Written By | Our Reporter
Nsibambi, who has been serving as the FDC party whip in Parliament, was unveiled on Tuesday at the NRM party headquarters in Kampala by Anita Among, the Speaker of Parliament
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KAMPALA
The decision by Mawokota South legislator Yusuf Nsibambi to cross from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has sparked mixed reactions among Members of Parliament.
Nsibambi, who has been serving as the FDC party whip in Parliament, was unveiled on Tuesday at the NRM party headquarters in Kampala by Anita Among, the Speaker of Parliament and Second National Vice Chairperson of the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC). His political shift comes weeks after he was defeated in the January 15, 2026 parliamentary elections by NRM’s Suzan Nakawuki in a tightly contested race in Mawokota South.
Opposition Downplays Defection
The Chief Opposition Whip, John Baptist Nambeshe, reiterated earlier remarks by the Leader of Opposition (LoP), Joel Ssenyonyi, stating that Nsibambi’s defection does not weaken the opposition.
“As the chief of opposition, by virtue of the office, I don't go around policing members on the decisions that they make. So he’s at liberty to have taken that decision and that direction. But the truth of the matter is that he’s not a member of my party,” Nambeshe said.
Nambeshe, who belongs to the National Unity Platform (NUP), emphasized that Nsibambi’s political choices fall outside his jurisdiction.
“Me, I’m National Unity Platform and he’s FDC. So on the new marriage that he has joined, I don’t know whether it’s holy or unholy. It will depend on members of that party to sit and resolve on whether they maintain him as a whip up to May,” he added.
John Baptist Nambeshe
Closed-Door Meeting with Museveni
Nsibambi’s crossover follows a closed-door meeting he and a section of opposition politicians held with President Yoweri Museveni at State House weeks ago.
While the State House press office has not disclosed details of the meeting, Nsibambi has maintained that the discussions centered on addressing the plight of opposition leaders detained in various facilities across the country.
However, opposition leaders distanced themselves from his claims, questioning his motives.
Ssenyonyi said Nsibambi’s defection vindicates earlier suspicions about his political intentions.
“He has decided to start his fasting season by crossing over to the NRM. That is his right. And no one can take away that right from him. I am just glad that we have been vindicated because for a long time, he’s been pretentious about it,” Ssenyonyi said.
LOP Ssenyonyi
He added that Nsibambi’s meeting with President Museveni had raised eyebrows within opposition ranks.
“We said, look, don’t pretend about this. It is clear that you went to Mr Museveni. You lost an election together with your other colleagues who were not able to make it for one reason or the other. You were probably looking for some support — you may have some debts to take care of, maybe you are looking for a job; minister of state, RDC and all that. Be clear about your intentions, don’t pretend. Now the pretense is off. He has crossed over. Maybe he has some gains to protect,” Ssenyonyi said.
‘Opposition Is the People’
Despite the high-profile switch, Ssenyonyi maintained that the opposition remains intact.
“So, we wish him well, but as someone would ask, doesn’t this weaken the opposition? Opposition to Mr Museveni is not just we the leaders in the opposition. No. The opposition is the people of Uganda who are angry at this regime, who want service delivery, who see a lot of corruption, who see bad governance and brutality, and so on. That is the opposition to Mr Museveni. It does not go away,” he said.
Nsibambi’s defection adds to a series of political realignments following the January elections, as parties recalibrate ahead of the next parliamentary term.
Torch Media Africa
