KAMPALA .National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) party president Joseph Kabuleta has dismissed claims that his party has joined a alliance that has come out to rally behind National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer President Museveni in next year’s general election .
2026 re-election bid, describing the allegations as false and part of a wider state
In a statement on Friday, Mr Kabuleta roundly rejected Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja’s announcement that NEED was among several political parties that had pledged to support Museveni describing this as part of a wider state plot to hijack his political party .
“There’s a message from Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja claiming that National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) party for which I am president is part of a cluster of parties that have agreed to support incumbent Museveni in the upcoming elections. Not true,” Kabuleta wrote.
He accused the government and elements within what he termed a “fake opposition” of attempting to co-opt his party to advance NRM s interests.
“There have been countless attempts to recruit me into a ‘fake opposition’ that is silently working to entrench the Museveni dynasty. I have consistently resisted them,” he said.
Kabuleta,a former presidential candidate claimed that he withdrew NEED from the Holy Alliance, a coalition of opposition groups, after discovering that some members had allegedly received money from government-linked actors.
He singled out Charles Basajja, the embattled party’s Secretary General, accusing him of collaborating with the establishment.
“The people that accepted that deal (particularly former Secretary General Charles Basajja) have since been expelled from the party, but that hasn’t stopped him from masquerading as a party official,” Kabuleta alleged.
The embattled NEED president further accused Special Forces Command (SFC) operatives of interfering in the party’s internal affairs, claiming they stormed Electoral Commission offices to block his nomination as presidential candidate.
“They want to forcefully put NEED under the armpits of NRM/PLU,” he said, adding that as long as he remains party president a term he said runs until May 2030 NEED will not align with the ruling government.
Mr Kabuleta’s clarifications came a day after a statement attributed to NEED’s National Executive Committee, led by Charles Basajja, disassociated the party from any coalition with Museveni ,but also recognised Ogemba Shadrack as party leader.
Kabuleta has since dismissed that faction as illegitimate.
The veteran journalist , who founded the party in 2022 after his 2021 presidential bid, has faced repeated suspension attempts by dissenting factions.
The internal bickering l has weakened NEED’s influence ahead of next year’s general elections s, where Kabuleta also struggled to secure official nomination as a presidential contender and failed .In many constituencies , the party has not fielded candidates because of internal fights .
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nabbanja confirmed on Friday that several political parties had met her at the Office of the Prime Minister to declare support for President Museveni’s campaign.
“I congratulate the political parties that have formed a coalition and pledged to support Kaguta Museveni in the ongoing presidential election campaigns. The leaders of these parties paid a courtesy call on me this evening OPM,” Nabbanja posted.
She listed the participating parties as the Republic Women and Youth Party, Liberal Democratic Transparency (LDT), National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED), Revolutionary People’s Party (RPP), and the Congress Service Volunteers Organisation (COSEVO), among others.
Nabbanja also commended Godfrey Kiwanda Ssuubi, Chairperson of the National Consultative Forum (NCF) a statutory body for registered political parties for mobilising the coalition.
“I welcome their decision to form a coalition and support President KagutaMuseveni to continue protecting the gains,” she added.
The coalition, which also includes several smaller formations, was described by Stella Bbira Nambuya of the Republic Women and Youth Party as a constitutional alliance formed “to support a leader who has contributed to Uganda’s development.