MP Ssemujju To Bobi: Bring Your Best, I Am Ready To Beat You Again

Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has thrown down the heavy glove to National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, vowing to defeat any candidate the party fields against him in the 2026 elections.

Speaking on CBS FM’s Kkiriza Oba Gaana show on May 1, 2025, Ssemujju expressed confidence in his ability to retain his seat, stating, “I am waiting for NUP to invite me for a deeper discussion on making a strategy to maneuver Museveni’s strategy.”

The NUP leader, who is executing a grand strategy to eliminate seasoned and reasonable Buganda politicians to replace them with members of his cabal, is working tirelessly to field lawyer George Musisi, who is a partner to the party treasurer Benjamin Katana in their PACE Advocates against Ssemujju.

Despite being the face of almost all cases in the party, Musisi has not secured a single tangible courtroom win. However, Ssemujju told CBS listeners that he is unfazed by Bobi’s plan, asserting, “I do not care who they [NUP] bring against me; I will defeat their candidate as I won the other one they fielded against me.”

Ssemujju, also the Shadow Minister of Finance, has been doing an outstanding job exposing the flaws in the economic policies of the regime, as opposed to many members of the largely showbiz LoP Joel Ssenyonyi-led shadow cabinet.

Ssemujju is confident that his track record will speak for itself, and he will emerge victorious in the 2026 elections.

“How many were in the race when Nalukoola was in the Kawempe North by-election? When I stood in the last [2021] election, NUP fielded a candidate against me, and I won him, and even if they bring another person against me, I will win him without a doubt,” Ssemujju vowed.

Ssemujju was responding to the remarks by the new party deputy president in Buganda, Muwanga Kivumbi, who aims to project the NUP as a powerful entity capable of ousting the sitting regime without allying with any other opposition political players, whom he claims are all sellouts to the regime.

Consequently, NUP has already declared some of their members’ constituencies vacant, and the party is prepared to find their replacements as soon as possible at any cost, “even if it means losing the presidency.”

However, Ssemujju scoffed at Muwanga and NUP, stating, “the candidates’ selection is a marginal issue because even if you field many candidates in the same constituency, the voters know how to select their best candidate.”

Ssemujju’s confidence stems from his belief that the opposition needs to present a unified front against the ruling regime. Instead of focusing on competing for parliamentary positions, Ssemujju urged NUP to strategize on a collective approach to overpower President Museveni.

“The most critical issues concerning us as the general opposition is to sit together and chat best way to overwhelm Museveni, who is our common problem, before embarking on our individual political parties’ disagreements,” the outspoken Ssemujju said.

In a sharp rebuke to NUP’s strategy, Ssemujju added, “In NUP at this time, the meetings should not be discussing who takes what constituency, but to carefully study Museveni’s strategies and how to maneuver because unity means that.”

Ssemujju also questioned NUP’s claim of being ready to take on Museveni solo, pointing out that the president’s advanced age could serve as an opposition advantage, although it also presents disadvantages.

“I hear NUP leaders praising themselves that no one has ever given Museveni as much time in elections as Bobi Wine. Yes, thank you very much, but when he competed with Besigye, he was relatively still young and had the energy to run campaigns as opposed to today when he is 80 years old,” Ssemujju remarked.

The MP’s call for unity is driven by his concern that the opposition’s infighting will play into Museveni’s hands.

“An 80-year-old president makes competition look different. So, we need unity regardless of our strength, so we can build a bigger force,” Ssemujju said, emphasizing that the opposition should focus on developing a winning strategy rather than bickering over seats.