In Uganda’s political landscape, opposition parties are constitutionally expected to provide checks and balances, to speak for the people, scrutinize government decisions, and fight for justice where it is absent.
This is not just a moral obligation but a constitutional duty enshrined in Articles 79 and 90 of our Constitution. Yet today, many Ugandans are wondering if our opposition leaders are still fighting for the people, or simply settling into the comforts of the very system they were elected to challenge.
There was a time when being in the opposition meant sacrifice. It meant risk, resilience and, above all, standing on the side of the powerless. But today, opposition MPs, like their colleagues in the ruling party, are drawing salaries exceeding Shs 35 million per month.
They drive state-supplied, fuel-guzzling SUVs, escorted by bodyguards and police convoys. For a country where millions still struggle to afford school fees or medical care, this picture is more than just troubling; it is deeply painful.
The contrast between the lives of our leaders and those they represent has never felt starker. The leader of the opposition commands a powerful office, backed by over Shs 10 billion in 2024 and bundled with VIP incentives like a motorcade, official residence and personal security.
While such resources can support effective leadership, the lack of visible accountability or grassroots impact raises tough questions.
The #UgandaParliamentExhibition campaign amplified public outrage, exposing corruption, nepotism and waste across parliament, not sparing opposition figures. The revelations suggest that the problem runs deeper than party lines, pointing to a political culture in urgent need of reform.
Since 2021, Uganda’s opposition parties have received nearly Shs 11 billion in taxpayer funding: NUP Shs 5.7 billion, FDC Shs 3.1 billion, DP and UPC about Shs 908 million each, plus smaller amounts to JEEMA and PPP.
Although meant to support multi-party democracy, these funds face criticism for poor accountability. Auditor General reports revealed issues like Shs 634 million in unexplained FDC payments and DP and UPC failing to pay taxes and NSSF contributions.
Despite this, many parties boycott the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) while still receiving its related funding, turning IPOD from a platform for political dialogue into just another source of public money, accepted without genuine participation or reform.
The silence within Uganda’s opposition is striking, as leaders frequently criticize the government but rarely challenge the benefits they receive, such as salaries and allowances. This lack of self-accountability makes them appear more like insiders than reformers. President Museveni recently mocked opposition MPs for not rejecting their pay if they truly opposed his regime, reflecting public doubts about their resistance.
Additionally, some opposition leaders have held power for more than 15 years, mirroring the leadership they criticize. Instead of fostering new voices, many parties are stuck in internal power struggles and avoid addressing critical issues, weakening public hope in alternatives like FDC, NUP and DP.
This isn’t to say all opposition leaders are complacent. The late Muhammad Ssegirinya, for instance, used his salary and car allowance to buy an ambulance, support struggling families, and set up a local health centre — even insinuated proposing a bill to cut MPs’ salaries.
His service came not from obligation, but genuine care for his community. And he wasn’t alone. A few other opposition MPs across the country continue to serve quietly and meaningfully, building schools, supporting vulnerable groups, and staying close to their people.
Their work may not always be loud, but it is deeply felt. Sadly, such leaders remain the exception, not the norm. Frustration among voters, especially the youth, is growing, as many feel abandoned by MPs who disappear after elections, trading community presence for TV appearances and social media soundbites.
Once visible during campaigns, these leaders now seem more focused on image than impact. According to Afrobarometer’s 2024 report, over 60 per cent of Ugandans believe MPs prioritize personal gain over public service, with trust in parliament plummeting among young people.
This disconnect not only discredits the opposition but poses a serious threat to Uganda’s democratic future. So, maybe it’s time for opposition leaders to look in the mirror. To ask themselves: are we still fighting for Ugandans, or just for our seats?
Are we standing up to power, or simply learning how to benefit from it? Because if opposition continues to mean comfort, ceremony and convenient outrage, then soon, the people may stop listening altogether.
And when that happens, it won’t matter what party you belong to — the country will have lost something far more important than a political contest. It will have lost hope.
The writer is a political analyst
isendege@gmail.com
Who said that in order to be a leader or to lead you need to have an elected office ?
“A kaaliba akendo, oka laabira ku mukonda”
You emphasize the opposition but they make up less than a quarter of that Parliament, in effect just decorations for the majority NRM when it comes to passing laws…
You cannot back them up;
1.Segirinya who “led” the people of Kawempe suffered alone until he died surrounded by opportunists, where were the led ?
(He was elected by at least 20,000 Ugandans, did you see any of them demanding for speedy justice at his trials ?)
I saw Shamim Malende trying to save him by speeding him away from security operatives on TV(unlawful arrests), was she the only one who voted him into Parliament?
If these Citizens(you, me, other supporters of the ‘opposition’, can borrow money to witness the burial of a dead body, can’t they borrow money to bear witness to the Justice meted out to their “leader” ?)
(The court would be overwhelmed by the numbers and proper transparent justice would be meted out without fear or favour; on one side guns (just to keep the peace ) and on the opposite side the will of the people( just to observe justice being done; guilty or not guilty)- the judge would have no choice but to be as impartial and transparent as possible…hence justice)
(If the crowds that went to Segirinya’s burial were the same crowds that went to his trial sessions don’t you think the case would have been closed long ago ?)
(Ironically both were in the same vicinity,Masaka…SHAME ON YOU UGANDANS)
PLEASE DO NOT COME TO MY BURIAL.
2.How about Sewanyana ? What is his deal?
What is the deal with the voters of Makindye ?
Do they know what a leader is?
Do they know what a representative is ?
3. On the “togikwatako issue”, I expected Ugandans to camp at Parliament (which is their right and duty as per the 1995 constitution), did you see any ?
Instead goons were sent to Parliament to beat up the “Opposition”…did you see any of the “led” going to Parliament and asking, “You goon what gives you the right to roughly handle a person who leads 10,000 people ?”
If that would have happened, would Nambooze need a back operation?
Remember, it is a 2 way relationship…if at all it is genuine…
(Why we call a person a “leader” is because they have followers…we call others ” followers/the led” because they have someone they follow …)
I strongly believe that you, me and the rest of Ugandans are deeply dishonest and that will hurt us when we believe our dishonesty…
You read my thoughts Bwana.
So true , the media is full of clever journalists like this one. They seem to know a lot about how “the dead one is the only good one”. Segirinya becomes the greatest sample of performers just because he was made to die. What did the hundreds of thousands that he did all those good things for do when he was in jail for two years ? Did they show up when he needed the anger ?
How many times have we heard and seen opposition MPs calling on the masses to come out and fight for their rights ?
Ivan Sendege talks about frustration among voters , especially the youth; then he warns that very soon , they may stop listening.
Interestingly , Ivan Sendege took the trouble to name the amounts of cash that tax-payers spend on the opposition; he followed that up by mentioning that Mr.Museveni had indeed mocked the opposition- on money .
Consider this: Mr.Museveni lives on at least 2 million a DAY. NUP which has 57 MPs , widows , orphans , political prisoners and millions of needy and demanding voters and supporters is the one that must explain what they do with all that 5.7 billion a YEAR .
Hello !
Mzee Museveni lives on 2 billion a Day , I should have said.
Political analyst is a title armchair naysayers use to attack the opposition while conviniently ignoring the main problem.
Opposition MPs are paid by taxpayers not M7.
When you write “state supplied”, you should understand, the state is not M7.
The money opposition parties receive comes from taxpayers not some ranch in Nyabushozi.
And why is there a very high bar for oppisition mps? Why should they use their salaries to buy ambulances?
Armchair journalism diversion ,indeed this is .
Just a few days ago. Mzee Museveni gave Uganda his Guiness Book Of Records 38th annual state of the nation. And what did he say again ….!?
Yet Ivan Sendege and others like him want Ugandans to look at the opposition but the following :
* Uganda population stands at 45 million , 25% of which should be labour force or employed.
* Only 9% of Uganda`s labour force is utilized = formally employed- 16% of employable Ugandans are either not “employed” or live on informal and insecure incomes= not directly/appropriately/ proportionally taxable.
* Only 9% of the 9% formally employed earn more than one million shs a month.
* Out of 45 million Ugandans , only 1.6 million are holders of university degrees or diplomas from Higher Institutions of learning.
* According to NSSF, only 2 million Ugandans are registered subscribers= the rest of working adults who should be eligible to this investment are categorically excluded and left with no secure savings.
* while 62% of the population depends on some sort of agriculture , the money that is invested in that sector in the national budgets over the years does not reflect that reality. Uganda farmers still depend on natural rain.
* 3.85 billion litres of milk are produced annually : yet only 38% of that milk is processed.
* Even if Uganda produces 3.85 litres of milk annually and exports some of this milk , 62 % of Uganda house holds cannot afford 2 litres of milk a day= that millions of Uganda children cannot drink the milk that its country produces.