Kira Municipality Member of Parliament Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of deliberately frustrating the registration process of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), a new political formation he supports.
Speaking during a press briefing on Monday, Ssemujju alleged that the EC has been playing “ping-pong games” with the group, continuously shifting goalposts and delaying approval of their application.
“The Electoral Commission is not acting independently. We have fulfilled all legal requirements, but they keep inventing new excuses,” Ssemujju said. He warned that such actions undermine democracy and the constitutional right of Ugandans to organize politically.
The PFF, which positions itself as a pro-democracy movement advocating for good governance and accountability, was launched last year with several opposition figures backing its formation.
However, its journey to formal registration as a political party has faced repeated bureaucratic obstacles.
Ssemujju revealed that district registrars have been questioning their promoters, casting doubt on the EC’s impartiality. He warned that the delay could jeopardize PFF’s participation in the upcoming elections, including internal primaries and candidate selection.
“If it’s manpower they lack, we’ll mobilize our supporters and help them,” he added. “It’s unacceptable that a registrar takes a week to verify 50 signatures. If that’s the pace, they can’t even run an election.”
Efforts to get a comment from the EC were unsuccessful by press time.
Ssemujju has vowed that the PFF will not be silenced, promising legal action if the delays persist.