No Museveni, No Peace? Former Opposition Chief Warns of Chaos Without Transition Plan

Former Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Professor Morris Ogenga Latigo, has urged the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government to adopt a Government of National Unity (GNU) as a transitional mechanism to ensure a peaceful and stable post-Museveni era in Uganda.His proposal comes amidst growing uncertainty over the country's political future, with increasing calls for a democratic shift after decades of President Yoweri Museveni's leadership.

Speaking during a public discussion on Uganda’s democratic trajectory, Prof. Latigo emphasized that the country risked repeating past political crises if it failed to plan an inclusive and structured transition.

He argued that a Government of National Unity—bringing together diverse political forces, civil society, and technocrats—would serve as a stabilizing bridge during the handover of power.

Prof. Latigo noted that Uganda’s political history has been marked by violent and chaotic transfers of leadership, from the fall of Idi Amin to the turmoil following Milton Obote’s regimes.

"If we are to avoid returning to that painful past, we must not personalize or politicize this transition. We need a broad-based transitional government, not as a concession to opposition, but as a national necessity", he warned.

According to Prof. Latigo, the current political atmosphere is tense and deeply polarized. With President Museveni’s over three-decade rule now under increasing scrutiny, the stakes for a peaceful succession are high.

He argued that waiting for a power vacuum or betting on a conventional election to resolve succession issues would be politically irresponsible.

He further explained that a GNU would help build trust, restore confidence in national institutions, and foster dialogue among Uganda’s fractured political actors.

It would also enable constitutional and electoral reforms to be carried out in a non-partisan environment, laying the groundwork for credible elections and lasting peace.

LINK: https://x.com/933kfm/status/1949704273995898926

While some NRM loyalists have dismissed the proposal as premature or unnecessary, others—particularly from civil society and the opposition—have supported it, viewing it as a pragmatic approach to avoiding conflict and rebuilding national cohesion