Wakiso, Uganda: Busiro East Member of Parliament, Hon Medard Lubega Sseggona, has called it quits with the National Unity Platform (NUP) and declared that he will contest as an independent candidate in the 2026 general elections, setting the stage for a fierce showdown with musician-politician Mathias Walukagga, who clinched the party ticket.
Sseggona, 51, who has represented Busiro East in Parliament for three consecutive terms (since 2011), made the announcement at his Naggalabi home in Wakiso on Wednesday after a three-hour consultation with supporters.
“I am contesting as an Independent in the 2026 General Election,” Sseggona said, vowing to launch his manifesto soon with a “comprehensive program for the people of Busiro East.” “Our mandate is to ensure we remove President Museveni, who wants to turn Uganda into a monarchy.” He added.
Despite the decision to stand against the NUP candidate as independent, Sseggona said he would still support Robert Kyagulanyi, the party’s presidential flagbearer in the 2026 presidential race.
Unlike other incumbents who appealed to the party’s tribunal, Sseggona defied the option and insisted that he was “taking his mandate directly from the people.”
The former DP stalwart legislator joins a growing list of NUP legislators who have opted out after losing primaries, including Makindye West MP Allan Ssewanyana, who is also set to run as an independent in Makindye West race.
Other incumbents dropped by the party include: Derrick Nyeko (Makindye East), Joyce Bagala (Mityana Woman MP), Aloysius Mukasa (Rubaga South), and Wakayima Musoke (Nansana Municipality), sparking divisions within the opposition camp.
Analysts note that Sseggona’s fallout with NUP has been building since last year, when he refused to back the party’s push against former Leader of the Opposition Mathias Mpuuga over the Shs1.7 billion “service award.”
His criticism of NUP’s handling of the saga, coupled with his failed bid to challenge Kyagulanyi for party president, deepened internal rifts.
The NUP constitution bars members from running against its official flag bearers, meaning Sseggona’s defection threatens to split the opposition vote in Busiro East. The decision has left NUP supporters divided ahead of 2026, raising fears of weakening the party’s dominance in Wakiso.
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