Majority of citizens say the opposition presents a viable alternative vision, but trust and electoral support remain weak.
Key findings
- More than eight in 10 Ugandans (82%) say they feel free to join any political organisation.
- Although a clear majority (63%) of citizens reject one-party rule, this represents a drop of 18 percentage points since 2024.
- Opposition party supporters are more likely than NRM supporters to disapprove of a single-party system (84% vs. 53%).
- More than three-fourths (77%) of Ugandans say the country needs many political parties to ensure that citizens have real choices in who governs them.
- But a similar share (75%) say competition between political parties "often" or "always" leads to violent conflict - the highest level recorded in two decades of Afrobarometer surveys
Globally, multiparty systems are the principal mechanism through which citizens can choose their leaders. In Africa, political parties emerged as key vehicles in resisting colonialism and advancing independence struggles, producing landmark movements such as the Kenya African National Union and the Tanganyika African National Union in Tanzania (Democracy Web, 2025).
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Uganda's journey with multiparty politics dates back to the 1950s, during the country's transition from colonial rule to self-governance. This period saw the rise of political parties such as the Uganda People's Congress, Kabaka Yekka, and the Democratic Party. While these parties claimed to fight for all Ugandans' rights, they were widely perceived to be divided along religious and ethnic lines (Kakuba, 2013).
Following its military victory in the civil war and ascent to power in 1986, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) suspended political party activities indefinitely, instead promoting a "no-party system" of government. Although calls for the restoration of multiparty politics persisted, the NRM argued that political parties encouraged divisiveness and could return the country to the instability and confusion that preceded its rule (Human Rights Watch, 1999; Kakuba, 2013).
But in a 2005 referendum, Ugandans voted - despite an opposition boycott - for the return to multiparty elections (Meldrum, 2005). Since then, Uganda has conducted four consecutive cycles of presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections within a multiparty framework. Electoral contests have been marred by violence, arrests, intimidation, and harassment - incidents frequently attributed to the ruling party's use of state security forces (Kakuba, 2021). Through it all, Yoweri Museveni has continued to rule as president of the country.
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As Uganda approaches general elections in January 2026, 26 political parties are officially registered, including seven new ones, while others are in the process of being gazetted or formally recognised by the Electoral Commission (Independent, 2025; Bagala, 2024). But despite the proliferation of parties, many Ugandans remain disengaged from party politics. Some see political parties as vehicles for personal gain and access to state resources rather than as platforms for public service delivery (Kaheru, 2023; Kakuba, 2013). Parties in Uganda are characterised by high levels of mutual distrust and frequent defections as politicians move between opposition parties and the governing NRM (Mubiru, 2021; Okello & Kabasa, 2016).
Recent findings from the Afrobarometer survey underscore this complex reality. While six in 10 citizens think the opposition presents a viable alternative vision for Uganda, only one-third trust opposition parties, and even fewer say they would vote for one if elections were held tomorrow. Three-fourths say Uganda needs multiple political parties, but a similar majority say multiparty competition frequently leads to violent conflict.
The ruling NRM retains the trust of a majority of citizens, while more than half express an intention to vote for the incumbent in a hypothetical election.
Stevenson Ssevume Male Stevenson Ssevume Male is an associate researcher with Hatchile Consult Ltd. in Kampala, Uganda.
George William Kayanja George William Kayanja is a senior researcher for Hatchile Consult.
