MBARARA
Bukoto Central Member of Parliament, Richard Sebamala has caused persistent annoyance and political discomfort to Democratic Party President, and minister of justice and constitutional affairs, Nobert Mao at the ongoing party delegates conference in Mbarara.
“Mao is worse than Museveni,” Lumu charged. “He is using state machinery to silence opponents within the party.”
Latest reports show that fresh chaos has erupted again at Asamar Hotel in Ruti on Sunday evening, leaving several people, including a Member of Parliament, injured during a violent confrontation.
On Saturday night, a dramatic political twist ensued in which MP Sebamala was allegedly struck off the presidential ballot under unclear circumstances, sparking outrage among delegates and heightening tensions with Mao.
The conference descended into turmoil when delegates discovered that Sebamala’s name had been removed from the list of candidates for DP president just hours before voting. The party’s elections management committee reportedly made the change around 3:00 a.m., forcing the elections to be postponed to Sunday.
Four candidates had originally been cleared to contest for the DP presidency: Nobert Mao, Michael Lulume Bayiga, Elia Alitia, and Richard Sebamala — the latter becoming a flashpoint for what party insiders now describe as a deepening internal crisis.
As tensions escalated, Mbarara South Division Police Commander SP Esther Namara was called in to restore calm, urging delegates to refrain from further violence. However, peace was short-lived.
On Sunday evening, fresh chaos broke out after the removed candidates, led by Sebamala, demanded a refund of their nomination fees, accusing the party leadership of denying them justice and transparency. The confrontation turned violent when security personnel intervened.
Among those seriously injured was Mukono South MP Fred Kayondo, who was reportedly brutally beaten and whisked away to an unidentified hospital in Mbarara. Party members and supporters of Sebamala allege that plainclothes operatives were involved in the scuffle, though police have yet to issue a formal statement on the incident.
In a fiery statement, Mityana South MP Richard Lumu, also vying for the position of DP Secretary General, accused Nobert Mao of orchestrating the chaos to cling to power.
“Mao is worse than Museveni,” Lumu charged. “He is using state machinery to silence opponents within the party.”
Lumu alleges that the party officials including electoral commission Boss, Kennedy Mutenyo and Mayambala are conniving with Mao to strike off names of some candidates. He argued that even when the delegates voted a different person to preside over the election, Mao and his clique rejected and smuggled in Mutenyo.
Party members and observers say the unfolding events reflect deep-rooted divisions within the Democratic Party, once a powerful political force in Uganda now grappling with internal dissent and questions of leadership legitimacy.
By press time, voting had not commenced, and the venue remained under heavy security deployment as party officials scrambled to restore order.
