By Our Reporter
In a significant political realignment, Mawokota South Constituency Member of Parliament Yusuf Nsibambi has officially quit the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and joined the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Nsibambi’s defection was formalized on Tuesday during a meeting with Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Among, at the NRM headquarters at Kyambogo. The Speaker personally received and ushered the MP into the party.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Nsibambi stated his decision was deliberate and driven by his assessment of the opposition’s current state. He argued that the opposition bloc in Parliament is adrift.
“I have made a very deliberate decision to join the NRM,” Nsibambi declared. “The opposition in Parliament lacks clear direction and a defined agenda for the people it represents. I cannot continue to be part of a team that does not have a programme for Ugandans.”
His move comes as a major blow to the FDC, which has seen several of its parliamentarians and supporters drift toward the ruling party in recent years. Nsibambi’s seat was previously considered a safe opposition stronghold, making his departure particularly symbolic.
The event also served as a platform for Speaker Among to unveil another development: a new batch of independent Members of Parliament-elect who have chosen to align with the NRM. They join an earlier group of independents who made a similar pledge, amplifying the NRM’s numbers in the House.
“We are happy to welcome more brothers and sisters who have seen the light and decided to work with the NRM government for development,” Speaker Among remarked, framing the defections as a positive step toward national unity and progress.
Analysts view the twin developments as a continued strategy by the NRM to weaken the formal opposition by absorbing its members, thereby minimizing organized dissent in the legislative arena. For the opposition, the loss of experienced legislators like Nsibambi compounds its challenges in effectively holding the government to account.
