(Kampala) – The Democratic Party (DP) seems to have had enough of its own member’s political creativity, especially when it starts looking like a poorly timed dance move at a funeral. Mityana South MP Richard Lumu has found himself in the hot seat, as DP’s vice president, Dennis Mukasa Mbidde, publicly disowned his latest bright idea: a bill proposing that the Leader of the Opposition (LOP) be elected by both Opposition and independent legislators. If there has ever been a time to say, “It is not us, it is him,” this is it.
At a press briefing that had the energy of a Kampala market just before the rain hits, Mbidde minced no words. He declared that the bill, introduced by their very own Lumu, is not only “useless” but also a recipe for disunity within Uganda’s already fragile opposition. According to Mbidde, this proposal is like serving Matooke without sauce—pointless and sure to cause frustration.
Now, Lumu’s “Administration of Parliament Amendment Bill, 2024” is not something he cooked up overnight. Back on August 29, Parliament granted him permission to introduce the Private Member’s Bill. His argument? The current setup where the LOP is selected by the main opposition party (read: National Unity Platform) unfairly leaves out other opposition parties and independents, even though the LOP’s job is to represent all of them. He thought it was time for a little democratic touch, a bit of fairness, and more inclusion. You know, like giving everyone a chance to dance at the village wedding, not just the bride and groom.
During a rather dramatic plenary sitting at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu City, Lumu claimed that the LOP, in its current form, acts like an all knowing elder but does not even listen to half the community. His bill, he argued, would entrench democratic principles by allowing more voices to be heard in the selection of both the LOP and the Chief Opposition Whip. However, this “inclusion revolution” did not sit well with his party leadership. Not one bit.
Mbidde, in true DP (and Norbert Mao) fashion, reminded the press that just because Lumu is DP does not mean DP stands behind everything he says. It is like when your relative embarrasses you at a family function—you love them, but you are not about to support their awkward dance moves in front of everyone. Mbidde advised Lumu to “drop it,” suggesting that perhaps the MP had been brainstorming alone a little too long. He pointed out that Lumu did not even bother consulting the party before dropping this political bombshell.
Ismail Kiirya, the head of the DP youth wing (Uganda Young Democrats), was equally unimpressed. On September 3, 2024, he let loose on Lumu, accusing him of trying to undermine the very system they have fought so hard to build—like planting a garden for months only to let the goats loose in it.
“How could he do this to us?” Kiirya fumed, his voice rising like the boda boda prices after 6 p.m. “Doesn’t he know that this bill will divide us, make us weaker?” His anger was palpable, almost like the frustration one feels when the power goes out during a big football match.
DP has made it clear: just because this bill comes from one of their own doesn’t mean they will support it. In fact, Mbidde emphasized that the DP isn’t behind this bill at all and will not stand for something that risks breaking up the opposition’s unity.
But it is not just DP that’s frowning upon Lumu’s “innovative” proposal. Across the political divide, several opposition figures have thrown shade at the bill, warning that it could weaken the multi-party system—a system Uganda didn’t exactly adopt without a few battles and bruises. The fear is that allowing independents to elect the LOP would turn Parliament into a political free for all, where alliances shift faster than the morning traffic on Jinja Road.
At this point, Lumu might be wondering if the political headache is worth it. After all, no one wants to be remembered as the guy who tried to shake things up only to end up shaking his own party apart. Perhaps a little more consultation and a lot less independence would have saved him the trouble of public disownment.
