Politics
Kabuleta Eyes Independent Presidential Bid After Suspension from NEED Party Over Misconduct Allegations
Suspended National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) Party president Joseph Kizza Kabuleta is weighing a return to Uganda’s 2026 presidential race — this time as an independent candidate — following a dramatic fallout with his party’s top leadership.
Kabuleta, who has held the dual roles of party president and national chairperson since 2022, was suspended for 90 days by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on grounds of misconduct, abuse of office, and financial irregularities, as outlined in a two-page letter issued by NEED’s national spokesperson Moses Matovu on August 1.
The letter cited 14 reasons for Kabuleta’s suspension, including what NEC members described as his increasingly authoritarian leadership, financial mismanagement, and disregard for party procedures.
“Undermining NEC authorities by refusing to honour outreach efforts, ignoring countless summons, and declaring himself presidential flag bearer without approval showed that he was a total dictator,” Matovu stated.
The leadership crisis within NEED reached a boiling point after Kabuleta unilaterally unveiled the party’s 2026 election strategy at an event in Kabalagala-Kansanga, without NEC’s endorsement. Key figures, including Secretary General Charles Bassaila and Matovu himself, were absent — a detail Matovu described as evidence of internal divisions.
The suspended leader is also accused of unauthorised relocation of party offices from Mugwanya Road in Rubaga to Kansanga and attempting to evict party staff without due process. He allegedly mismanaged party property, failed to provide financial accountability, and consistently skipped NEC meetings.
Matovu claimed these actions violated both the NEED Party constitution and basic standards of leadership.
But in a defiant interview on August 4, Kabuleta dismissed the accusations as politically motivated and vowed to proceed with his presidential bid, even if it means contesting as an independent — much like he did in the 2021 general elections.
“There is no way they can claim to push me out without any legal basis in the party constitution,” Kabuleta said from his Kansanga office. “I will go ahead and contest, even if it means standing alone.”
The former journalist-turned-politician accused Matovu and other NEC members of sabotage and collusion with rival opposition parties, specifically pointing to Matovu’s alleged presence at the Democratic Party (DP) delegates’ conference in Mbarara on May 31. Kabuleta claimed Matovu openly supported Bukoto Central MP Richard Ssebamala, and even wore DP attire while posing as a delegate.
“No political party in the world would allow its leaders to vote in another party’s election without any formal agreement,” Kabuleta argued. He also accused Matovu and Bassajja of attacking fellow opposition figures, including Robert Kyagulanyi’s National Unity Platform (NUP), undermining a commitment to build NEED as a disciplined and distinct political alternative.
Party at a Crossroads
The escalating feud has thrown the NEED Party into a public leadership crisis, testing its commitment to internal democracy just months before Uganda heads into heated national elections. The suspension of its founder and figurehead raises questions about the party’s future and whether it can hold together without him.
Political analysts suggest Kabuleta’s return to independent politics could fragment opposition votes and complicate alliances among anti-incumbent forces. Meanwhile, NEED now faces the urgent task of reconciling or replacing its leadership ahead of a critical election season.
Whether Kabuleta’s suspension will hold, and if he will mount a credible campaign without the party structure he once led, remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the internal power struggle has transformed NEED’s image from a rising alternative to a party in disarray, and thrust Kabuleta back into national headlines — precisely where he wants to be.
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