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The DP spokesperson, Okoler Opio Lo Amanu, addressing the journalists on clerics letter at DP offices Balintuma Road in Namirembe Kampala on Tuesday with other DP leaders. (Photo by Milton Niinga)
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By Milton Niinga
Following the Democratic Party’s (DP) decision to engage President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in a national dialogue by signing a cooperation agreement after the 2021 general elections, the long-awaited initiative—once thought to be a hoax—has begun to gain momentum.
The DP has now stepped forward to challenge the government once again to consider the contents of "The Truth Will Set You Free", a letter drafted and signed by Catholic Church priests in Uganda, calling for transition talks and national dialogue.
As the country prepares to enter the 2025/2026 election period, the warnings issued by Catholic priests must be taken seriously to avoid violence and political turmoil, especially in the event of President Museveni’s unconditional departure from power, said Okoler Opio Lo Amanu, DP spokesperson.
“We, as DP, fully support the position of the Catholic Church priests regarding peaceful transitional dialogue. We intend to present this idea to President Museveni and other opposition political parties in the interest of maintaining peace and stability in our country,” Opio stated.
Speaking during a weekly press conference held at the DP National Campaign Headquarters on Balintuma Road in Namirembe, Kampala, on Tuesday, Opio proposed that opposition parties should organize a dialogue with President Museveni, urging him not to stand as a presidential candidate in 2026 to allow a peaceful transition of power.
“President Museveni is growing old and no longer has the energy to carry the leadership mantle for much longer. Although the constitution mandates the Vice President to take over, there is absolutely no willingness from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to allow that to happen,” he said.
“For the good of our nation, the opposition needs to sit with President Museveni to negotiate a peaceful exit—by convincing him not to contest in 2026—instead of him leaving office abruptly when the country is unprepared,” he added.
The Catholic bishops of Uganda, under their umbrella body, the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC), issued a strongly worded pastoral letter—their 27th—expressing deep concern over the perceived decline in moral and spiritual values.
Released during the Lenten season, the letter was signed by the Chairman of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, Rt. Rev. Joseph Antony Zziwa, Bishop of Kiyinda–Mityana Diocese, along with other senior bishops. It called for urgent reflection and action to address pressing national issues.
In the 15-page pastoral letter, released ahead of Uganda Martyrs Day on June 3, the bishops expressed concern over “the painful realities of our time,” which include rising levels of torture, corruption, abuse of power, and widening inequality.
“The nation is on the edge. A change of direction is urgently needed,” said Bishop Zziwa.
“We are at a critical moment in our country’s history. If we do not act now, we risk plunging back into the kind of turmoil we had hoped was behind us.”
The DP spokesperson, Okoler Opio Lo Amanu, addressing the press conference at DP offices Balintuma Road in Namirembe Kampala on Tuesday. (Photo by Milton Niinga)
The letter referenced the bishops’ first pastoral letter, "Shaping Our National Destiny," issued in 1962, which outlined key values for the newly independent Uganda, including the common good, human dignity, justice, and democratic governance. Their most recent letter, "Break the Yoke" (September 2022), addressed the issue of human trafficking. Drawing on the biblical passage John 8:31–32, the bishops pointed to a growing “moral and spiritual crisis” they believe lies at the root of many societal problems.
“The country must address political violence during election periods, gross corruption, sectarianism, poverty, land grabbing, and other injustices resulting from the breakdown of the rule of law,” Opio lamented.
He also expressed concern about the increasing number of political prisoners and detainees in Uganda, accusing security agencies of arresting, detaining, torturing, and abducting individuals with dissenting views without due legal process—actions that reflect a worrying trend in the country's politics.
“The rate of unemployment threatens the country’s stability and socio-economic development. We are losing over Shs 10 trillion annually—nearly 44% of domestic revenue—to corruption. This is alarming,” he said.
Opio warned against the unchecked pursuit and glorification of wealth, which he said has fueled suffering through land grabbing, abuse of public resources, bribery, deceit, and other vices.
On the issue of poverty, he revealed that 30.1% of Uganda’s population lives below the poverty line and around 44% of children experience monetary poverty. “This state of deprivation and inequality has created discontent in sections of the population and is partly responsible for riots, mental health challenges, and domestic violence,” he explained.
Of particular concern, he noted, is the growing disregard for the sanctity of life—evidenced by frequent reports of domestic violence leading to murder, violence against children, and mob justice. “The bishops unequivocally condemned abortion, reiterating the Church’s position on the absolute protection of human life from conception,” Opio noted.
Other bishops who signed the letter include the Most Rev. Raphael p'Mony Wokorach (Archbishop of Gulu), Most Rev. Paul Ssemogerere (Archbishop of Kampala), Most Rev. Lambert Bainomugisha (Archbishop of Mbarara), Most Rev. Emmanuel Obbo (Archbishop of Tororo), along with numerous bishops from dioceses across Uganda.
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