Democratic Party (DP) president general Norbert Mao has said the National Unity Platform (NUP) must meet legal requirements for political parties to access public funding linked to membership in the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD).
Mao, who chairs the IPOD Summit, said the money comes from Ugandan taxpayers and is governed by legislation passed by Parliament, leaving him without the authority to exempt any party from the requirements.
Speaking at a press conference at the DP offices, Mao maintained that NUP was entitled to the funding if it fulfilled the applicable conditions, including joining IPOD.
“There are those who are blaming me. ‘Mawalemede sente za NUP.’ I’m not an accounting officer in the government. The law is there. That law was passed by Parliament, and NUP was there in that Parliament,” Mao said.
The dispute centres on the legal framework linking public funding for parliamentary political parties to IPOD membership and participation. NUP has opposed joining the platform, arguing that doing so could legitimise President Yoweri Museveni’s government without securing meaningful political reforms.
Mao said he had asked leaders of parties already participating in IPOD to convene and consider admitting NUP, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) and the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).
“We have assured the members of NUP in particular that this money is Ugandan taxpayers’ money, and they are entitled to it according to the law,” he said.
His position is that entitlement to the funding does not remove the obligation to satisfy the conditions governing its release.
The arrangement has drawn criticism from those who argue that linking public funding to participation in a particular political platform disadvantages parties that reject its structure or question its effectiveness. Supporters, however, maintain that the requirement encourages dialogue, political tolerance and peaceful resolution of disputes.
Mao rejected suggestions that he was personally responsible for withholding NUP’s funding, saying the relevant government institutions must implement the law enacted by Parliament.
Mao invites NUP to join IPOD
Despite insisting on compliance, Mao said he was ready to welcome NUP into the dialogue platform.
“I’m waiting to welcome the NUP. I’m waiting to welcome the president of the NUP to come and be part of the IPOD family,” he said.
He argued that joining IPOD would give the party an opportunity to raise its concerns through discussions with other political parties.
However, NUP’s admission has faced procedural questions, including disagreement over whether party president Robert Kyagulanyi must personally attend an IPOD Summit meeting or may be represented by another senior official.
Mao said IPOD leaders had been asked to convene and consider applications from parties seeking membership.
He also defended the platform against criticism that participation requires political parties to agree on national issues.
“IPOD is not a political party. In fact, those who are in IPOD don’t agree on many issues, and that is okay,” he said.
Mao used the dispute to advocate a political culture in which parties engage with one another despite their differences.
He cited discussions on consociational democracy involving General Salim Saleh and Professor Ogenga Otunnu, describing the approach as one intended to ensure that Ugandans feel they have a stake in the country regardless of which government is in power.
He also defended DP’s cooperation agreement with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), arguing that political differences should not prevent parties from working together on shared national priorities.
“We are saying whichever government is in power should serve all of us,” he said.
Mao argued that political hostility diverts time and resources from challenges such as poverty, access to education and healthcare, and the need to expand livelihoods.
He called for constitutional reforms, reconciliation and peaceful transfers of power, saying dialogue should become a normal feature of Uganda’s political life.