The Afro barometer report released today shows that Ugandans have increasing support for multiparty politics coupled with increasing support for the sitting party, NRM, though most Ugandans are of the feeling that opposition political parties are not given enough space to operate by the NRM and the state.

The Afro barometer findings indicate that seven out of ten (71%) Ugandans agree that many political parties are necessary to give Ugandans a real choice in who governs them compared to 41% in 2002 with growth to multiparty being driven by growth in feelings of individuals towards those respective political parties.

Trust in the opposition political parties increased over the last decade and a half from 16% in 2002 to 31% in 2015 but in retrospective, trust in the ruling NRM party has also increased from 56% in 2002 to 71% in 2015.

Still, 55% of Ugandans perceive competition between political parties to often result in violent conflict, down from 65% in 2002 with the number of citizens fearing to become victims of political intimidation and violence during the electoral period standing at 63%.

Now the National coordinator Afro barometer, Francis Kibirige and the lead investigator, Fredrick Golooba Mutebi state that the sitting government always instils fear among the citizens which transfers a massive shift in the electoral out comes as most Ugandans don’t have full support for the NRM but just disguise as members hoping to gain from the hand-outs given by the party.