Kampala — Bukoto Central MP Engineer Richard Sebamala is quietly consulting political allies and party structures on a possible bid for the Ugandan presidency in 2031, according to reports circulating within Democratic Party (DP) circles and wider opposition networks.
The development comes as the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) intensify preparations for Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces, who has publicly declared his intention to contest in 2031 and whose supporters are mobilising endorsements nationwide. At the same time, National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) remains in self-imposed exile in the United States following the disputed 2026 elections, leaving a visible leadership gap in the broader opposition.
Sebamala, a civil engineer who unseated long-serving former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi in Bukoto Central in 2021 and retained the seat in the 2026 polls, has long signalled higher ambitions. His earlier challenge to DP President General Norbert Mao for the party’s top post—before being ruled ineligible under the party’s 10-year active membership rule—was widely read as a test of his readiness for national leadership.
That signal has now become more explicit. At a recent DP event in Buikwe marking the party’s anniversary, Sebamala directly told Mao that he intended to stand against President Yoweri Museveni or whoever the NRM ultimately fields. He later told Watchdog Uganda that he believes this can be pursued without fracturing the DP: “I believe DP is greater than the differences between me and Mao. Besides, there is a lot to learn from him before I take over and contest with his boss.” The two men were subsequently photographed shaking hands and exchanging warm embraces, a public display of reduced tension after years of rivalry over the party’s cooperation agreement with the NRM.
In the same period, Sebamala has outlined a broader national vision in a leadership address titled “Uganda: One People, One Destiny, One Future.” Speaking as “a son of this beautiful country,” he emphasised that Uganda’s greatest resource is its people, not its oil, gold or waters. He rejected politics defined by tribe, region or party, asking whether the hunger of a child in Karamoja differs from that of a child in Busoga, or the grief of a mother in Arua from that of a mother in Mbarara. “We are Baganda. We are Banyankole. We are Basoga… But above all, we are Ugandans,” he declared. “Our diversity is not a weakness to be overcome. It is a national inheritance to be celebrated.”
He defined “the Ugandan Dream” simply: if a citizen works hard, obeys the law and develops their abilities, they should have a fair chance to improve their life—whether a rural child becoming a doctor or engineer, a farmer earning a dignified living, or a young person not needing political connections for opportunity. On the economy, he argued that Uganda must move beyond exporting raw commodities so that value from coffee, cotton and other produce is captured at home through processing, branding and industry that creates jobs. He called for transparent government contracts, protection of public resources and an economy in which small businesses can grow into national champions.
Sebamala also stressed investment in youth, restoration of trust in institutions through accountability and the rule of law, and a practical hope expressed through honest public service rather than empty promises. He concluded with a call for collective responsibility: “Uganda is greater than any one of us, but Uganda can only become greater through the contribution of all of us… One people. One destiny. One Uganda. And a future we build together.”
Political observers note that with Bobi Wine abroad and other opposition figures either constrained or aligned with the government, Sebamala’s combination of parliamentary experience, grassroots work in Masaka, engineering background and consistent critique of DP’s NRM pact positions him as a potential figure around whom a broader opposition could coalesce ahead of 2031. Whether the consultations translate into a formal candidacy will depend on internal DP dynamics, the evolving succession picture within the NRM, and the wider political environment over the coming years. For now, the Bukoto Central MP is making clear that he intends to remain in the conversation.
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