The National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) Party has suspended its president and national chairperson, Mr. Joseph Kiiza Kabuleta, for a period of 90 days effective August 1, 2025, over a litany of internal misconduct, ranging from abuse of power, sectarian tendencies, to financial opacity and violation of party protocols.
In a press release signed by the party’s National Spokesperson Mr. Matovu Moses, the National Executive Committee (NEC) outlined 14 grave accusations against Mr. Kabuleta. Chief among these is his unilateral declaration as the party’s presidential flag bearer without any approval from NEC or the National Delegates Conference—an act deemed a direct affront to the party’s internal democratic processes.
The NEC further accuses Mr. Kabuleta of practising tribal discrimination during internal party decisions, notably in the expulsion of some executive members allegedly based on their ethnic backgrounds—specifically for being Baganda and Banyarwanda. These actions, according to the party, sow division and violate the values of unity and inclusivity that NEED claims to uphold.
Kabuleta also sparked national outrage after referring to residents of Lubaga as “slum dwellers”—a comment widely condemned as offensive and degrading, especially coming from a leader whose party offices were based in the area. Moreover, the NEC revealed that Kabuleta attempted to arbitrarily relocate party offices from Lubaga without consultation and tried to terminate the tenancy agreement without transparency.
Among the administrative failings cited is the expulsion of NEC members without due process, habitual absenteeism from party meetings, the formation of a parallel faction within the party, and ignoring official summons by NEC-appointed committees. The party further noted that Kabuleta has been operating with unverified financial sources and has failed to account for party assets and expenditures.
Perhaps most alarming to NEC was his reported remark: “I am NEED Party, and NEED is me,” which NEC interpreted as an attempt to personalize a public political entity and undermine collective leadership. This, coupled with his continuous disregard for internal structures, led the party to suspend him and ban him from transacting any party business—including use of assets or organizing meetings—during the 90-day period.
In the interim, the Deputy National Chairperson will assume leadership roles and steer the party forward as internal processes are stabilized.
The suspension of a sitting party president, especially one as high-profile as Kabuleta—a former journalist and presidential candidate—marks a significant and dramatic turning point for NEED, one of Uganda’s newer political formations built on promises of economic justice and national empowerment.
The party has made it clear that any violation of the suspension terms will attract stricter disciplinary action, signaling a broader effort to restore order and discipline within its ranks.
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