Ssemujju and 7 other MPs defect from FDC to People’s Front for Freedom

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among, has officially confirmed that eight Members of Parliament have switched political allegiance from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF).

The announcement was made during a special parliamentary sitting held on Thursday at Kololo Independence Grounds, just before the reading of the national budget for the 2025/2026 financial year. While chairing the session, Speaker Among read out the names of the MPs and confirmed having received formal communication of their defection.

The MPs who have crossed to the PFF include Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda (Kira Municipality), Asinansi Nyakato (Hoima District Woman MP), Dr. Nicholas Kamara (Kabale Municipality), Katusabe Atkins Godfrey (Bukonjo County West), and Francis Mwijukye (Buhweju County). Others are Moses Kabusu (Kyamuswa County), Harold Muhindo (Bukhozo East), and Betty Aol Ochan, the former Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

This development follows an earlier announcement last week in which eight other MPs were confirmed to have defected from their original parties to either the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) or the newly formed Democratic Front (DF). With the latest wave, the PFF becomes the biggest recipient of defecting MPs.

Additionally, Kilak North MP Akol Anthony and Ongiertho Emmanuel of Jonam County have moved from the FDC to the NRM, further weakening the party’s representation in Parliament. Uganda’s Constitution, under Article 83, provides that a Member of Parliament may lose their seat if they voluntarily leave the political party under which they were elected.

However, an exception exists for MPs who cross to another party within the final twelve months before a general election, during which political realignments are permitted. So far, no MP has been officially reported to have defected from the ruling NRM. With ten MPs now having left the FDC, the party emerges as the biggest loser in terms of parliamentary representation.

The mass exit is widely linked to internal divisions within the party, sparked by allegations that some senior leaders had received funds from President Yoweri Museveni—a charge that led to widespread dissatisfaction among members aligned with opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye. Most of the defectors have since aligned themselves with the newly launched People’s Front for Freedom.

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