Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, has said he wishes Mawokota South MP Yusuf Nsibambi well after the legislator officially crossed from the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Nsibambi, who has been serving as the FDC deputy president for Buganda region, was on Wednesday unveiled at the NRM headquarters as a new member of the ruling party, marking a significant political shift in Mawokota South constituency.
Commenting on the development, Ssenyonyi said the opposition had long questioned Nsibambi’s loyalty and is now vindicated by his decision.
“He decided to start his fasting season, the Ramadan season, by crossing over to the NRM. That’s his right. It’s good that he is now forthright about his intentions. In the past few days, he had been pretentious about the situation,” Ssenyonyi said.
The opposition leader suggested that political defections are often driven by personal interests.
“It’s probably you have some debts to take care of. It’s probably you need a job here and there — Minister of State, RDC, whatever the case might be. Come clean about your intentions. Others have done so,” he added.
Ssenyonyi further said he wishes Nsibambi well in his new political home but hinted that the move could be aimed at safeguarding personal interests.
“We wish him well where he has gone — to protect his gains. He was chairman of Kampala District Land Board and attained 140 land titles within central Kampala. Clearly, he has what to protect. I guess that’s why he has joined the team that he has joined,” he said.
Nsibambi’s defection adds to a growing list of opposition politicians who have crossed to the ruling party, a trend that continues to reshape Uganda’s political landscape ahead of the next electoral cycle.
