This narrative reveals our experience with ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde. He said, ‘I want you guys to be my distractions as I make my serious moves in the background.’
He expressed an interest in leveraging our identity as a twin brand for potential financial benefit. He took the initiative to register a business in our names.
He only called to inform us and requested our documentation, and we cooperated and we were very grateful even though we weren’t sure the nature and scope of the business.
He said he was offering us a chance that was beyond our capacity and wildest dreams, a chance to save our retirement plan and catch our midnight train.
In Mombasa, a suggestion was made to explore su9gestive photography as a means of promoting our brand. However, Cynthia expressed her discomfort with this idea.
At one point, a lighthearted comment was made about potentially dru9ging her to get her to comply which I shrugged off as a bad joke. He described our professional relationship as a strategic partnership with boundless imagination, though it was his vision, not ours.
He referred to my sister as dam@ged for setting boundaries, stating she was unprepared for exposure to VVIPs and lacked the capacity for G&A. We were not fully aware of Isaac’s expectations of us, and whenever we sought clarification about his true work expectations, the responses were often lengthy and vague, leading to misunderstandings and some emoti0nal discomfort.
For a more detailed understanding of our experience, please refer to the account below. My sister and I attracted attention from prominent figures including the head of State, because of the #March2parliament protests we had been involved in July 2024. ULS presidential candidate then Isaac Ssemakadde expressed interest that we join his campaign entourage for the ULS nominations.
A few days to 23rd July ,2024 the day of the protests I received a phone call from Isaac advising that Cynthia should wear the Palestinian scarf (Keffiyeh) around her head on the day of the protests, he explained it’s a coded security symbol for protection that she won’t get t0rtured or r@p£d by security forces if arrested.
It didn’t make much sense at that time but it did when, eventually the Keffiyeh turned out to be his RNB signature look. It’s also important to note, even though we asked him to add his voice in the initial phases of #March2parliament he declined.
After the long thread Cynthia wrote about #March2parliament, it’s when he started to show concern for Cynthia’s welfare. It’s important to note that Isaac had proposed Cynthia to work with him on a Legal App development back in 2022, but when he inquired what she wanted in terms of compensation and she said she would like to have a stake in the app he immediately backed out and called her greedy, but that aside Cynthia specifically told me she had no desire whatsoever to talk or work with Ssemakadde given that past experience.
I received a text from Isaac inviting me to join his campaign entourage. I requested that Cynthia accompany me, and she kindly agreed, as we believed it would only be for one day. On September 5, 2024, images of the three of us holding Ssemakadde’s nomination forms were posted on X, and we ultimately became part of his campaign team at his request.
At ULS AGM he raised his voice to us a couple of times. In the spirit of celebration as we headed out for Isaac’s after-party, the photographer began taking pictures of us I personally didn’t mind the pictures, Cynthia felt uncomfortable because of Isaac’s outfit but went along with it. I am a spontaneous person so I just decided to post one of the pictures. I didn’t know the picture would create so much controversy online but it did! This led to the start of our s £*ual objectification and the online phrase “ Bang the Twins” which traumatized Cynthia specifically!
On 29th September, 2024, Sunday the campaign team attended a SMACK LEAGUE event! Ssemakadde was called on stage he asked us onto the stage with him! Music was played and Isaac was nudging us to dance along , we did not want to dance to that crowd to which he whispered “USA is calling” later he mentioned there would be a diaspora tour with us and to get us motivated! Over time, Isaac leveraged this diaspora tour as a way to motivate Cynthia, knowing how much she desired to travel. After the campaigns he expressed gratitude, acknowledged that he was viewed as a detestable man, but our support made him more appealing. While we thought our work relationship would conclude after his ULS victory.
On October 2, 2024, Isaac verbally offered my sister, Cynthia, the role of chief of staff for the Back On Track, during his visit to Professor George W. Kanyeihamba. That day, he introduced her to Norman Tumuhimbise as his chief of staff. As it appeared that Isaac was planning a partnership with Alternative Uganda. Isaac verbally offered me the same role as his Chief of Staff for Back on Track. When asked about my strengths, I mentioned Finance and Administration. He assigned me to manage his schedule and instructed me to get two diaries to sync our calendars for upcoming meetings.
In early October, we discussed salary expectations and agreed on UGX 5,000,000 monthly for both my sister and me.
On the 11th ,October, 2024 Friday we set out for a strategic RNB weekend Retreat with a small group of people hand picked by Isaac as his “Think Tank Group.” The purpose of this retreat was to discuss his action plans and strategies for the first 100 days of his role as ULS president.
During breakfast on the second day of the retreat, Isaac jokingly asked Cynthia, “How come you don’t have kids? I’m here!” suggesting jokingly that he was offering to father children with her. Cynthia found the joke in@ppr0priate. We returned Sunday afternoon, Isaac insisted my sister and I accompany him to 3 more meetings which ended late in the night. At this point, it became clear that Isaac expected us to spend most of our time with him.
The next day, October 14, 2024, Isaac called my sister and me to a meeting at Café Javas, accompanied by his driver Edris, Trevor and later joined by his business partner, Sheila. During the meeting, he raised his voice and !nsulted us, calling us “just stup!d girls with pretty faces on the internet,” which left us embarrassed and confused. Afterward, we informed him via text that we would not be working with him anymore. Isaac reached out to Sheila to mediate. Isaac sent multiple apologies, explaining his behavior was due to pressure. We told him we would continue working with him only if we had a contract with clear terms, proposing an MOU for our roles. Unfortunately, he ignored the MOU.
While my sister wanted to sever ties after his outburst, I encouraged her to give our working relationship another chance, and she reluctantly agreed.
On October 29, 2024, Isaac texted us inviting us to the ULS House for what he called an “important event” and a “great milestone.” He said our presence wasn’t mandatory but would mean a lot to him and that his other friends would be there. When we arrived, none of his friends were present just ULS members and a media crew. Unbeknownst to us, he had already called a press conference, where he issued RNB Executive Order No. 2. During the press conference, I had to communicate home because one of my kids was sick, Isaac took my phone away and whispered you have 60 million on the line ( meaning I needed to get off the phone or my 5M salary a month =60M a year would be on the line by this time there was no formal work documentation only a verbal agreement. Isaac required much of our time insisting that our old lives were over and this was our life now.
On the 15th October, 2024. On a Friday evening Isaac asked me to his apartment then he shared a scenario (I am not sure if he was serious or not) involving the Chief Justice. On a couple of occasions he suggested setting up for me a fake gym which I ignored as well.
Later on the night of October 15th, Isaac fell sick, and I spent the weekend in the hospital with him. I became his caregiver. He had also entrusted me with his meals delivery because he mentioned sometimes he felt unsafe eating at ULS! So I was performing informal roles. At one point, he complained that my sister was not looking after him, asserting that he was the man in our lives.
However, as far as my sister was concerned, Isaac was simply someone she worked with, nothing more, nothing less and she felt was not obligated to look after him in any way. We were still hopeful to get awarded work contract confirming our employment with him but none was offered. In the meantime people s £ *ually objectified us, we complained about it. While we were objectified, Isaac never once utilized his position as ULS president to address our objectification. We just feel ashamed for having supported him regarding the remarks he made about the DPP.
On 1st November, upon his insistence we attended a meeting at the Chief Justice’s residence. Isaac later on towards the end of December, 2024 confided in me that he was indeed conducting an experiment with me and my sister but the experiment failed.
During this period, Isaac began expressing romantic interest in me. I promptly informed Cynthia, who advised against pursuing any such relationship, emphasizing that it would be both unprofessional and a conflict of interest. Shortly afterward, a trusted source shared with us that Isaac already had a child with another woman and that she was expecting their second baby a revelation that surprised us, as he had presented himself as single. When asked he confirmed the situation but expressed frustration toward the person who disclosed it, eventually cutting ties with them. He explained that the pregnancy was unintended and that their relationship was purely physical.
On 18th October against my advice due to health concerns he attended a PFF event and made those remarks about the DPP. Shortly afterwards there were threats for an arrest warrant and he travelled and stayed low. He had ideas of a televised Reality TV show for his ULS presidency.
On November 4, 2024, at Isaac’s suggestion, we met with someone I would prefer to keep his identity private out of respect for their priv@cy who generously offered a year’s complimentary accommodation to Isaac, shortly after Isaac wanted both my sister and I to stay with him. Cynthia did not agree to such an arrangement. I personally agreed to move into the apartment with my kids at his suggestion as we were spending most of our time living and working together. It made sense to consolidate our living situation especially since I was not receiving a salary and eventually falling short on my rent and eventually asked to move out of my house in Kisaasi. By the time Isaac had run off to Rwanda in exile but he left me in charge of the apartment.
On 25th November, Ssemakadde invited us to accompany him to the Bandung Conference in Mombasa (December 4—7) he managed securing funding despite initial financial hurdles. On the first night of the trip, he reiterated his desire for a r0m@ntic relationship with me with a foreseeable future. However, the next day at the conference, he priv@tely told Cynthia, by the way, I am with your sister, and I’m not sure what it means. This conversation took place while a speaker was presenting, and my sister did not want to discuss such.
She told Isaac she was not interested in that topic, which upset him. When asked he denied saying anything and called her a liar and said “‘your sister is manipulating you.” He also suggested during that we take photos with all three of us (The ideas of the photos he was suggesting were in@ppr0priate and also my sister would never consent to such. I advised him to get those ideas out of his head. He was not happy.
At Char-Choma beach in Mombasa then he also shouted saying, I am showing you the world and I am trying to make your life better, then he said for us to grow the brand we needed to allow and follow him into his MADNESS, we didn’t understand what he meant! He grew increasing hostile especially toward Cynthia and I was forced to be the mediator and it was em0tionally draining.
On the morning we left Mombasa for Uganda, Cynthia did not greet Isaac. This was due to an incident the previous evening at the beach when he yelled at her. At the airport, Isaac confronted her, accusing her of disrespecting him as an elder and demanding an apology. Then he also pressured me to obtain an apology from her, claiming, “Get back to me with an apology.”
When Cynthia asked why he wouldn’t apologize for yelling as well , he insisted he couldn’t as a 40 year old man and stated, “I am superior to you in rank.”
Eventually, we returned, and he kindly invited me to spend the December holidays with his family. However, as December came to a close, I noticed he was finalizing plans regarding Trevor Mukholi’s HPCU contract as the director.
I expressed my concerns about why we hadn’t received any contracts while being expected to continue attending official events. His response was that we had not provided him with consent, but I found myself unclear about what kind of consent he meant.
I quickly drafted another MOU proposal but he dismissed it entirely. He mentioned that we needed to humble ourselves, even if that meant begging or crawling, which frustrated me.
At one point, we had a group call with Cynthia but just five minutes in, Isaac began yelling at her, calling her a weak woman, and she decided to end the call. Despite the promise of a diaspora tour, my sister ultimately lost interest in collaborating with Isaac.
On 7th January 2025, on her X she made a public announcement that she was not working with the ULS president anymore. I had yet to see the situation clearly. I decided to stay because he promised that I would manage the RNB T-shirt shop, similar to how I had successfully managed The Back On Track T-shirt shop. He assured me we would launch it soon and advised me to be patient.
In mid-March 2025, I shared a draft of Cynthia’s book with Isaac, following his initial expression of interest in assisting with its publication. I hoped we could collaborate professionally on this project. Unfortunately, his response was rather disheartening; he stated, “Speechless. This girl yefula something I can’t recognize anymore,” which I found quite surprising.
Consequently, my sister decided it would to focus on the project on her own. As time passed, I encountered financial difficulties. This has left me in a challenging position. When Isaac moved to Rwanda to avoid threats of arrest, he entrusted me with the apartment, and I moved in with my children with his acknowledgment. At this time, my sister has severed all ties with Isaac, having last communicated with him in December 2024, during that unfortunate phone call in which he called her a weak woman. I had last seen my twin sister in person last year, and I felt isolated , we hadn’t had the opportunity to reconnect since the beginning of this year. Due to my living situation with Isaac and my sister’s preference was to maintain distance from him.
On our birthday 21st March, 2025, I invited her to visit me at the apartment, as managing childcare made it challenging to meet elsewhere and we were able to spend some meaningful time together, including taking photos to commemorate our birthday and spontaneously launched our twin brand.
On March 26, 2025, I reached out to Isaac, and his response was unexpectedly h@rsh. He accused me of being a “source of darkness” and claimed that I was speaking negatively about him. I was taken aback by this. He sent me a screenshot of one of my posts on X.
For context, I would like to quote my post to explain the reason behind his frustration: “My experience in activism space is that very activist or politician we have encountered has wanted to use us for their own agendas, when they realize we are no push overs they try to sabotage / alienate us regardless we remain with good intentions and focusing on our brand now.”
He basically spent that entire day hurling all sorts of !nsults toward me from 8:00 am when we started that conversation up-to 5:34p.m……. I will quote some his 1nsults; “Accept it you are just that a wh0r£. St9p!d girls like you and your ingrate Twin Sister will only humble yourselves and learn from a man when you loose that beauty and s£* appeal. You are an empty pathetic sc@mm£r. You lack character at your age. Girl you have no value. You are disgusting, repulsive, off putting , unstable and cheap, get your poverty mindset off my pouch I am giving you 1 WEEK out my house go sponge it elsewhere, you pathetic sc@mm£r” You confuse your big mouth for an open mind and h@ughtin£ss is your contamination.” My house is not a shelter”
He proceeded to threaten me and I quote “You will rue the day you made an enemy of me.” That experience was incredibly disappointing and troubling for me. After collaborating with Isaac for several months and sharing accommodation, he requested that I vacate the apartment within a week.
Unfortunately, my compensation during this collaboration was limited to stipends, and I now find myself in need of alternative housing. Isaac has indicated that he requires the apartment back, and with the possibility of legal intervention, I am becoming increasingly anxious about the risk of homelessness.
Any guidance or assistance in this matter will sincerely be appreciated. This was our experience with the ULS president 2024/2025.
John 8:32: Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Yvonne Babirye & Cynthia Nakato.
You can also read about novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija’s Side of the Story in Relationship with Ex Mzungu Lover Anne Whitehead – & Their Son and how it ended in tears, as well as the breakup of a popular Ugandan pastor with his wife, who blamed Satan the enemy for destroying his marriage Here and There.
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