M7 Meets Opposition Party Leaders

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has once again called on Uganda’s political actors to embrace peaceful dialogue and reject violence as the country prepares for the 2026 general elections. 

Addressing leaders of six political parties during the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) Summit at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, Museveni said Uganda’s progress depends on leaders diagnosing societal challenges correctly and applying peaceful solutions rather than resorting to subversion, violence, and divisive politics.

The summit, convened under the theme “Together for a Peaceful and Sustainable Uganda,” brought together Presidents and Secretaries General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Democratic Party (DP), Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Justice Forum (JEEMA), and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

In his keynote address, Museveni, speaking in his dual capacity as NRM National Chairman and IPOD Summit Chair, urged opposition leaders to adopt peaceful methods of engagement, emphasising that mistakes in governance can be corrected over time if the country remains stable.“As we have seen in the last 40 years, the NRM has revived Uganda’s economy. Although we still face challenges, we are much stronger than ever before. Even if one has a wrong understanding, as long as they are not violent, the country will remain stable, and in the future, mistakes can be corrected,” Museveni said.

He argued that Africa’s biggest tragedy stems from both wrong diagnoses of societal problems and the use of violent methods.“That is how chaos arises in many African countries. Even when you make mistakes, if there is peace, there is room for correction. But when you combine wrong ideas with violence, you get a total breakdown,” he added. 

Reflecting on his long political career, Museveni reminded party leaders that he had been involved in politics for 65 years, beginning as a Democratic Party youth leader in 1960 before joining UPC briefly in 1970.“Politics must be like medicine. A political leader should be like a doctor—able to correctly diagnose the problems of society. If the diagnosis and prescription are wrong, the patient dies. If leaders misdiagnose societal issues, their countries collapse,” he explained.

President Museveni also weighed in on the recent teachers’ strike, which UPC President Jimmy Akena had raised during discussions. He stressed the importance of prioritising limited national resources, citing the case of Soroti Flying School, where pilots and engineers were prioritised over other staff to prevent the school’s collapse.“In the Soroti flying school, we needed most pilots and engineers of the aircraft, but they didn’t have the money to pay all of them well. They were not prioritising, saying, we must all get equal, either we all get or nobody gets, that logic is not correct. We, freedom fighters, always prioritise. I advised them, and they agreed to pay the pilots well,” Museveni explained.

At the same ceremony, Museveni handed over the IPOD Chairmanship to the Democratic Party’s Chairman, Norbert Mao.“Thank you for having trusted us, NRM, for the last five years with the leadership I now peacefully hand over,” Museveni said.

Mao emphasised consensus-building as the foundation of national unity, further committing to a peaceful election in 2026.“So today, I, on behalf of the DP, take the leadership of IPOD. I want to announce that we shall leave the door of IPOD open. Our agenda will be to ensure that we have a peaceful election, a free and fair process, and that we shall continue to talk honestly about the problems we face, that we shall attack the problems that face Uganda, rather than attacking each other,” he said.

UPC President Jimmy Akena reaffirmed his party’s commitment to dialogue, describing it as essential for building unity during the upcoming election season.“As Ugandans, we may not agree on every policy, but we must focus on the greater good. UPC will always choose dialogue to overcome difficulties,” Akena said. “Even in a tough election season, our goal is to emerge stronger and more united.”

Forum for Democratic Change President Patrick Oboi Amuriat underscored FDC’s long-standing support for IPOD but warned that dialogue must be meaningful and lead to tangible results.“Our country is fractured along tribal, religious, and political lines. We must emphasise reconciliation,” Amuriat said. 

He called on President Museveni to exercise clemency and pardon political prisoners, including those awaiting delayed justice.“Progress requires leaving the past behind. Clemency will demonstrate goodwill and help this country move forward,” he urged.