Fact Check: Did Ssenyonyi Praise President Museveni's leadership?

A quote circulating online claims that Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, Uganda’s Leader of the Opposition, said: “I thank President Yoweri Museveni for his visionary leadership. At just 38 years old, I serve as the Leader of the Opposition, enjoy full government privileges, live comfortably, and hold a Master’s degree.”

This article checks if these are really his words and explains the facts. Checking the Quote, We looked for evidence to see if Hon. Ssenyonyi, a Member of Parliament and spokesperson for the National Unity Platform (NUP), made this statement. We searched his official X account (@JoelSsenyonyi), news websites, and parliamentary records. No evidence was found of him saying these words. The quote does not appear in his posts, interviews, or any trusted news sources like Daily Monitor or New Vision and the Observer.

Instead, Ssenyonyi’s public statements show he strongly criticises President Yoweri Museveni’s government. For example, in September 2025, he posted on X about the government allowing its supporters to hold events while arresting opposition members. He has also spoken against corruption and called for better governance. Praising Museveni’s leadership would go against everything he stands for as an NUP leader.

Ssenyonyi has been the Leader of the Opposition since January 2024, a role that comes with government benefits like a salary and security. As an MP, Ssenyonyi earns a good income, but he has never linked this to Museveni’s leadership.

These facts are correct, but are used in the quote to create a false story that seems to have been designed to confuse people or make Ssenyonyi look like he supports Museveni, which is not true. False information like this can harm someone’s reputation, especially an opposition leader who openly challenges the government.

An investigation has found that a fabricated graphic and accompanying quote gained wide circulation online despite being false. As of 11 September 2025, the post had drawn more than 32,300 views, 58 reposts, 9 bookmarks, 424 likes, and 109 comments from a single X account. The level of interaction significantly expanded its reach, with the content appearing across multiple timelines and shared further into WhatsApp groups.

The source of the claim was identified as an X account under the name Akello Jane Mary. The account tagged four others @NathanNuwagira2, @KemiKainerugaba, @MuhooziDiehards, and @ksimonk18, all of whom have previously shared pro-NRM material and content supportive of President Yoweri Museveni and his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Similar images have also been posted by additional X users and circulated on Instagram under the hashtags #WhyUgStillNeedsM7 and #ProtectingtheGains.

Without scrutiny, this type of content could mislead the public into believing that opposition politician Joel Ssenyonyi had joined the NRM. This claim could undermine his party’s position ahead of the January 2026 elections.