“One of the many reasons I left NRM was the whole idea that you’re not allowed to think for yourself. 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.
National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya has said that one of the main reasons he left the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) was what he described as a culture that discouraged independent thinking and compelled members to defend government actions regardless of their merits.
In a statement shared on social media, Rubongoya said he frequently faced criticism from fellow NRM supporters whenever he spoke out against corruption or poor service delivery while he was still associated with the ruling party.
“One of the many reasons I left NRM was the whole idea that you’re not allowed to think for yourself. 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.
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According to Rubongoya, NRM members were expected to defend senior party officials accused of wrongdoing even when there was evidence of misconduct. He claimed that the party’s position would only change after President Yoweri Museveni publicly commented on the matter or ordered investigations.
“If 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 added that those who continued defending the same officials after President Museveni had taken action against them risked being labelled “ekipinga,” a term he said was used to brand perceived traitors within the party.
Rubongoya also cited what he described as double standards in public discourse, saying party supporters would dismiss criticism of poor conditions in public hospitals as opposition politics but later endorse the same concerns once they were acknowledged by the President.
“So I asked, ‘What is my head for if I am not expected to make a judgment call on what is wrong or right?'” he said.
The NUP Secretary General argued that the trend has persisted and pointed to the recent controversy surrounding Speaker Anita Among, claiming that many NRM supporters initially defended her against corruption allegations before changing their stance when “the system turned on her.”
He also referenced the recent shootings at Kisekka Market, expressing concern over what he described as efforts by some government supporters to justify the incident. Rubongoya alleged that many of those defending the shootings would likely reverse their position if President Museveni publicly condemned the actions.
“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.
Rubongoya concluded by questioning what he described as unquestioning political loyalty, asking, “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?”
His remarks have added to ongoing political debate over governance, accountability and freedom of expression, although the NRM had not publicly responded to his comments at the time of publication.
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