As Uganda’s 2026 presidential campaigns enter their second week, the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) says it is experiencing a markedly calmer trail compared to previous election cycles.
While other candidates have faced intermittent clashes with security, the FDC leadership says their engagements with voters have, so far, proceeded largely without disruption. Party president Patrick Oboi Amuriat (POA) said on Monday that, unlike 2021, when he was arrested 45 times during just 65 days of his campaign trail, the ongoing campaign has so far been free of major security interference.
Speaking ahead of rallies in Kamwenge and Fort Portal, Amuriat noted that the team has been able to deliver its message to voters without the usual confrontations that have long characterised opposition campaigns.
In the 2021 elections, Amuriat says he cannot recall a single day they were not either arrested or dispersed with teargas. He attributes the current calm to persistent appeals made to President Yoweri Museveni, who is also a candidate in the race, to “sanitise the electoral process.” He said if this atmosphere continues, it would signal a positive shift toward fairer political competition.
However, the campaign has not been entirely without hiccups. Following Nathan Nandala Mafabi’s nomination at the Electoral Commission offices in Lweza, police delayed his convoy for over an hour, preventing supporters from joining the procession.
A similar incident occurred on Sunday in Bunyangabu, where police blocked a stopover that had been approved by the Electoral Commission as part of the harmonised campaign schedule.
Mafabi later engaged in a brief exchange with the police before proceeding to Kasese, an area that has previously been an FDC stronghold.
On Monday, the team faced another standoff in Rwamwanja Town, where police stopped them from addressing supporters at the Katalyebwa Town Council market.
Jack Sabiti, the Party’s National Chairman, said the team had planned to make a short stopover to greet supporters en route to the main rally, but police objected, saying only the main venue had been cleared.
Sabiti told said that the party has briefed its supporters to remain calm throughout the campaign. “We want this campaign to be smooth. We haven’t faced major problems,” he said.
The standoff drew a small crowd chanting FDC slogans, but security maintained a tight presence and ordered the team to proceed. After brief negotiations, the leaders complied and continued to the main rally under police escort.
While Amuriat is celebrating what he calls a relatively smooth trail, the experience contrasts sharply with that of National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), who has faced repeated disruptions, including blocked rallies and arrests. Last week, Kyagulanyi was prevented from holding a rally in Iganga, despite following the Electoral Commission’s harmonised campaign schedule.
Apart from occasional clashes with police, Amuriat accuses President Museveni and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) of copying FDC’s ideas.
He said several of their campaign proposals, including offering start-up capital to graduates, have been directly replicated by the NRM.
Amuriat also decried media bias, accusing the national broadcaster of denying the opposition fair airtime. He said the uneven media space undermines voter awareness and limits citizens’ ability to make informed decisions.
Nonetheless, he insisted the FDC remains determined to reach voters through alternative means such as community meetings, social media platforms, and local radio stations that are open to all candidates.
“We shall not give up,” he said. “If the big media houses refuse to air our message, we will use every available platform to take our message to the people.”