Former Kawempe North Member of Parliament Latif Ssebagala has publicly revealed a major change in his political position, saying he is no longer a supporter of Bobi Wine or a member of the National Unity Platform (NUP).
Ssebagala made the remarks on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, while appearing on Sanyuka TV, where he discussed his current political position and his plans for the 2031 presidential election.
The veteran politician said he now considers himself an independent politician after leaving NUP, explaining that his political journey has moved away from the party and its leadership.
“I am now an independent member. I left NUP a long time ago,” Ssebagala said during the television appearance.
He went on to make his position regarding the 2031 presidential election clear, saying he intends to vote for President Yoweri Museveni if Museveni appears on the ballot paper.
“In 2031, through my Journey for Peace Initiative, I will vote for Museveni as President if he is on the ballot,” Ssebagala said.
Ssebagala also said that his position would remain supportive of whoever Museveni identifies as his preferred successor if the President does not contest the 2031 election.
“If Museveni does not return in 2031, I will vote for whoever he points out as his potential successor,” he said.
He specifically mentioned Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, saying that he would support him if Museveni chooses him as his preferred successor.
“If he chooses First son, Gen Muhoozi, I will vote for him,” Ssebagala said.
The statement represents a significant change from Ssebagala’s earlier association with opposition politics and NUP. His political career has previously included a long period in Parliament representing Kawempe North.
Ssebagala represented Kawempe North for 20 years before losing the seat in the 2021 parliamentary election to the NUP candidate Muhammad Ssegirinya. The Daily Monitor has previously described Ssebagala as a veteran politician who later contested political positions as an independent.
His relationship with NUP had already become complicated before his latest declaration. In 2025, Ssebagala contested for the Kawempe Division mayoral position as an independent after the party selected another candidate.
At that time, he continued to express support for Bobi Wine at the presidential level, even while disagreeing with some decisions made within NUP. The Daily Monitor reported in September 2025 that he had pledged support for Kyagulanyi at the presidential level.
His latest comments therefore mark a further change in his publicly stated political position. He now says he is an independent and has specifically stated that his preferred choice for 2031 would be Museveni if the President contests.
Ssebagala also used his latest appearance to discuss the state of opposition politics in Uganda. He questioned whether opposition parties were pursuing a strategy that was effectively addressing the concerns of the people they claim to represent.
“We need to first understand whether the opposition is taking the right direction. You also need to ask yourself whether the Ugandans we are fighting for are getting what they want,” he said.
He further referred to recent local elections and argued that the NRM’s performance at grassroots level demonstrated that the ruling party continued to have substantial support among Ugandans.
Ssebagala also questioned whether there is currently an opposition politician capable of taking power from the NRM, saying his own observation was that the opposition had not yet produced such a figure. That statement represents Ssebagala’s political assessment rather than an independently established fact.
His comments come as political discussions around Uganda’s 2031 presidential election are already emerging, even though the election is still years away. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has also publicly indicated an intention to seek the presidency in 2031, adding another dimension to discussions about the future leadership of the NRM.
For Ssebagala, however, the immediate message is that he no longer identifies himself with NUP and does not intend to support Bobi Wine in the next presidential contest. Instead, he says his support will go to Museveni if he contests, or to the person Museveni endorses if he does not.
The former Kawempe North MP’s declaration is likely to attract attention because of his long history in opposition politics and his previous association with NUP. His latest position places him outside the party and aligns his stated 2031 voting intention with Museveni or Museveni’s preferred successor.
Ssebagala has now presented his political direction as one centred on his Journey for Peace Initiative and independent political activity. His comments provide a clear indication of where he says he currently stands, although political positions can change as Uganda’s 2031 election approaches.
