Five Members of Parliament, including an NRM leaning one have been accused of using the name of the Leader of Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi to secure a foreign trip.
The four MPs at the centre of the accusation include NRM leaning, Sarah Najjuma (Nakaseke Woman MP), Juliet Kakande Nakabuye (Woman MP Masaka City), Michael Kakembo (MP Entebbe Municipality), and Joyce Bagala (Mityana Woman MP).
According to Ssenyonyi, the four legislators received an invitation on March, 12, 2025 from the Legislative Centre a human capital development organisation based in Kenya to attend a two-week workshop in Mombasa from May 18 to 31, 2025 under the guise of being a delegation from the Leader of Opposition.
The trip they were going for was under the theme “Enhancing people-based governance for better livelihoods,” and designed to focus on inclusive leadership and governance to promote social equity and development.
Ssenyonyi says the legislators the MPs impersonated him or their own personal benefit as they sought clearance from the speaker of parliament.
“These Honourable colleagues obtained an invitation in my name… and forwarded it to the Speaker for clearance for them to be facilitated for the two-week trip,” Ssenyonyi said.
“They didn’t inform or consult me… so they impersonated me,” he added.
Ssenyonyi expressed shock at the inclusion of Najjuma a member of the ruling NRM party on the delegation supposedly representing the Opposition.
In a more startling revelation, he alleged that one MP, Richard Lumu manually added his name to the list using a pen after the official invitation had already been issued raising concerns over possible forgery or document tampering.
The letter, signed by Denis Musyoka, Director of the Legislative Centre, affirms the organisation’s readiness to host the group but notes that participants would be responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs.