For years, David Lewis Rubongoya has occupied an uncomfortable space in Uganda’s political landscape — a former supporter of President Yoweri Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) who later became one of the most trusted figures in opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine’s, political movement.
Now serving as Secretary General of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), Rubongoya says his journey away from the NRM was driven by what he describes as a political culture that discouraged independent thinking and demanded absolute loyalty.
“One of the many reasons I left NRM was the whole idea that you’re not allowed to think for yourself,” Rubongoya said.
His remarks offer a rare glimpse into the political transformation of a man who moved from the ruling party and became a key organiser of Uganda’s largest opposition party in Parliament.
Rubongoya’s political journey took a decisive turn during the rise of the People Power movement, the grassroots political movement built around Bobi Wine after his election as Kyadondo East Member of Parliament in 2017.
As Bobi Wine’s movement prepared to enter formal electoral politics ahead of the 2021 general election, Rubongoya emerged as one of the lawyers and strategists involved in discussions that eventually saw the group take over the National Unity Platform, a relatively little-known political party that became the vehicle for Bobi Wine’s presidential ambitions.
The transition transformed NUP into a major political force, with Rubongoya becoming the party’s Secretary General and one of Bobi Wine’s closest advisers.
But his background as a former NRM supporter has also made him a target of suspicion among some opposition supporters, who have questioned whether individuals who previously operated within the ruling party can fully break away from its political networks.
Rubongoya has repeatedly dismissed such questions, pointing instead to his record as one of the officials who has defended NUP against government restrictions, arrests of opposition supporters and political pressure.
In explaining his break with the NRM, Rubongoya said his frustrations began with what he viewed as an expectation that party members abandon personal judgment and follow official positions.
“I would often make posts criticizing government dysfunction and corruption, and then my inbox would be flooded with messages asking why I’m fighting the government!” he said.
According to Rubongoya, criticism of wrongdoing by officials was often interpreted as betrayal if it involved members of the ruling party.
“If for instance there was a corruption scandal involving some NRM bigwig and the opposition was up in arms against that person, you were expected to defend that person no matter how much loss or damage the person had caused,” he said.
He claimed that party positions would change once President Museveni acted against an accused official, forcing supporters to adopt a different stance.
“Surprisingly, once Gen. Museveni ordered for the investigation of that person or took some action against them, you were expected to immediately shift goalposts and condemn him or her,” Rubongoya said.
“If you continued defending that person after Museveni had spoken, you would be branded a traitor – ekipinga,” he added.
Rubongoya said the same pattern applied to criticism of government services, arguing that problems could only be openly acknowledged when they were raised by the President himself.
“Likewise, if you went to public hospitals and talked about the terrible conditions there, you were branded opposition. If Gen. Museveni came out and said the same thing, they would clap hands and nod in approval,” he said.
The NUP Secretary General said those experiences forced him to question the purpose of personal reasoning in a political system where loyalty appeared to matter more than independent judgment.
“So I asked, ‘What is my head for if I am not expected to make a judgment call on what is wrong or right?’” Rubongoya said.
He argued that the culture he left behind in NRM has continued within Uganda’s political environment, pointing to recent controversies involving prominent figures.
“Sadly, that behavior has persisted up to now or even gotten worse,” he said.
Rubongoya cited the controversy surrounding former Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, saying supporters of the ruling party defended her when she was politically powerful but changed their positions after the system turned against her.
“You all saw how NRM apologists were on these streets defending Anita Among despite all the evidence of grand corruption. But when the system turned on her, they joined the chorus of those condemning her. Seamlessly. Shamelessly!” he said.
He also criticised reactions to security actions at Kisekka Market, where he said some government supporters defended the shootings before any official response from authorities.
“I shuddered yesterday when I saw the number of apologists defending the shootings in Kisekka market,” Rubongoya said.
He predicted that many of those defending the actions would change their positions if President Museveni later condemned them.
“I’m sure if Museveni issues a statement today condemning that behavior, you will see how they instantly pivot and join in the condemnation,” he said.
“Suddenly, they will be ‘deeply disgusted’ by these unpatriotic actions that harm peace, security, and tourism,” he added.
Rubongoya’s rise within NUP has placed him at the centre of Uganda’s opposition politics. From helping shape the party’s organisational structure to defending its positions during political confrontations, he has become one of Bobi Wine’s most visible lieutenants.
But his journey also reflects the complexities of Uganda’s political landscape, where former insiders of the ruling establishment often face questions about their past while attempting to redefine themselves on the opposition side.
For Rubongoya, the explanation is simple: his departure from the NRM was not about changing political camps, but about reclaiming the freedom to make independent judgments.
“So, what is the purpose of having a brain if you can’t use it to think for yourself and discern what is right or wrong?” he said.
You can read the real truth about Bobi Wine’s NUP SG Rubongoya’s Relationship with Museveni HERE.
