Busiro East Member of Parliament, Medard Lubega Ssegona, has announced his intention to succeed Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, as the next president of the National Unity Platform (NUP).
“At the end of Kyagulanyi’s two agreed terms as party president, the next NUP leader will come from within—and that is me,” Ssegona said during a political engagement yesterday.
The NUP, originally registered as the National Unity, Reconciliation and Development Party (NURP) in December 2004, was initially led by Moses Nkonge Kibalama. In July 2020, the party underwent a major transformation when Kyagulanyi took over its leadership and became the flag-bearer for the January 2021 Ugandan presidential elections, marking a pivotal moment in Uganda’s opposition politics.
Although the party still lacks a formal constitution outlining the leadership transition process, Kyagulanyi has so far served one term as NUP president and is expected to serve one more term before stepping aside.
His leadership has been credited with mobilizing a youthful base and energizing the opposition, but questions about internal democracy and succession planning have persisted.
Ssegona, a seasoned lawyer and respected legislator, has served in Parliament for 15 years. He is widely known for his articulate advocacy on constitutional and human rights issues. As a senior figure in the opposition, his bid to take over the NUP leadership signals an attempt to blend Kyagulanyi’s populist energy with institutional political experience.
A former member of the Democratic Party (DP) Uganda’s oldest political party Ssegona officially joined NUP five years ago during a wave of defections by opposition politicians. That wave also included prominent figures such as Mathias Mpuuga, the former Leader of Opposition in Parliament, who has since left NUP and gone on to form the Democratic Front.
Ssegona is also seeking re-election as MP for Busiro East in the 2026 general elections. His dual ambition to retain his parliamentary seat while positioning himself as Kyagulanyi’s successor underscores his growing influence within Uganda’s political opposition.
As the 2026 elections draw closer, the future leadership of NUP remains a topic of growing interest, both within the party and among the wider electorate.
