Leadership Tensions Rock National Peasants Party as Suspended SG Rejects Sham Shakeup

A fierce leadership struggle has gripped the National Peasants Party (NPP) following a controversial shakeup that saw the suspension of its secretary-general. The internal feud broke out after the party’s National Consultative Council (NCC) announced sweeping changes, prompting strong resistance from the current administrative head who dismissed the move as a sham.

According to the Daily Monitor, the dispute centers around Mr. Sharif Ssentongo Nambale, who maintains he remains the substantive secretary-general after being elected during the 2024 delegates’ conference. The NCC, led by chairperson Mr. Elias Wamala, announced Mr. Ssentongo’s immediate suspension pending investigations into multiple allegations, including financial impropriety, missing presidential election declaration forms, and locking party offices.

Following the suspension, the rival faction appointed Mr. Bruce Muhangi as the new secretary-general and named 2026 presidential candidate Mr. Robert Kasibante as the party president. Council leaders argued that the interventions were necessary to restore administrative coordination and steer party activities after the previous executive’s term expired.

However, Mr. Ssentongo has strongly rejected the decision, insisting that the NCC lacks the constitutional mandate to appoint or remove leaders. He maintained that such powers are exclusively vested in a delegates’ conference, which has not yet been convened. He further challenged the allegations against him, inviting external bodies like the Inspectorate of Government to audit party resources, noting that the NPP does not even operate an official bank account.

The fallout has also exposed deeper factional accusations involving the withdrawal of a presidential election petition and alleged covert political dealings. As both sides dig in, the internal rift threatens to paralyze the political outfit’s administrative structures. Read more details about the ongoing leadership wrangles in the Daily Monitor.