KAMPALA, Uganda — The party linked to long-time opposition figure Kizza Besigye has announced it will not field a presidential candidate in Uganda’s 2026 election, a move aimed at consolidating support behind a single challenger to President Yoweri Museveni.
The People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) said the decision was made “in the broader interest of unity,” according to the party’s secretary general, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda. He told reporters on Monday that the opposition could not afford to fragment its vote.
“The PFF has made this decision in the broader interest of building a single stronger freedom-seeking force,” Ssemujju said. He argued that rising abductions of political figures and what he called a “militarised campaign” threatened the integrity of the upcoming polls.
Dr Besigye, who has challenged Museveni four times in past elections, remains in detention. He and his aide, Obeid Lutale, were abducted from Nairobi last November and deported to Kampala, where they face charges of treason and illegal possession of firearms. Both men are being held at Luzira Prison.
The case has drawn criticism from rights groups and opposition leaders, including Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine. He has described the charges as politically motivated.
The PFF has already signed a cooperation pact with the Alliance for National Transformation, led by former army general Mugisha Muntu. Talks are also under way with Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform, which has submitted signatures to secure a place on the ballot.
An earlier agreement between PFF and ANT warned that the coming elections “are designed by Museveni and his family to be the worst in our history.”
Museveni, who has ruled for nearly four decades, is seeking another term under his National Resistance Movement. Electoral Commission officials have dismissed opposition claims of military interference. “The Commission has constitutional powers to adjust the election roadmap when necessary,” said spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi.
For Besigye, this will be the second election he has missed, having sat out the 2021 contest. His absence and the PFF’s withdrawal now leave the focus on whether Uganda’s fractious opposition can rally around a single candidate strong enough to challenge a president who has outlasted them all.
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