Mukasa Fred Denis Mbidde is the only former Makerere University Guild President still subscribing to the Democratic Party (DP). DP has had many guild presidents for example Suzan Abo and Robert Okware but they have all defected toUganda’s ruling party, the National Resistance Movement.

 Mbidde says that he was the second leader of Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) students Union after the now ArurcountyMP, Samuel Odonga Otto. The union was established while Mbidde was still atMakerereUniversity. By the time Mbidde took it over its main job was to fight by the way of power struggle against the UYD branch atMakerereUniversity. Mbidde made sure that they abandon struggles and stretch to the national arena.

 Accordingly he recruited people like former DP spokesman, Mwaka Lutukomoi, KCCA lord councilors Zake Mberaze, Shifra Lukwago and Masaka district speaker- Denis Majwara and Walakira Nyanzi, the LC3 speaker of Makindye. Mbidde moved with these people throughout the country to launch the UYD students’ branches. The following branches were launched,KyambogoUniversitywhere he recruited MP Brenda Nabukenya. 

Other branches he launched included Buganda Royal Institute, Ara Pai College in Eastern Uganda, Nkozi Teachers college, Kampala International University, Kabale Uganda College of Commerce, Tororo Uganda College of Commerce, Clinical Institute Mbale, Mbarara University, Ombaki Institute in Gulu, Gulu University, and Muvala Senior secondary school in northern Uganda. Most of the above mentioned UYD branches ceased to exist the day Mukasa Mbidde left the students union to become the UYD Vice President. Mbidde claims that he has close to 32 MPs he recruited into opposition. Mbidde also says that he championed a power change in DP which show Norbert Mao take over party leadership in the last two years.

By Moureen Nakyanzi