By Our Reporter
In a move signaling a more structured and determined opposition, the newly registered People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) has held its first National Delegates Conference and Convention at its Katonga Road offices, formalizing its leadership and political machinery — even as its founding figure, Dr. Kizza Besigye, addressed the gathering from behind prison walls.
The convention marked a historic turning point for the PFF, a political outfit born out of frustration with internal turmoil in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). Just a month after receiving recognition from the Electoral Commission, the group has wasted no time in organizing and setting its agenda for Uganda’s turbulent opposition politics.
Despite being held in Luzira Prison since November 2024, following a controversial arrest in Nairobi, Rt. Col. Dr. Besigye addressed the delegates virtually. His message was clear and unrelenting: “Only united opposition forces can bring an end to Museveni’s 40-year rule.” He emphasized that Uganda’s liberation must go beyond party lines and become a national struggle.
Besigye, widely seen as the face of Uganda’s political resistance, was elected Supreme Leader of the PFF — a symbolic and strategic role that elevates his influence within the movement, even while in detention. He will be deputized by Ambassador Waswa Birigwa, forming what the party calls the Council of Eminent Persons, a team comprising seasoned political figures and ideologues.
Among those appointed to the council are recognizable names from Uganda’s political past and present: Chapaa Karuhanga, Wafula Oguttu, James Garuga, William Mukaira, Elizabeth Kyewalabye, Ojok B’Leo, and Ambassador Jack Wamanga Wamai, among others.
The National Convention also ushered in a new executive leadership — with Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago elected Party Chairperson, deputized by a formidable mix of opposition figures including Nicholas Thadeus Kamara, Betty Aol Ochan, Albert Oduman Okello, and Dr. Lulume Bayiga, who recently crossed over from the Democratic Party (DP) after unsuccessfully challenging party president Norbert Mao.
Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the outspoken legislator from Kira Municipality, will double as Secretary General and Spokesperson — a central role that places him at the heart of both messaging and coordination.
The party also outlined its core policy engines through newly appointed commission heads, signaling its ambition to offer an alternative policy roadmap. Ingrid Turinawe, a former FDC mobilizer, will lead the Social Services Commission, focusing on health, education, and welfare — supported by Joan Nabatanzi and Robert Onega.
The Economic Affairs Commission will be headed by Hon. Asinansi Nyakato, with deputies including Naboth Namanya, Counsel Moses Kabuusu, and Owiny Gordon, while Doreen Nyanjura, Kampala’s Deputy Lord Mayor, will steer the Special Interests Commission.
In the legal and human rights docket, Counsel Moses Tugume and Counsel Ronald Wanda will lead efforts on justice and security, as the PFF promises to center civil liberties and rule of law in its platform.
Political observers see this development as a serious re-entry of Besigye’s political vision into Uganda’s opposition landscape — one that appears more organized and determined to confront the NRM regime through structured mobilization and issue-based politics.
Analysts also note the timing of this convention — just as 2026 draws near — as a direct challenge to other opposition players, including National Unity Platform (NUP) and remnants of the old FDC.
As the PFF moves forward with its institutional formation, its most potent weapon may not be just its lineup of political veterans, but the ability to galvanize unity across a fragmented opposition — and it is doing so, remarkably, with its leader behind bars.