KAMPALA – In a significant move to challenge President Yoweri Museveni’s long-standing rule, a coalition of key opposition parties is engaged in intense round-table discussions to field a single presidential candidate for the 2026 elections, sources close to the negotiations have revealed.
The talks involve a broad spectrum of opposition forces, including Dr. Kizza Besigye’s People’s Front for Transition (PFF), Gen. Gregory Mugisha Muntu’s Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), the Ecological Party of Hon. Muhammad Nsereko, the Democratic Front led by Hon. Mathias Mpuuga, the Conservative Party of John Ken Lukyamuzi, the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) of Joseph Kabuleta, and the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC).
Initially, the coalition had reportedly reached a consensus to front Gen. Mugisha Muntu as their unified candidate. This decision came after Hon. Mathias Mpuuga declined the offer, citing his intention to contest again for the Nyendo-Mukungwe parliamentary seat.
However, a new complication has emerged from the camp of Dr. Kizza Besigye. According to sources, his renowned Kenyan lawyer and former presidential candidate, Martha Karua, has strongly rejected the idea of fronting Muntu while Besigye “rots in prison.” Karua reportedly argued that this would be a strategic blunder and instead is pushing for the coalition to choose the incarcerated Besigye as their flag bearer. Her position is that this would place immense political pressure on the government to secure his release from Luzira Prison.
This tactic mirrors the 2006 scenario where Besigye, then also imprisoned, was nominated for president, a move that ultimately led to his release to campaign.
Sources indicate that while Gen. Muntu had accepted the task after marathon talks, Karua’s intervention has forced a recalibration of strategy. A major sticking point remains Besigye’s well-documented reluctance to participate in elections he has consistently deemed unfair.
In response, a delegation of party leaders, reportedly led by Lawyer Karua, is now planning to meet Col. Besigye in prison to present the proposal directly. The coalition hopes he will either accept the nomination or, at the very least, offer his full-throated endorsement to Gen. Muntu.
NUP’s Absence Noted
Notably absent from these talks is Mr. Robert Kyagulanyi’s National Unity Platform (NUP), the largest opposition party in parliament. It is understood that the coalition believes only Dr. Besigye has the stature to initiate talks with the NUP president.
When contacted, NUP spokesman Joel Ssenyonyi revealed that the party is willing to join the discussions but remains wary. He expressed suspicion that some of the involved parties and leaders—specifically naming Mpuuga, Nsereko, and UPC—are secretly collaborating with Museveni’s government to frustrate a genuine opposition coalition.
The unfolding negotiations represent the most serious attempt in years to forge a united opposition front. Whether they can overcome internal distrust and strategic disagreements to mount a credible challenge to the NRM remains the central question for Uganda’s political future.
