NUP Anoints Joel Ssenyonyi

Uganda Today: NUP Appoints Nakawa West Member Of Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi  As Leader Of Opposition In Parliament

Who is Joel Ssenyonyi?

Joel Ssenyonyi is a Ugandan politician and former spokesperson for the National Unity Platform (NUP), a political party in Uganda. He gained prominence for his role as the spokesperson during the 2021 Ugandan general elections.

Joel Ssenyonyi was born on November 7, 1986, in Uganda. He is a Ugandan politician, media personality, and author.

Ssenyonyi gained widespread recognition as the spokesperson for the National Unity Platform (NUP), a political party in Uganda, during the 2021 general elections.

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Before entering politics, Ssenyonyi had a career in the media. He worked as a news anchor and presenter, contributing to discussions on various social and political issues. His transition to politics marked a significant shift in his public role.

Joel Ssenyonyi has been an advocate for youth engagement in politics and civic activities. He has emphasized the importance of young people actively participating in the democratic process. Ssenyonyi’s eloquence and communication skills played a crucial role in shaping the narrative for the NUP during the 2021 elections.

“In 2019, JoelSsenyonyi  did what very few in his position at the time would have had the courage to do, he quit his rewarding, prestigious job at NTV to take on the thankless task of speaking for a group of people many had written off as criminal hooligans high on marijuana.

While some of his peers declined the opportunity to be spokesperson for the People Power movement, either because they deemed it beneath their status or so risky that it would lead them to financial ruin, Joel threw caution to the wind and jumped into the murky waters of People Power with both feet.

This leap of faith flung him from the cushy, air-conditioned offices of NTV at the 5-star Serena Hotel in uptown Kampala right into the ghettos of Kamokya, where chaos, crime, and sin abounded. The ghetto became his home, office, and identity due to a decision that some of his friends and family must have thought reckless or plain stupid. Yet, Joel would ultimately have the last laugh.

For his blind faith in the righteousness of the People Power cause, Joel became an MP in only two years and is now the Leader of the Alternative Government in his first term in Parliament. This is not to suggest that he has ‘arrived,’ as some would put it, but it certainly marks a major turning point in his life.

While many now congratulate him on becoming LoP, I am paying tribute to the conviction he demonstrated that fateful day when he abandoned the comfort of NTV to do what he felt right: join the common people’s struggle for dignity and freedom. He is being vindicated.

Congratulations Rt. Hon. @JoelSsenyonyi ,Every time I face a difficult decision, I will be sure to look at your example for inspiration. There is no wrong time to do the right thing”.

Ssenyonyi prior to plunging himself in the murky waters of NUP, Ssenyonyi,  in 2016, on FDC ticket, had unsuccessfully stood as a member of Parliament for  youth Central Region.

Ssenyonyi decried the rampant corruption and bribery that characterised these elections. This experience more than anything else shaped his future political engagements to where he is now.