Sebamala raises red flags over illegal amendments in DP constitution

Apr 8, 2025 - 02:00

Masaka District, April 7, 2025:

Tensions are mounting within Uganda’s Democratic Party (DP) as Hon. Sebamala Richard, the party’s Masaka District Chairman, has issued a stern warning to the Electoral Commission regarding alleged illegal amendments to the party’s constitution.

In a letter dated April 7, 2025, addressed to Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Sebamala alleges a plot to manipulate upcoming elections for party office bearers, accusing certain party leaders, including the Secretary General, of attempting to bypass legal protocols.

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The controversy stems from a delegates’ conference held on September 18, 2020, in Gulu, where amendments introducing new party offices were reportedly passed. However, Sebamala claims these changes were never submitted to the Electoral Commission within the 21-day window mandated by Section 11(4) of the Political Parties and Organizations Act of 2005, rendering them invalid for official recognition. He warns that party officials are now planning to fraudulently present these amendments for gazettement, a move he says is designed to rig internal elections.

Sebamala’s letter urges the Electoral Commission to reject any such submissions, emphasizing that endorsing these amendments would violate the law and undermine the DP’s democratic principles. He has threatened legal action against the Commission if it fails to act, signaling a potential showdown that could further fracture the party ahead of the 2025/2026 general elections.

The Electoral Commission has yet to respond publicly, but the allegations come at a sensitive time as Uganda prepares for national polls. Political analysts suggest this internal DP dispute could weaken the opposition’s unity, already strained by historical infighting. For Masaka, a key political stronghold, the outcome of this standoff may shape the party’s influence as the country heads toward a pivotal electoral season.

Below is the letter

Masaka District
Date: 04/07/2025

The Chairperson
Electoral Commission
Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama.

Dear Chairperson,

RE: URGENT APPEAL AGAINST ILLEGAL AMENDMENTS TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CONSTITUTION

I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Hon. Sebamala Richard and I serve as the Chairman of the Democratic Party in Masaka District. I am writing to you with urgency regarding recent developments that pose a serious threat to the integrity of our party’s democratic processes and, more importantly, the upcoming elections for party office bearers.

As you are aware, the Democratic Party held its delegates’ conference on the 18th of September, 2020, in Gulu, where certain amendments to our party constitution were passed. However, I must bring to your attention that these amendments, particularly those that involve the introduction of new offices, have yet to be communicated to the Electoral Commission within the mandated 21-day period as stipulated in Section 11(4) of the Political Parties and Organizations Act of 2005.

This oversight renders these changes inadmissible for gazettement. Regrettably, I have come to know that certain individuals, led by the Secretary General of the party, are planning to circumvent this regulation and deceitfully submit these amendments to your esteemed office. The introduction of these new offices appears to be specifically designed to manipulate and rig the upcoming elections for party office bearers.

I implore you to resist any attempts to validate these illegitimate procedures and to uphold the law as prescribed in the Political Parties and Organizations Act of 2005. Failure to do so could not only undermine the democratic foundations of our party but also expose the Electoral Commission to legal challenges that would certainly follow such an unlawful endorsement of these amendments.

I hereby put the Electoral Commission on notice that if these illegalities are undertaken, I will have no choice but to initiate legal proceedings against the Commission to protect the integrity of our party and the democratic processes therein.

Thank you for your attention to this crucial matter. I trust that you will take the necessary steps to uphold the law and ensure a fair electoral process within the Democratic Party.

Yours sincerely,

Hon. Sebamala Richard
Chairman, Democratic Party
Masaka District

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