Former speaker Rebecca Kadaga and Persis Namuganza, a minister once stood as bitter rivals in Busoga sub region. Their rivalry which was rooted in personal ambitions and ideological clashes, had long been a spectacle in Uganda’s political arena.
Their differences crystallized over the contentious issue of the Kyabazingaship, the traditional leadership of Busoga, where their competing visions for the region’s cultural and political future clashed.
However, the tension peaked in 2020 when Namuganza boldly challenged Kadaga for the position of second national vice-chairperson of the NRM. Although Kadaga eventually prevailed, this move cemented their status as political foes.
Kadaga, then a dominant force, saw Namuganza’s ambition as a direct affront, and their rivalry became a public saga.
Yet today, an unexpected alliance has formed between these two, driven by a shared adversary: Anita Among, the ambitious Speaker of Parliament.
Turning Point
The tides began to shift in 2021 when Kadaga lost her bid to retain the speakership, a position she had held with authority for 10 years. The defeat to Jacob Oulanyah, was a blow to her political stature.
Stripped of her parliamentary throne, Kadaga found herself on the political sidelines, her influence in Busoga under threat. She needed allies and this is where Namuganza came into the picture.
The ascendancy of Anita Among to the speakership in 2022, following the death of Oulanyah, reshaped the political landscape. Among, a shrewd and ambitious politician, quickly established herself as a force to be reckoned with.
Her rise, however, was perceived as a direct challenge to Kadaga’s longstanding influence in Busoga and the NRM. Kadaga, ever protective of her regional stronghold, accused Among of encroaching on her territory and labeled Busoga leaders who met with Among as “sell-outs.”
Namuganza, too, quickly developed differences with Among. In January 2023, Namuganza was censured by Parliament after a parliamentary select committee found her guilty of misconduct. Specifically she was accused of undermining the leadership of Parliament led by Among.
Therefore in Among, Kadaga and Namuganza saw a common enemy—a rival whose growing power threatened their political survival.
An Unlikely Alliance
By the start of 2025, the shared threat posed by Among had forged an unlikely alliance between Kadaga and Namuganza.
Kadaga, with her decades of political experience and deep ties to Busoga’s cultural fabric, brought strategic acumen to the partnership. Namuganza, younger and more dynamic, contributed grassroots energy and a knack for mobilizing support.
Together, they began to strategize, leveraging their combined influence to challenge Among’s grip on the NRM and Busoga’s political landscape.
Publicly, Kadaga continued to call out Among’s incursions into Busoga, framing her as an outsider disrupting the region’s unity. Namuganza, meanwhile, rallied her supporters, amplifying claims of Among’s interference in local politics.
Behind closed doors, the two reportedly coordinated efforts to consolidate their influence within the NRM, aiming to weaken Among’s bid for the second national vice-chairperson position, a role Kadaga still held.
Battle for Busoga
The struggle for Busoga’s political soul became a microcosm of the broader power dynamics within the NRM. Among, aware of the alliance against her, doubled down on her efforts to court Busoga’s leaders, positioning herself as a fresh alternative to Kadaga’s longstanding dominance.
Her resources as speaker gave her significant leverage, but Kadaga and Namuganza’s deep ties to the region made them formidable opponents. Political analysts noted that the trio’s rivalry had turned Busoga into a battleground, with each woman vying for loyalty among local leaders and voters.
When Among declared her intention to run for second national vice-chairperson of the NRM, Kadaga’s public criticisms of her grew sharper, accusing Among of undermining Busoga’s unity for personal gain.
Among fought back in subtle and overt ways. When she met NRM delegates from Kamuli, where Kadaga hails, her handlers made sure that the event was covered widely on traditional and social media platforms.
As for Namuganza, she claims that Among was behind her defeat in Bukono in the recent NRM primaries. Among has so far not responded to these allegations.
As the 2026 elections loom, the Kadaga-Namuganza alliance remains a work in progress. Some say their partnership, born of necessity rather than affection, is fragile, held together by their mutual distrust of Among.
In the ever-shifting sands of Ugandan politics, the story of Kadaga and Namuganza’s alliance is a testament to the adage that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Whether their partnership will endure or crumble under the weight of their history remains to be seen.
