Former leader of Opposition and MP for Nyendo-Mukungwe, Hon. Mathias Mpuuga, has unveiled a new political outfit—the Democratic Front (DF)—signaling a definitive break from the National Unity Platform (NUP) and setting the stage for a fresh political contest ahead of Uganda’s 2026 general elections.
“Introducing the Democratic Front (DF), a new political party that is deliberate in bringing freshness to Uganda’s political landscape,” Mpuuga said in a statement on Tuesday.
“It is born out of our motherland’s need for meaningful transformation that transcends the tired cycle of recycled ideologies.
This comes not as a disruption, but a necessity born of the failures of the status quo. It is a home for logical thinkers, progressive minds, and those who believe in political ethics and disciplined service delivery.”
According to a certificate of registration issued by the Electoral Commission on May 6, 2025, the party formally changed its name from the Green Partisan Party to the Democratic Front Party under Section 6(10) of the Political Parties and Organisations Act.
The creation of the Democratic Front comes months after Mpuuga’s fallout with the leadership of NUP, where he previously served as Deputy President for the Central Region.
His departure followed months of internal wrangles, particularly over accountability questions and ideological differences with party leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine.
Insiders say Mpuuga’s departure from NUP was long in the making, driven by his disillusionment with what he termed the party’s “incoherent and populist posture.”
Maturity
His allies accuse the NUP leadership of abandoning the cause of institutional development and maturity in favor of online agitation and reactionary politics.
With the Democratic Front, Mpuuga now seeks to carve out a centrist and pragmatic alternative in Uganda’s increasingly polarized political arena.
The new party is expected to appeal to voters fatigued by the binary contest between the ruling NRM and NUP, especially in urban and peri-urban areas.
Political analysts say Mpuuga’s move could alter the opposition landscape, especially if he can attract disgruntled members from both NUP and the traditional Democratic Party, where he launched his political career.
Mpuuga has not yet declared whether he will seek the presidency in 2026, but the timing and framing of the Democratic Front suggest an ambition to offer a structured, issue-based campaign that challenges both the NRM’s grip on power and the NUP’s dominance of opposition politics.
