimba ward, western division.

He said the municipality has many sources of revenue, that it was not necessary to introduce another tax since it is still a young municipality.

Parking fees was introduced in Rukungiri Municipality beginning January 2016 as source of local revenue a move that NRM aspirant for mayor opposed.

“There was introduction of property tax few years ago and up to now, most landlords have failed to pay it and those who paid its accountability is not seen, it was not in order to introduce another tax,” said Tindarwesire.

However, the town clerk Andrew Otim said municipal council introduced parking fees as the way of getting local revenue like other municipalities are doing. He said council expects to get total revenue of sh60m annually as they are beginning. He added that council proposed sh300 as parking fee per hour.

Tindarwesire said parking fees discourages residents to buy cars and already those with cars have begun selling them off while others have resorted to leave cars at home and foot whenever they are going to town.

He added that when elected mayor he will introduce a programme called ask the mayor as the way of giving accountability to tax payers that will be organised at least monthly.

Tindarwesire denied allegations that defunct Kigezi coffee growers collapsed in his hands as manager, saying he was a mere worker but not among those responsible for making decisions.

Meanwhile, the MP aspirant Dr. Elias Rutahigwa urged people of Kitimba to forget the differences that came up during the past NRM primaries and vote for only NRM flag-bearers.

“When President Museveni was campaigning here early this month, he told us that we can only succeed as a party if we put our support together on only flag-bearers, lets’ follow the president’s advice if we are to succeed,” he said.

Rutahigwa added that Museveni was complaining that he supported the creation of Rukungiri Municipality to develop it but was disappointed for electing a person who cannot sit with him in a caucus where they share the national cake from.

Seven candidates were nominated for Rukungiri municipality MP seat however, two of them have since withdrawn from the race leaving only five candidates in the race.

They are incumbent Rolland Mugume of FDC, Elias Rutahigwa of NRM and independents, Eliasaph Kakwateki, Francis Musimire, and Apollo Kabano.

As of September 2025, the Uganda Electoral Commission lists 26 registered political parties on its website. Some of the listed parties include the following:

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), founded on December 16, 2004, is one of the top opposition parties in Uganda.

FDC was founded as an umbrella body called Reform Agenda, mostly for disenchanted former members and followers of President Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Movement.

Founder party president Kizza Besigye, formerly a close ally of Museveni, was a presidential candidate in the 2001, 2006 and 2011 presidential elections. In November 2012, Mugisha Muntu was elected as President of the FDC. His five-year term of office will run until after the presidential and general elections slated for early 2016.

FDC was the greatest challenge to the National Resistance Movement in the 2006 presidential and parliamentary elections. Besigye was the party’s presidential candidate, taking 37% of the vote against Museveni’s 59%. Besigye alleged fraud and rejected the results.

In the general election of 23 February 2006, the party won 37 out of 289 elective seats. In the 2011 election, the party performed worse with Besigye getting 26.01% of the vote, and the party winning 34 seats.

The origins of the Forum for Democratic Change are intertwined with the history of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) led by President Yoweri Museveni. The NRM through its military wing the National Resistance Army fought a successful guerrilla war against the governments of Milton Obote and Tito Okello and came to power in Uganda in 1986.

During the guerrilla war, Yoweri Museveni successfully moulded various interest groups into an effective military machine, and on achieving power began to build the NRM into a cohesive political organisation.

The transition process and the NRM’s desire to broaden its political base revealed other interests within the party and a feeling amongst some senior members of being sidelined.

Some people started challenging the President, including the army commander Major General Mugisha Muntu and other once powerful NRM leaders. Many of these leaders opted for quiet retirement in their home districts, but others like Mugisha Muntu and the former NRM spokesperson Winnie Byanyima began openly criticising Museveni.

However, there appeared to be little enthusiasm to completely break with the NRM, rather to encourage change from within.

This changed in the elections in 2001 when a retired NRA officer Col. Kizza Besigye challenged Museveni for the presidency. Besigye was relatively unknown outside the NRM/NRA establishment, but his courage in standing for election attracted both curiosity and support.

FDC’s former leader Kizza Besigye has stood for presidency three times before

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) was formally established in 2004. Kizza Besiyge had gone into exile in the United States and then South Africa.

However, the genesis of the party was in Uganda where many disgruntled NRM members were actively promoting the establishment of a political organisation to challenge Yoweri Museveni. This desire was further cemented when Parliament passed the motion to lift term limits, which allowed Museveni to contest in 2006 and subsequent elections.

This had angered many NRM veterans who had remained in the NRM waiting to take over when Museveni stood down. The constitutional amendment was criticised by some of Museveni’s closest allies such as Eriya Kategaya (RIP), at the time seen by many as the number two in the NRM/NRA political hierarchy. However, this opposition did not bother Museveni who had by now firmly established himself in the NRM.

The FDC benefited from this disquiet, and when  Besiyge returned to Uganda he found the FDC had considerable support even within the ranks of the NRM. Although it was doubtful that Besigye could win an election against Museveni, the fact that he was attracting support from the army officers brought the spectre of a split in the army. The FDC had many ex-NRA commanders in its ranks, including the former army commander, Mugisha Muntu.

Besigye’s arrest served to increase the popularity of the FDC. But the party now began to suffer due to its success. However, politicians such as Eriya Kategaya, who was now in the FDC leadership, were tentative in their approach.

The FDC was popular in urban areas like the capital city, Kampala, but had little support in the rural areas where 75% of the population lives.

The FDC and Besigye were also popular in the North where the population has suffered almost two decades of war between the government and the Lord’s Resistance Army. This was a reflection of the grievances felt by northern Ugandans who often feel abandoned by the government in Kampala.

In 2011, the FDC once again led the opposition to Museveni and the NRM in the presidential and parliamentary elections. The party once again failed to overturn Museveni’s popularity.

The FDC did worse than in 2006. Since the election, the party has been central in organising street demonstrations – some which have resulted in violent confrontations with the Police.

EC does not rig for me

Museveni also commented on concerns by the Opposition that the Independent Electoral Commission is biased.

Museveni said that although he has been winning presidential elections for four times — 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011 — there are certain constituencies such as Arua where he has been losing to the opposition.

“If the EC is biased and rigging for me; how come I lose in many constituencies. Here in Arua, I was losing until 2011. The fact that I lose in some constituencies means that the EC is fair,” he said.

Mayombo Died of Natural Causes

Museveni also responded to questions from journalists regarding public release of the probe report into the death of former chief of military intelligence, Brig. Noble Mayombo, who died on May 1, 2007.

The President said Mayombo died of natural causes and that before his father Canon James Rwabwoni died, he (Museveni) had discussed the matter with him.

“Well, the report is there. Mayombo died of a natural death, which was clear. I am sure his family got the report. I know what the problem was. If they want the report made public, I can talk to the family,” he said.

Museveni was responding to a request made by independent presidential candidate and former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi that Mayombo’s death report public be made public.