Museveni Hands IPOD Baton To Mao As Leaders Weigh Peace Against Division

The Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) Summit at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds on Thursday unfolded less like a routine political gathering and more like a moment of reflection on Uganda’s fragile balance between unity and division as the country edges closer to the 2026 elections.

With six political parties represented, the day’s proceedings revealed a mix of consensus-building, cautious optimism, and sharp reminders of the challenges that continue to test Uganda’s democracy.

President Yoweri Museveni set the tone by stressing that Uganda’s stability depends not only on leadership but also on the willingness of political actors to resolve differences through dialogue.

He urged his counterparts to avoid what he termed the African curse of mixing “wrong diagnoses of problems with violent responses,” warning that such combinations have plunged other nations into chaos.

His appeal came as he handed over the IPOD chairmanship to Democratic Party leader Norbert Mao, a symbolic moment underscoring the platform’s role in promoting inclusivity across Uganda’s political spectrum.

Museveni’s reflections drew heavily on his long political journey, recalling his early days as a Democratic Party youth member in the 1960s. He likened politics to medicine, insisting that leaders must be capable of correctly diagnosing societal problems if they are to prescribe effective remedies. The lesson, he said, was that peace provides space for correction, but violence eliminates the chance for recovery.

The summit, held under the theme “Together for a Peaceful and Sustainable Uganda,” became a stage for opposition leaders to press for genuine reforms while committing themselves to dialogue.

Mao, now at the helm of IPOD, struck a conciliatory tone. He called for an open-door approach that would prioritize consensus-building over confrontation, describing dialogue as the most credible pathway to a peaceful election season. He commended Museveni for releasing dozens of political detainees earlier in the year, calling it a small but significant step toward reconciliation.

UPC President Jimmy Akena and FDC’s Patrick Oboi Amuriat added their voices, with Akena declaring that his party would always choose dialogue over hostility, while Amuriat pressed for clemency for political prisoners as a sign of goodwill.

Amuriat’s appeal reflected a broader unease among opposition groups that dialogue, while useful, risks becoming hollow unless accompanied by concrete actions.

JEEMA’s Asuman Basalirwa and PPP’s Saddam Gayira pointed to the power of peaceful engagement. Gayira highlighted that his party had avoided police summons and arrests throughout its history precisely because it chose non-confrontation as a strategy. “Respecting each other regardless of differences is the surest way to protect Uganda’s future,” he told delegates.

Amid speeches and handshakes, a quieter message came from Dr. Lawrence Sserwambala, IPOD’s Executive Director. He noted that Uganda’s youthful population remains vulnerable to manipulation into violence, particularly in urban centers where frustration runs high. Unless leaders make deliberate efforts to mentor young people as “champions of peace,” he warned, the promise of dialogue could unravel in the heat of election campaigns.

The presence of key figures such as the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, Electoral Commission Chairperson Simon Byabakama, and senior NRM leaders lent weight to the event, signaling that dialogue has, at least symbolically, become a national priority. Yet behind the symbolism lies an unspoken reality: the months ahead will test whether IPOD’s calls for peace can withstand the pressures of a fiercely contested election.

As the summit concluded, the sense was less of a political victory than of an uneasy truce. Leaders agreed on the principle of dialogue, but for many Ugandans, the real measure of IPOD will be seen not in speeches at Kololo but in how parties conduct themselves on the campaign trail. With the 2026 elections drawing near, the question that lingers is whether Uganda’s leaders will match words with action and prove that dialogue can indeed deliver unity in the face of division.