Former Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Winnie Kiiza has sparked a fresh wave of political debate after urging opposition parties to rethink their approach ahead of the 2026 elections, shifting focus from “mere numbers” to bold political strategy.
Speaking candidly, Kiiza accused the ruling government of “counting unopposed MPs to flaunt power,” arguing that the real question should be whether the opposition is strategically prepared to respond if the presidential election is disputed.
Kiiza challenged opposition parties to reflect on their willingness to take decisive action.
“How many of our MPs are ready to boycott Parliament if their presidential candidate is cheated out?”,she asked.
To drive her point home, she referenced former Kasese MP Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, who once boycotted parliamentary proceedings in protest. She questioned whether today’s opposition has leaders with that level of political courage.
“In other words, how many ‘Dr. Crispus Kiyongas’ do we have in the opposition today?” she asked.
The former FDC heavyweight revealed that similar internal discussions had happened within her own party, though she admitted the opposition had often fallen short when it came to coordinated, collective action.
“We have had these hard conversations in FDC before, and often we weren’t prepared,” Kiiza noted.
Her remarks come at a critical moment, as political parties ramp up mobilisation ahead of the 2026 general election, amid lingering concerns over electoral fairness and the opposition’s readiness to respond to disputed outcomes.
Kiiza did not name which opposition groups she believes could execute such a boycott, and as of now, no political party has formally reacted to her comments.