By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
MASINDI
A faction of Democratic Party (DP) youth calling themselves, ‘DP at Heart,’ has launched a scathing attack on Party President Norbert Mao, accusing him of peddling an “expired” cooperation agreement with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to cling to power.
The group, currently on a nationwide consultative tour, claims the 2022 cooperation agreement between Mao and President Yoweri Museveni lapsed with the conclusion of the January 2026 general elections.
Speaking during a meeting with DP stakeholders from the Bunyoro sub-region in Masindi town on Saturday, Ismail Kiirya, DP at Heart leader claimed Mao’s involvement in NRM activities including the recently concluded retreat in Kyankwanzi do not represent the position of the DP.
The group says corporation agreement signed in July 2022 was valid only up to the next elections, emphasizing that any document Mao is circulating now is fraudulent and personal.
“The said agreement is expired and cannot be relied upon to conduct DP affairs,” Kiirya said.
They further criticized Mao for his “loud silence” on the controversial Protection of Sovereignty Bill,2025, currently before Parliament, alleging that the DP leader is an accomplice in crafting “draconian laws” that target the opposition and Ugandans in the diaspora.
“We want to inform Ugandans that this bill has not come in good faith because most of the clauses proposed are in existing laws,” the group said, calling for Mao’s resignation to officially join NRM.
In addition, the youth criticised the implementation of the new trade order regulations, saying it has disrupted livelihoods of thousands of traders across the country.
“Government is destroying livelihoods through trade orders without building the decent workspaces they promised,” Kiirya said.
“Businesses have been demolished and properties destroyed without providing alternative working spaces, we call upon Government to fast-track construction of a modern market in the area as it has always pledged,” the youth said.
They also called for immediate restoration of roadside weighbridges operated by farmers to put an end to the “monopoly of cheating” by sugar factory cartels.
“For a long time, farmers have been cheated by sugar cartels using factory-based weighing systems that cannot be independently verified,” the youth said. “We call upon Government to immediately restore these farmer-operated weighbridges to save them from being cheated.”
The youth rallied elders to rescue their party from its marriage with NRM, pledging to enroll nationwide consultations across regions of this country.
