Kabuleta dares FDC’s Nandala on presidential party slogans

KAMPALA - Joseph Kabuleta, the president of the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) party, has thrown down the gauntlet, daring the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party flag bearer, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, on presidential party slogans as he contemplates a second presidential bid for the 2026 general elections.

Kabuleta, who contested in 2021 as an independent candidate, accused Nandala, who is also the FDC secretary general, of malice, sabotage and collusion with rival opposition parties.

“My lawyers have already written to the electoral commission (EC) accusing FDC party and Nandala for using our party slogan – “Money in Your Pocket” which was gazetted by the EC during the time of registering our party,” Kabuleta said on Tuesday.

Addressing the press conference at the party headquarters in Kansanga Makindye division in Kampala, Kabuleta said that the slogan, which Nandala grabbed on his official campaign poster to unveil his candidature for 2026, “Fixing the economy: Money in our pockets,” is similar to what NEED registered in the Uganda Gazette, general notice no. 1292 of 2025 and published on May 16, 2025.

Kabuleta also revealed that he has already instructed his lawyers to petition the EC seeking their attention on the matter, preferably to stop Nandala from associating himself with the said slogan.

“Nandala should henceforth stop using our party slogan immediately, and we are dragging him to courts of law over the same,” Kabuleta threatened.

Unveiling his official campaign poster with secretary general, Asuman Odaka, Kabuleta only emphasised creating a functioning market economy to deepen the decentralisation process, uplift household incomes, and enhance the quality of life for all Ugandan households still reliant on subsistence farming.

The party’s General Secretary Asuman Odaka, revealed that the party has already embarked on selecting party flag bearers for 2026 at all levels, with selection taking place in regions.

"Entirely, identifying our flag bearers shall be in the regional field, but those who want our party cards can access them here at our offices in Kabalagala Kansanga to go ahead with their campaigns," Odaka said.

With or without the party slogan, the crowded field, which includes incumbent President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, the National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, and retired Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu of Alliance for National Transformation is expected to be highly competitive.

At the same press meeting, he also scoffed at some of his party executives who earlier announced kicking him out of office.

Nandala Mafabi campaign portrait (Credit: Isaac Nuwagaba)

FDC reacts

Party spokesperson, John Kikonyogo, downplayed the critical Kabuleta, saying that Nandala used the inferences as a campaign theme, not a slogan.

“Ours is just a campaign theme, and theirs is a slogan. FDC and NEED have not gazetted the words money and pockets to use for themselves alone. So can we also use, ‘one Uganda one People’ to take whoever speaks those words in court?” he asked.

“Kabuleta will tell us when he reserved the word ‘money’ for himself alone. The two sentences are not similar, and EC has no powers to gazette English words so that whenever you see ‘money’, it must be NEED. Whenever you see the word ‘pocket’, it must be NEED,” Kikonyogo responded.

Kabuleta vs NEED executive 

The NEED is embroiled in a leadership crisis following the reported suspension of its president, Joseph Kiiza Kabuleta, for 90 days over allegations of misconduct, abuse of power, and financial irregularities.

In an official suspension letter that was filed with the electoral commission for gazette by the electoral commission dated August 4, the electoral commission accuses Kabuleta of declaring himself as a presidential flag bearer without any mandate from the party delegates conference.

“Part 1 of the People's United Movement (PUM) model constitution gives delegates conference approval required for leadership decisions, among which include who becomes our flag bearer,” said Charles Bassajja, the secretary general, sitting at Plot 299/6A Mugwanya Road offices faction in Rubaga division.

Kabuleta, who ran for president in 2021, has vehemently confirmed his intention to contest in the 2026 presidential election flag bearer.

Unveiling his official poster to start the campaign trail at his office in Kabalagala – Kansanga in Makindye division on Tuesday, Kabuleta dismissed the National Executive Committee (NEC) decision to bar him from standing, describing it as unfounded, malicious and redundant.