Mr Mpuuga highlighted the existence of two voter registers -- biometric and hardcopy -- as a key concern, describing it as a loophole ripe for manipulation.
Mathias Mpuuga, the national coordinator of the Democratic Alliance, has raised alarms over alleged manipulation of the electoral process ahead of the 2026 elections, accusing the Electoral Commission (EC) of setting the stage for vote rigging.
Speaking after a closed-door meeting with the People's Progressive Party (PPP) in Kampala, Mr Mpuuga expressed concerns about the voter registration process.
"The manner in which the update of the voter register is being done is a serious reform matter. I wonder why people who care about the next election can't see that the vote is being rigged right at the beginning," he said.
Mr Mpuuga highlighted the existence of two voter registers -- biometric and hardcopy -- as a key concern, describing it as a loophole ripe for manipulation.
He called for urgent reforms to ensure a fair electoral process, urging political stakeholders to prioritize these changes before the elections.
The meeting with the PPP, which lasted nearly three hours, culminated in a pledge for collaboration on electoral reforms.
PPP president Saddam Gayira committed to appointing a team to work with Mpuuga on advancing these reforms.
Mr Gayira also presented draft proposals advocating equal funding for political parties, regardless of parliamentary representation.
"Our push for equal funding aims to level the playing field and ensure that smaller political parties can compete on more equal terms with larger, better-funded ones," he said.
However, Julius Mucunguzi, the EC's spokesperson, dismissed Mpuuga's allegations as baseless.
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"What is fed into the biometric register is the same as what is fed into the hardcopy voters' register. There shouldn't be any call for alarm," Mucunguzi said.
Solidarity with Besigye
Mr Mpuuga also expressed solidarity with Dr Kizza Besigye, the veteran opposition stalwart currently detained under contentious circumstances.
He criticised the government for using Besigye's incarceration to intimidate other opposition figures.
"This is a warning to anyone planning to challenge the ruling government. But we stand firmly with Besigye and will not be silenced," Mpuuga declared.
Mpuuga has been engaging with various political groups, including the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Justice Forum (JEEMA), to mobilise a united front for electoral reforms.
He emphasized that the current challenges with voter registration are only part of a larger pattern of alleged electoral manipulation that must be addressed to safeguard Uganda's democracy.
