Claim of Mpuuga's Democratic Front Endorsing Museveni is False

A statement purportedly from Uganda’s Democratic Front (DF), led by Mathias Mpuuga, surfaced on X, claiming the party had withdrawn support for opposition presidential candidate Mubarak Munyagwa of the Common Man’s Party and instead endorsed incumbent President Yoweri Museveni for the January 2026 elections.

Shared by an account named “Democratic Alliance Uganda,” the statement cited “national stability” and was signed by “DF Leadership.” This claim has garnered significant attention, with over 59,000 views, raising concerns about opposition unity.

A screenshot of the False tweet from an account posing as the Mathias Mpuuga-led Democratic Front

Verdict

The claim is entirely false. The statement is fabricated, originating from a fake account impersonating the Democratic Front. DF has not endorsed any presidential candidate for 2026 and remains focused on electoral reforms and non-presidential races.

Evidence

The account “Democratic Alliance Uganda” is not affiliated with DF, It has a vague bio blending reformist rhetoric with no clear ties to the party.

In contrast, DF has no official X account to avoid such impersonation risks. Authentic updates come through Mathias Mpuuga’s verified personal account (over 100,000 followers) or trusted media outlets like Daily Monitor and NBS Television. For instance, NBS covered DF’s June 2025 leadership conference, where no social media proxy was named.

On September 20, 2025, at DF’s Namirembe headquarters, Mpuuga, alongside Secretary General Michael Mabikke and Deputy President Abdul Noor Kyamundu, announced the party’s decision ratified by its August 20 National Council to abstain from fielding or endorsing any 2026 presidential candidate.

Mpuuga criticized the electoral process as a “rigged ritual” favoring Museveni since 1996, emphasizing DF’s focus on parliamentary races and reforms like a unified voter register. He explicitly rejected ties to Museveni, calling his rule a “tragedy.” No credible evidence links DF to Museveni, whose campaign operates independently under the NRM flag.

The fake statement’s history reveals further deception. On October 8, “Democratic Alliance Uganda” posted a fabricated claim of DF supporting Munyagwa, a presidential candidate under the Common Man’s flag, which was later labeled “FAKE” by the same account on October 9, before flipping to the Museveni endorsement. This pattern mirrors disinformation tactics and shows only satirical echoes, not official corroboration.

A Tweet from the actual Democratic Front Twitter(X) account debunking the false tweet by the Fake account

The “Democratic Alliance Uganda” account’s claim is a deliberate attempt to sow discord in Uganda’s opposition ahead of 2026. DF’s commitment to reform, not endorsement, is clear from Mpuuga’s statements and verified media. Citizens should rely on primary sources Mathias Mpuuga’s X account or outlets like the Daily Monitor, for accurate updates.

Twitter(X)'s blue checkmarks are not reliable

Since Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter(X) and subsequent monetisation of the Blue checkmarks, they are no longer a credible tool to verify the authenticity of accounts because all one has to do is pay $8 and they can get the blue checkmark. It is therefore important that you do not treat the X blue checkmark as verification, as is the case on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms. This post is a clear example of an account posing as an official account of the Democratic Front Party and bearing a blue checkmark and yet they are actually impostors.