By Gladys Mukisa.
The journalists labor union; Uganda Journalists Union (UJU) is torn apart in cliques with many of its members sharply accusing its General Secretary (GS) Stephen Bwire Ouma of turning it into his cash cow.
Born of dispute is the impugned funds from the incoming National Female Worker’s MP Fiona Nakku through the GS Ouma ahead of the January Monday, 19, 2026 Workers MP elections that were held at Kibuli Secondary School in Kampala.
If there is anything that could force the devil to wear its true garment as far as the UJU internal politics is concerned, is money as reflected in claims of greed, fraud and blackmail against nine of its Executive Committee leaders.
A section of UJU members whose names are withheld, exclusively told Blazer News Times that the 20 million shillings is some of the money that sparked the current confusion and division into the union.
Genesis of the Conflict and Confusion.
It all started by Ouma holding a meeting with his nine fellow UJU Executive Committee leaders late 2025 and indicated to them as he had got a part time gig from the camp of one candidate in the Worker’s MP elections race while concealing the candidate’s name, thus seeking their clearance to be allowed.
His Executive team later learns that the referential candidate was Fiona Nakku (Independent-NRM leaning), who was running against the incumbent Agnes Abwooli Kunihira (official NRM flag bearer). They accepted his prayer but maintained that their block vote as a labor union, was for Kunihira as per their earlier un written team decision, considering that she had unwaveringly supported several worker’s unions to operate, including theirs (UJU).
This according to UJU members seemed not to have gone well with Ouma who shortly after the meeting resorted to spreading malicious information against them and Kunihira, to the point of even formally petitioning statutory bodies; the Uganda Electoral Commission (EC) and their regulator; Ministry of Gender, describing his Executives as masqueraders and rebels who were being bankrolled by Kunihira to kill his organization, thus requesting to be discarded on allegations that they were not eligible voters.
Ouma by doing that according to the insiders, had intended to cause deletion of his fellow nine Executive Committee leaders as delegates from the voter’s lists in favor of Nakku against Kunihira, which was ignored by the two statutory electoral bodies based on the defence that had been filed by the accused, its dismissal.
Although Br. Ouma as he is commonly referred to lost the battle, he sustained the war.
Some of the UJU delegates part of the 57 unions that participated in the just concluded Worker’s MPS elections according to the documents seen by this news Website include; Sam Ibanda Mugabi, Stephen Bwire Ouma, Goodluck Musinguzi, Zurah Nakabugo, Rose Namale, Philip Corry and Michael Wakabi.
Ouma Holds Controversial UJU Elections.
It has emerged from UJU members that following his own initiated lost documentary battle, Ouma whose office is mainly responsible for the handling of among other affairs; the organization’s elections, swiftly moved to deploy a political technique of convening an elective delagates conference also precisely referred to as QDC, to set aside his time long serving Executive team.
The evictees had tried to run against some of the Ouma’s choicest presented candidates but later withdrew their candidature on learning that the elections were not free and fair.
The two-day QDC which was closed by the Female Worker’s MP elect Nakku in January, 11, 2026, at Ntinda Nob View Hotel, saw several individuals declared the incoming Executive Committee leaders replacing the ousted old guards, amidst protest and questioning of their legibility on account of being not paid up members as set out in their own internal rules.
The announced incoming UJU Executive team leaders include among others; Evelyn Nalule-President, Vice President – Draga Osman, General Secretary Stephen Ouma Bwire, Assistant General Secretary Juliet Kasirye, National Treasurer Vincent Mwesigye Mupenzi, Deputy Treasurer Promise Twinamukye, Woman Leader Olivia Katushabe Irumba, Deputy Woman Leader, Khardija Namagembe, Organising Secretary Moses Lwochaza, Assistant Organising Secretary Leilah Bbaaĺe, Education Secretary Julius Odeke, Assistant Education Secretary Eva Namugabi, Youth Leader Tonny Bakwerane, Regional Coordinators : Eastern Mr Evans Wafula, Western Adellah Orishaba, Northern Justin Muboka ,West Nile, Clement Aluma. Trustees: Samuel Ibanda, Joyce Nafula Mulucha and Eddy Khan Ssemugenyi.
Hypocrisy, Intrigue Cited in Ouma’s Administration.
UJU members have accused their GS Ouma of acting with double standards, intrigue, lack of integrity and ungratefulness in his administration, which has complicated the organization’s relationship with some of its committed partners.
Outgoing Worker’s MP Kunihira is one of the them. Kunihira according to the members had established a center for workers excellence on her building in Ntinda-Kigoowa to foster empowerment of struggling workers unions including UJU, where free office space was offered to help them navigate the ever-challenging rental obligation.
Concerned UJU members say that since the relocation of their offices from the city center’s Equatorial Mall two years ago where they were struggling to raise the monthly 600,000 shs rental fees, they had been made to consider the rent issue a done deal, until December 2025 when Ouma using part of MP Nakku’s cash (10 million), singularly chose to relocate them to a new building, claiming that his life was facing an imminent threat at Kigoowa.
It should be noted that Br. Ouma had contested in 2026 elections for the Worker’s representative to KCCA council (city hall) as an Independent candidate but lost. He had first lost in the ruling NRM party primary elections in 2025.
Our efforts to seek a comment from MP Nakku were futile.
Ouma Speaks Out.
When reached for a comment, Ouma defended his action, dismissing claims faulting his organized polls as fake.
“Some UJU leaders supported outgoing Female Workers MP Hon. Agnes Kunihira while others supported Hon Fiona Nakku. In the end Hon Nakku won the election including winning the election Petition”
The Uganda Journalists Union GS also defended himself from the accusations of financial inducement, insisting that he was never induced by any money to support Nakku.
“She had the best, modern, vibrant, developmental and progressive programs for Workers and Labor Unions than Hon Kunihira. Lastly, I hail from Busia District and speak the same vernacular language (Samia tribe) like Hon Fiona Nakku which was an added advantage for her to get my total support” Ouma stated.
He wondered why his accusers only wanted what he called their choices regarding the Worker’s MP election to be followed. “Why do they think we had to follow their choice and not ours?”
Where the infighting in UJU will end is something that can’t be predicted now.
