By The National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED), led by former journalist and 2021 presidential candidate Joseph Kabuleta, is facing a major internal rift, with two factions emerging just days before the party’s official launch.
One faction is headed by Kabuleta, while the other is led by National Treasurer Charles Bassajja, who is supported by party spokesperson Moses Matovu. The two were once close allies even before politics, but tensions have escalated into an open power struggle.
According to sources inside the party, disagreements began as early as 2023 when Matovu fell out with Secretary General Asman Odaka over personal issues. The feud intensified after a heated clash during a party meeting, forcing Odaka to withdraw from party activities such as weekly press briefings and mobilization drives, despite Kabuleta’s attempts to reconcile them.
The fallout worsened after Matovu allegedly aligned himself with Mathias Mpuuga of the Democratic Front, with whom Kabuleta also has strained relations. Earlier this year, Kabuleta accused Mpuuga of receiving “dirty money” allegedly from President Museveni, leading to the collapse of the short-lived Holy Alliance political coalition that both parties had formed.
Our sources say Kabuleta had observed the simmering tensions but kept them under wraps until the party secured its certificate of registration from the Electoral Commission. The certificate was collected by Bassajja, and upon delivering it to Kabuleta, the party president “showed his true side,” according to insiders.
The fallout turned dramatic on July 14 when Kabuleta’s team tried to retrieve party property from the Rubaga Road offices but was blocked by Bassajja’s camp. Kabuleta insists the tenancy agreement for the premises had expired and claims the disputed property belongs to him personally.
Speaking to the press on Monday 14th July Kabuleta explained that he has been personally bankrolling party activities. The property at the Rubaga offices is not the party’s,” Kabuleta said, adding that the new party headquarters will be unveiled on July 23 during its official launch.
The factions are now split between Kabuleta and Odaka on one side and Bassajja, Matovu, and Prince Joe Nakibinge on the other.
NEED, which was initially a pressure group however in October 2022 merged with Shadrack Ogemba’s People’s United Movement (PUM) to become one party, with Joseph Kabuleta as its founding president.
The People’s United Movement (PUM) party was first registered on October 7, 2005.
Following the merging of the two parties to become the NEED party, it was eventually granted a registration certificate on June 26, 2025, after a long wait. NEED now has a green light to field candidates in the upcoming elections.
