Opposition Weakening as Political Realignments Intensify, Says MP Kimosho

Kazo County MP Dan Kimosho says Uganda’s relative political calm signals a shift in opposition dynamics, predicting defections to the ruling NRM and warning that opposition parties must reorganize to regain relevance.

Kazo County Member of Parliament Dan Kimosho has said that the relative calm in Uganda’s political landscape reflects improved governance and changing opposition dynamics, predicting further weakening of opposition parties in the near future.

Speaking on NBS Morning Breeze on Tuesday, Kimosho noted that the country has moved away from the post-election unrest that has often followed previous elections.

“The calmness in the country generally speaks to the governance we have. Previously, we’d be having running battles with the opposition, especially after elections. I think the opposition is now calming down, and one would understand why,” he said.

Kimosho added that opposition parties are facing significant internal challenges and need to reorganize if they hope to regain their former strength.

“The opposition has a lot of work to do to try and go back to the levels they had attained in the past,” he said.

He further predicted an increase in defections from opposition parties to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), citing what he described as a loss of direction among opposition groups.

“I predict there will be an exodus of very few of the few remaining people in opposition to join the NRM,” Kimosho said.

His remarks come amid recent political shifts, including the defection of Mawokota South MP Yusuf Nsibambi, who left the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) last month to join the NRM, citing dissatisfaction with the opposition’s strategic direction.

Similar movements have been observed both during and after the January 15 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Kimosho also highlighted that political transition is already underway within government structures.

“Transition has been happening. About 40% of the current government consists of people who were once in opposition,” he said.

Turning to opposition leadership, Kimosho criticized former National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, suggesting his absence from the country reflects broader internal issues within the party.

“Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu is on holiday. He will come back,” he remarked.

He argued that NUP has been struggling internally since the 11th Parliament and during its nomination processes.

“What I can see is that the opposition is getting to its weakest point,” Kimosho said.

Meanwhile, Bobi Wine has confirmed that he has embarked on a series of international engagements aimed at drawing attention to Uganda’s political situation following the disputed January 15 presidential election.

In a message shared on social media, he announced the start of meetings on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., marking the beginning of outreach to international legislative and diplomatic actors. He said his temporary departure from Uganda is intended to strengthen global awareness of electoral integrity and human rights concerns. Bobi Wine also indicated plans to engage Ugandan diaspora communities before returning home.

Government officials have downplayed the significance of Bobi Wine’s international efforts. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Henry Oryem Okello described the engagements as an attempt to gain sympathy abroad rather than a legitimate political strategy, emphasizing that foreign governments do not participate in Uganda’s electoral process.

Other officials reiterated that there are no plans to arrest Bobi Wine, adding that security deployments around his residence are intended solely to maintain public order.