Scholar and political analyst Yusuf Sserunkuma has urged the National Unity Platform (NUP) and other opposition parties to prioritise negotiations aimed at securing the release of political prisoners, warning that continued detentions risk deepening internal contradictions within the opposition.
In a statement posted on X, Sserunkuma argued that political prisoners should be understood outside the narrow framework of legal processes, noting that “the law doesn’t really apply” under authoritarian systems.
He acknowledged the long-held opposition position that negotiating with autocrats is undesirable, but insisted that dialogue remains necessary if opposition parties intend to continue participating in Parliament.
Sserunkuma suggested that negotiation should not be framed as capitulation, but as a tactical process grounded in leverage and clear objectives.
He urged opposition leaders to negotiate “tactfully” and “strongly,” emphasising that engagement does not amount to surrender when the primary goal is the freedom of detained supporters.
The scholar expressed concern over what he described as overcrowded prisons, largely holding NUP supporters arrested during political activities.
He warned that prolonged incarceration of activists, while elected opposition leaders continue parliamentary work, risks being perceived as abandonment.
“Five years in jail while your comrades are enjoying the soft life of parliament looks like betrayal,” Sserunkuma wrote, adding that the only moral counterweight would be for detained supporters to have chosen imprisonment willingly, a position he appeared to question.
His remarks come amid ongoing criticism of Uganda’s handling of opposition activists, including allegations of arbitrary arrests and prolonged detention without trial.
While NUP has consistently denied recognising the legitimacy of such detentions, Sserunkuma’s intervention reopens debate on whether strategic engagement could deliver tangible relief for jailed supporters.