Kabuleta vows independent 2026 bid after suspension from NEED

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Joseph Kizza Kabuleta, the suspended president of the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) Party, is considering contesting as an independent candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, following his 90-day suspension by members of the national executive committee (NEC).

Kabuleta, who has served as both the national chairperson and party president since 2022, was suspended over allegations of misconduct, abuse of office, and financial irregularities, according to a letter outlining 14 reasons.

In a two-page letter officially issued on August 1, 2025, by the party's national spokesperson, Moses Matovu, Kabuleta was accused of undermining the authority of the NEC, which he allegedly referred to as impostors and disgruntled individuals.

“Undermining NEC authorities by refusing to honour the five committee members’ delegations to reach out to him to resolve internal party issues and ignoring countless summons showed that he was a total dictator,” Matovu said.

He added that Kabuleta's self-declaration as the party's presidential flag bearer for 2026, without approval from the NEC or a delegates' conference, contravened party processes and procedures.



A fortnight ago, Kabuleta unveiled the NEED Party's strategies ahead of the 2026 general elections at a function in Kabalagala–Kansanga, Makindye division, which was attended by a handful of key management officials before his suspension was announced.

“He declared his candidacy even when some of us, like the secretary general Charles Bassajja and myself, Moses Matovu, never attended. His attempted eviction of party offices and mismanagement of party assets without any accountability caused the steer,” Matovu disclosed.

Kabuleta's suspension marks a significant turning point for the NEED Party, testing its internal democracy and leadership maturity ahead of Uganda's 2026 general elections.

“He moved from Plot 299/6A Mugwanya Road in Rubaga division to Kabalagala–Kansanga offices without our approval, and this did not go well with our establishment,” Matovu emphasised.

Additionally, Kabuleta is accused of mismanaging party assets, operating with unverified financial sources, and ignoring NEC meetings.

Kabuleta reveals why he fired NEC members

In an exclusive interview on Monday, August 4, 2025, at his Kabalagala offices, Kabuleta said he had fired Matovu after learning that he was hobnobbing with rival opposition political parties, who he claimed were threatening the party's survival.

“There is no way they can claim to push me out without any legal binding in the party constitution. I will go ahead to contest as a presidential candidate even if it means coming as an independent candidate like in the 2021 general elections,” he threatened.

“Matovu, a senior leader in NEED, was captured attending the Democratic Party (DP) delegates conference at Asamar Gardens Hotel in Ruti, Mbarara, while supporting Bukoto Central Member of Parliament (MP) Richard Ssebamala on May 31,” Kabuleta disclosed.

He added that he suspended Matovu and Bassajja over misconduct after they began abusing fellow opposition leaders, including those in the National Unity Platform (NUP) under Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi, despite an earlier agreement to build their own party with discipline and integrity.

“There is no political party in the whole world which can allow its senior leaders to don t-shirt colours of rival parties with party cards and reach the extent of even voting in competing and rival party’s delegates conference under my watch without any memorandum of understanding or cooperation agreement,” Kabuleta observed.

He said exposing picture evidence of Matovu in a green DP t-shirt holding a DP ticket while masquerading as a DP delegate to vote Mao out was a clear sign that Matovu no longer worked towards the objectives and intentions of NEED.

Hobnobbing with Mpuuga’s DF party

Kabuleta further claimed that he could not remain silent after repeatedly seeing Matovu and Bassajja working behind the scenes to seize the party and align it with the newly formed Democratic Front (DF), led by Nyendo–Mukungwe MP and former Leader of the Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga.

“The duo has been closely working with Mpuuga’s DF party, claiming that they are long-time friends from during the times of Uganda Young Democrats (UYD), a youth branch of the DP under the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Norbert Mao,” he said.

The NEED Party, which was rebranded from the People's United Movement (PUM), formerly led by Shadrack Ogemba, is now reportedly under pressure as Ogemba returns to reclaim his position and push Kabuleta out.

In the 2021 general elections, Kabuleta ran as an independent candidate and polled 45,424 votes (0.44%) against President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni's 6,042,898 votes (58.38%), allowing Museveni to continue leading the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government since 1986.