Why DP has failed to capture power

Recently, I was travelling to Kampala in a public taxi with many other passengers. A group of young men with very good education and conversant with international affairs, according to the way they were speaking, confronted me with a serious challenge. They asked me to tell them why the Democratic Party (DP), the oldest in Uganda, has not held political power since 1961.

One of them said: “We always read your articles in Daily Monitor and other papers; we want you to write in Daily Monitor giving your answer to our question”.

I told them that DP won the general elections in 1961 because there was no vote rigging as it is today. Vote rigging is not only rife in Uganda but Africa has also been gripped by the bad practice of vote rigging because people are hungry for political and state power.

Now people understand what it means to hold power. Basically it means being a leader and developing your area. But there are people who think that holding a political office means what they call “eating” or “falling into things” as former President Godfrey Binaisa once said.

Good system of democracy
I told them that what helped us in Uganda, and other countries of Africa, was that the British colonialists left us with a good system of democracy, the rule of law, having a Constitution, and holding general elections every five years so that a political party seeks the people’s mandate to govern the country. That mandate is a social contract which forces that party to fulfil what it has stated in its election manifesto.

Recently, Daily Monitor of February 7, 2015, quoted an ex-Museveni aid having said sorry for rigging votes. Daily Monitor reported: “Lt Bahati Kabahena, the former head of discipline and VIP protection at State House, has apologised to the public for his involvement in rigging votes for Museveni since 1996”. He was speaking at Kabale Municipal Stadium at a rally for grassroot mobilisation activities by the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to build party structures.

It is important to look at the origin of DP, what it has done and its achievements since its inception.

Founded on October 6, 1954, at Rubaga, it was basically a party for all Catholics in Uganda. It had a strong pillar of the Catholic Church and the strength of a highly educated class of young Catholics, to spread its gospel and objectives. It came with an enduring motto of Truth and Justice.

The Party colours are white meaning peace, and green meaning the green colours of the country. The party stood for national unity and it fought for Uganda’s independence alongside the Uganda National Congress (UNC).

DP had much more solid support in western Uganda especially in Ankole, in Acholi and West Nile –Madi than in Buganda. The DP’s campaign slogan of DP egumire nka ibaare originated from Ankole.

DP was founded in Buganda by young Catholics headed by Matayo Mugwanya who was the son of the famous Stanslus Mugwanya, who was Omulamuzi (minister of Justice) in Buganda and Regent in 1900 and was a signatory to the 1900 Uganda Agreement with the British.

Matayo Mugwanya was in the background at the formation of the Democratic Party in 1954 because he was the minister of Justice in the Kabaka’s Government at Mengo.

The Democratic Party was formed by the Catholics of that time because they were not dominant in the Kabaka’s government. Their plan was to look at the central government with an intention of taking power in an independent Uganda.

DP was founded by eight young revolutionary Catholics to fight for Uganda’s Independence and National Unity. These were the products of the famous Catholic schools:- Namilyango College, St. Mary’s College Kisubi, St Henry’s College Kitovu and St Peter’s Secondary School – Nsambya.

They were Joseph Kasolo who was the founding President General, Joseph Kasule founding Secretary General, S. B. Kibuuka, P. Nsubuga, A.B.Serubiri, L.M. Tyaba, M. Kiddu and Alphonse Ntale. Later on in 1956, Matayo Mugwanya took over the leadership of the party.
In 1956, a young charismatic British trained lawyer Benedicto Kiwanuka took over the leadership of the party from the conservative Matayo Mugwanya.

Ben Kiwanuka (as he was popularly known) straight away transformed DP into a party of all tribes and all religions. In January 1959, when the British government announced the “road map” for Uganda’s independence, Ben Kiwanuka mobilised the people throughout the country to register as voters. He said every Ugandan must register to vote in 1961 “because Independence is coming”.

He worked closely with J.W. Kiwanuka who was the chairman of UNC to defy Mengo and the Buganda Lukiiko who had told the Baganda to boycott the registration because “the British government had not stipulated clearly what will be the position of Buganda and the Kabaka in an independent Uganda”.

Polling took place in March, 1961 and Ben Kiwanuka / DP got massive support outside Buganda. In Buganda he got less votes and what he got was because of the support of the Catholic Church.

He formed the internal self-government in March 1961 and became the first Prime Minister of Uganda. That was the first achievement of DP.
In his government, he included three leading Protestants: Balamu Mukasa, Stanley Bemba and John Sonko. Prof. Senteza Kajubi who was a staunch DP member since its inception declined a ministerial post because he was a lecturer at Kings College, Budo.

Just before Independence, Ugandans approved the Independence Constitution in London which granted Buganda a federal system of government and also authorised the Buganda Lukiiko to appoint all the 21 Buganda Members of Parliament. There was no direct election in Buganda and Ben Kiwanuka / DP were automatically left out.

Possible outcomes
Had we had direct elections in Buganda, then Ben Kiwanuka could have been elected in Masaka and DP could have won in Buganda and outside Buganda. Ben Kiwanuka could have continued as the executive prime minister and could have been the one to receive The Instruments of Independence at Kololo on October 9, 1962.

In April 1980, DP participated in the first second general election since 1962 under the leadership of Paul Kawanga Semogerere but was defeated by UPC’s Milton Obote amid claims of widespread rigging that sparked off the five year NRM Liberation War in Luweero 1981/ 1986.

There was another general election in 1996 when Mr Yoweri Museveni was already the President. Some vote rigging was reported (and Lt Bahati Kabahena has said it). Because of rebuilding peace in the country after a long period of political turmoil, Dr. Paul Semwogerere had served in the NRM Government as minister for nine years until 1996 when he left the government to fight for the reintroduction of the multi-party system against the Movement system.

The second biggest achievement of DP for the people of Uganda therefore was the return of the multiparty system of governance in 2005 after a landmark Constitutional Court ruling in a case championed by Paul Ssemogerere challenging the constitutionality of the Movement as a political system. The court ruled that the Movement was a political party and not a system as its promoters claimed and that it had all the characteristics of a political party.

DP is now under the leadership of Norbert Mao as president general, Mathias Nsubuga, MP, as Secretary general, Isa Kikungwe as treasurer and Mr Kenneth Paul Kakande as publicity secretary. It is quite evident that Ugandans are now living in relative peace and tranquility because of the multiparty system which DP fought for and it is here to stay.

The party has 15 Members of Parliament and at the moment it has embarked on an aggressive and vigorous mobilisation campaign to capture more parliamentary seats in the forthcoming general elections of 2016. Let us wait and see whether this will eventually put it in power The voters are the deciding factor.

About the Democratic party
Founded on October 6, 1954, at Rubaga, it was basically a party for all Catholics in Uganda. It had a strong pillar of the Catholic Church and the strength of a highly educated class of young Catholics, to spread its gospel and objectives.

It came with an enduring motto of Truth and Justice. The Party colours are white meaning peace, and green meaning the country. The party stood for National Unity and it fought for Uganda’s independence alongside the Uganda National Congress.