In the lead-up to the 2026 general elections, tensions within the National Unity Platform (NUP) in Mukono district are on the rise following the appointment of Betty Bakireke Nambooze as the mobilization chairperson.
A group of NUP supporters, frustrated with Nambooze’s long tenure in parliament, openly called for her to step aside, urging her to make way for new leadership. Nambooze, who has served nearly four terms, has already announced her intention to run for the Mukono municipality seat again in 2026.
However, her re-election bid faces significant challenges, particularly from George Musisi, a prominent NUP lawyer. Musisi’s close ties with NUP’s top leadership have reportedly put Nambooze on edge, leading her to take measures to reaffirm her loyalty to the party.
“She now has to prove to the people at Kavule [NUP party headquarters] that she is a very loyal supporter,” one of Nambooze’s friends told us on the condition of anonymity.
Recently, Nambooze surprised both supporters and critics by visiting the NUP headquarters in Makerere Kavule, where she presented a goat to party president Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine. This gesture, seen by many as uncharacteristic, has fueled speculation about Nambooze’s vulnerability and her efforts to maintain favour with the party leadership amidst growing internal competition.
Nambooze’s case represents a classic example of moving from grace to grass. In 2017, when Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aimed to contest the Kyadondo East parliamentary seat, he visited Nambooze’s home in Mukono to seek her support. At that time, Nambooze was one of the most prominent politicians in Buganda and was torn between supporting the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate, Apollo Kantinti, Dr. Lilian Babirye Kamoome, and Kyagulanyi.
During the meeting, Kyagulanyi presented a gift of matooke and chicken, but Nambooze, undecided, promised to send scouts to gauge the popularity of the candidates within the constituency. Ultimately, she did not step in to support Kyagulanyi, Kantinti, or Babirye Kamoome. However, Kyagulanyi, who won the seat decisively, rose to become the most popular opposition leader in Uganda.
In a dramatic turn of events, Nambooze crossed from the Democratic Party (DP), which she had once sought to lead, to the National Unity Platform (NUP) in 2020. By then, it was evident that NUP was poised to become the leading opposition party after the 2021 general elections.
Despite her shift to NUP, Nambooze has consistently maintained that she may one day return to the DP, to which she has long been affiliated. According to former members of the People’s Government, which was led by Dr Kizza Besigye and formed after the 2016 presidential elections, Nambooze did not inform them when she joined the Kyagulanyi group in 2020. Nambooze had served as the spokesperson for the People’s Government.
“She was our spokesperson during our discussions with NUP about collaborating for the 2021 elections. Before she left, she often made personal remarks and attributed them to the People’s Government. However, what hurt us the most was that she did not inform us of her departure in advance,” said one of the ministers from the People’s Government, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
LONG-TIME POLITICAL ALLIES SPLIT
When Nambooze was first elected to parliament in a by-election in 2009, she received support from all major opposition figures of the time. Among her most significant allies were Erias Lukwago, the Kampala lord mayor; Mathias Mpuuga, the Nyendo-Mukungwe MP; Medard Lubega Sseggona, the Busiro East MP; Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the Kira Municipality MP; Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, the MP for Butambala county; and Moses Kasibante, the former MP for Lubaga North.
This group had a particularly strong bond, and were elected together in 2011 under the banner of Ssuubi, a pro-Buganda pressure group. However, the rise of Kyagulanyi as a prominent political figure shifted the dynamics in Buganda. Before Kyagulanyi’s emergence, Nambooze and Lukwago were the most popular opposition politicians in the region.
With NUP’s ascension as the largest opposition party, tensions increased, particularly as several members sought leadership positions, including the role of leader of the opposition (LoP). Mpuuga’s appointment as LoP created friction, especially with Nambooze, who felt sidelined.
The situation worsened when Mpuuga facilitated the election of Muwanga Kivumbi as the chairperson of the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus, the largest regional caucus in parliament. Nambooze, who had been the deputy chairperson of the caucus in the 10th Parliament, was particularly aggrieved.
According to one MP close to Nambooze, she never forgave Mpuuga for both his appointment as LoP and for preventing her from leading the Buganda caucus, which she had hoped to use to strengthen her support base in the region.
MPUUGA SERVICE AWARD FIASCO
The controversy surrounding the service award presented by the Parliamentary Commission to four of its members, including Mathias Mpuuga, has stirred significant discord within the National Unity Platform (NUP). Following the public revelation of this award, Nambooze, a prominent NUP leader, was instrumental in a resolution calling for Mpuuga’s resignation. Since then, she has been vocal in condemning Mpuuga for accepting the award.
Of the seven former Ssuubi members, only Nambooze and Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, who also aspired to become leader of the opposition (LoP), have publicly distanced themselves from Mpuuga. Both have endorsed the now nearly dead censure motion against him. While Muwanga Kivumbi attended an NUP rally in Masaka where Mpuuga was publicly criticized, he has largely refrained from direct attacks on Mpuuga.
In contrast, Nambooze has consistently criticized Mpuuga, portraying him as a significant threat to the opposition. In various media statements, Nambooze has accused Mpuuga of undermining the opposition’s efforts against President Yoweri Museveni’s government. She argued that Mpuuga’s ambition to become a third force in Ugandan politics is a distraction from the primary struggle.
“Some things are temporary; at this time, there are no three sides; we only have two sides: one for Museveni and the other for Ugandans striving to free themselves. Therefore, anybody seeking to create a third force is attempting to disorganize us and will not have the support of Ugandans,” Nambooze asserted.
Nambooze’s ongoing criticism has drawn backlash from Moses Kasibante, who has accused her of hypocrisy and corruption despite her public stance against these issues.
KASIBANTE CRITICIZES NAMBOOZE’S ANTI-CORRUPTION STANCE
Moses Kasibante has sharply criticized Betty Bakireke Nambooze’s role as an anti-corruption advocate, citing her past legal issues. Speaking on Sanyuka TV, Kasibante remarked, “She has been convicted twice of corruption. She now can’t be the leading voice against corruption.”
Kasibante referred to Nambooze’s early 2000s conviction while she was a law enforcement officer in Mukono district, where she was found guilty of accepting a bribe and subsequently served nearly a year in prison.
He also pointed to a second conviction related to the age limit judgment in the Constitutional court. In that case, the late Justice Kenneth Kakuru accused Nambooze of lying about returning Shs 29 million that parliament had allocated to MPs for consultations on the contentious Age Limit Bill.
Additionally, Kasibante criticized Nambooze’s political behaviour, alleging that she prioritizes her political interests over friendships. In a related interview, Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda reflected on the shifting dynamics within their group, attributing recent conflicts to the vulnerability of former allies.
“In history, we learned about the rise and fall of personalities. That fall doesn’t mean you have done something wrong; it’s just natural,” Ssemujju said.
He lamented that their group failed to anticipate changes in political influence and how it might affect their relationships.
“Kintu Musoke, Bidandi Ssali, and Kirunda-Kivejinja remained friends despite disagreements because they were social friends, not just political ones. Our vulnerability has led us to take positions we should never have taken, resulting in contradictions and unnecessary conflicts. We are not as politically strong as we were in 2011 and 2016; so, the human instinct for survival drives us to do things we shouldn’t,” Ssemujju added.
Nambooze did not respond to repeated calls and messages seeking her comment on these issues.