Kira Municipality Member of Parliament Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has come out strongly against the National Unity Platform (NUP) and several other opposition parties, accusing them of betraying the struggle against the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) by joining the Inter-Party Organization for Dialogue (IPOD).
While addressing journalists at the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) headquarters on Thursday, August 21, 2025, Ssemujju, who also serves as the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) spokesperson, criticized what he called the “pretending opposition,” saying most parties are no longer fighting President Yoweri Museveni, but are instead working to keep him in power.
“These parties are not fighting the regime; they are surviving off it,” Ssemujju said.
“They are begging for money from the very government we claim we want to remove. How can you fight a system when you are feeding from its hand?”
The sharp criticism comes after Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, a senior NUP figure, confirmed in an interview published in New Vision on August 20, 2025, that NUP would be joining IPOD to ensure equal access to public campaign funding in the 2026 general elections.
Ssemujju said the move exposes the true colors of many opposition leaders, whom he accused of prioritizing money over principles. He noted that the funds being distributed through IPOD come from the government they all claim to oppose.
“Let it be clear. PFF will not be part of that betrayal. We are not in this struggle for money. We are in it to end the Museveni regime once and for all,” he said.
Ssemujju also confirmed that People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) will not front a presidential candidate in the 2026 elections, especially after failed efforts to form a joint opposition front.
The party initially planned to support Gen. Mugisha Muntu, the leader of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), as a joint candidate in case their founding leader Dr. Kizza Besigye remains in prison or unavailable. However, trust between the two parties collapsed after it emerged that ANT was secretly planning to join IPOD without informing PFF.
“We trusted Gen. Muntu, but we were shocked to learn that his team was making quiet moves to join IPOD behind our backs,” Ssemujju revealed.
“How can we walk together when they’re taking side deals with the regime?”
PFF leadership reportedly formed a committee to assess Muntu’s commitment to the struggle. But after confirming his party’s shift in position, PFF immediately withdrew their support and disqualified Muntu as their preferred presidential candidate.
Ssemujju further accused parties like NUP, ANT, JEEMA, DP, and the FDC faction of abandoning the struggle in exchange for government funding and political survival.
“It is now clear that PFF is the only genuine opposition left in Uganda. The rest are just playing games to stay relevant while Museveni rules comfortably,” he declared.
He also ruled out Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago as a possible presidential candidate under PFF, saying the party had made its decision not to participate in the 2026 presidential race unless Dr. Besigye is released.
Uganda’s general elections are scheduled to take place between January 12 and February 9, 2026, with parliamentary nominations expected between September 16 and 17, 2025.
As opposition parties continue to fracture and accuse each other of betrayal, the NRM stands to benefit from a weakened and divided opposition bloc.
With the latest developments, it seems the People’s Front for Freedom is now positioning itself as the only ‘pure’ opposition movement, refusing to cooperate with either the government or what it sees as compromised political allies.
“We are not here to play politics. We are here to fight for real change. And we won’t compromise, even if it means standing alone,” Ssemujju concluded.
Views: 3
