Barely a few months after the dismissal of the party’s deputy president for the Buganda region, Mathias Mpuuga, new tensions are flaring within the National Unity Platform (NUP) as a new power struggle emerges between the current Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP), Joel Ssenyonyi, and the party’s Secretary General, David Rubongoya, who is poised to take over the role of LOP, should he win the Kampala Central parliamentary seat come 2026.
Sources within NUP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, have revealed a deepening rift between the two leaders, with Ssenyonyi reportedly resisting any move to replace him as the LOP. The situation has escalated, with Ssenyonyi allegedly going to great lengths to retain his position, including attempts to tarnish Rubongoya’s reputation and bribe the party’s ‘principal.’
Insiders have revealed that the forged Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) identification card of Rubongoya that circulated in the media a few days back was handiwork of Ssenyonyi’s as part of his broader effort to tarnish the Secretary General’s image.
Adding to the internal friction, Joel Ssenyonyi is reported to have dramatically increased his monthly financial contributions to the party. Sources claim that he has doubled his remittance in a bid to curry favor with Robert Kyagulanyi, the party president.
It is understood that Rubongoya, on the other hand, is focused on securing his parliamentary seat for Kampala Central, where he is also facing hurdles, with most voters wondering why he’s not contesting in his home area since Kampala is already under opposition. Should he win, party insiders assert that he is more competent for the LOP role compared to Ssenyonyi, who is fond of taking bribes and has failed to unite the opposition in parliament.
As tensions mount between Ssenyonyi and Rubongoya, the political landscape within NUP has become increasingly polarized, with factions forming along loyalty lines.
For now, it remains unclear how the rift will resolve, but one thing is certain: the fight for the LOP position has become a significant point of contention within Uganda’s leading opposition party.
