KAMPALA – A leaked audio recording featuring former Ethics Minister Miria Matembe desperately pleading with Nakawa West Member of Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, for an audience with National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has ignited a political firestorm across Uganda.
The controversial phone conversation, which has gone viral on social media, reveals a frantic Matembe urging the opposition MP to help her get her message to “the President,” a term widely understood to refer to Bobi Wine within his support base.
The leak comes amid reports from sources that Hon. Matembe had previously circulated information that was later dismissed as false. According to insiders, her claims were met with a swift and stern rejection from a highly respected figure in Uganda’s political hierarchy, referred to as “Mzee”—a title commonly used for President Yoweri Museveni. The rebuttal was allegedly so shocking that it caused Matembe to faint, requiring urgent hospitalization.
Following this incident, Matembe appears to have reached out to MP Ssenyonyi, the NUP spokesperson, in what political analysts are calling a last-ditch effort to salvage her narrative and align herself with the opposition. In the audio, her tone is described as urgent and pleading, raising questions about the nature of the claims she was so desperate to amplify.
The leak has triggered intense debate and speculation, with commentators questioning Matembe’s motivations and the potential fallout for all involved. “This is not just political drama—it’s a moment of reckoning about the consequences of misinformation and the high stakes of political storytelling,” one analyst commented. “Matembe miscalculated, and now the public is witnessing the fallout in real time.”
The incident has also thrust Joel Ssenyonyi into an unexpected controversy. While his role in the conversation seems passive, his involvement has placed him at the center of a damaging political saga.
The public remains gripped by the unfolding drama, which offers a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes maneuvers of Ugandan politics. With key questions about the origin and content of Matembe’s initial claims still unanswered, this story is far from over, leaving a clear reminder that in the high-stakes world of political messaging, not all strategies go according to plan.
