By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
The opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has declared that it will not retreat from its struggle to “liberate” Uganda, despite a dismal performance in the January 2026 general elections.
Addressing journalists at the party’s headquarters in Najjanankumbi on Monday, FDC President Patrick Oboi Amuriat struck a defiant tone, insisting that the party was built for turbulent times and would not be intimidated by the current political climate.
“We as the FDC do not despair; we shall never retreat, we shall never surrender,” Amuriat said. “The FDC was not built for easy seasons. We were built for moments like this because Ugandans deserve a party that stands firm when standing is hard.”
It should be recalled that FDC won only nine (09) seats in the 12th Parliament in the January elections. Despite seeing its parliamentary strength dwindle to just nine seats, the FDC leadership maintains that these members will form the “shining star” of the 12th Parliament.
Amuriat revealed that the party intends to use these limited seats as a strategic battlefield to influence legislation, national budget priorities oversight and accountability among other constitutional matters.
The FDC President also took a swipe at the Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among, following her recent remarks suggesting that the opposition was non-existent in the 11th parliament and would be “swallowed” in the next term.
“The opposition is too big to be swallowed,” Amuriat countered. While acknowledging that some members such as Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi had defected to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), he dismissed these as isolated cases that do not represent the party’s spirit.
In a move to consolidate power against the NRM, Amuriat issued a “clarion call” to other opposition entities, including those that broke away from the FDC, such as the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) and the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) to join forces in the struggle for democratic change.
“This is a call to our friends out there: We either work together or we will be buried in a mass grave,” he warned, emphasizing that a fragmented opposition would be easily dismantled by the state.
To rebuild its grassroots support, the party announced a comprehensive nationwide training and mobilization program. The initiative targets elected FDC local government leaders and will cover governance, service delivery and legal obligations, budgeting and oversight functions and inclusive representation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
According to the party, this program is designed to “propagate the gospel of the FDC” and ensure that their remaining local government structures remain resilient ahead of future political contests.
