A storm of controversy, argument, and widespread outrage Aerupted on social media after a photo was posted on April 8, 2025, showing James Churchill Ssentamu, the 91st Guild President of Makerere University and the son of Fred Nyanzi (Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine’s eldest brother), with President Yoweri Museveni. The photo was taken at the Makerere University launch of Research and Innovation Week, where Museveni was the chief guest.
The image quickly sparked a wave of anger, especially among supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP). Many branded Churchill’s actions as a betrayal of NUP’s core values. Some even called for his father, Fred Nyanzi, who is the party’s Chief Mobilizer, to resign in response to the controversy.
Under intense pressure, Fred Nyanzi urged his son to publicly apologize to NUP supporters for what many considered his betrayal. He also advised his son to consider resigning and focusing on his academics. “My son, you are sitting with a murderer; his hands are blood-stained. Some time ago, he tried to kill me, and he has tried to kill Bobi Wine multiple times. He has killed many people and imprisoned countless others,” Nyanzi said.
Fred Nyanzi had been a member of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) for years, serving as Chairman of Kamwokya Division’s LC1 and LC2 before joining NUP.
Nyanzi’s Blame
The controversy surrounding Churchill’s photo comes amid a long-standing tension within Makerere University’s political scene. In the most recent guild council elections, Churchill, who was not endorsed by NUP, ran as an independent candidate and won. He defeated NUP’s official candidate, Ismail Basalirwa, which led to accusations from NUP supporters that Churchill had disrespected the party’s decision.
Many critics also blamed Fred Nyanzi for not advising his son to step down and respect the party’s choice, a criticism that resurfaced after the photo was posted.
One NUP supporter, Kin Kaliisa, expressed his frustration on Twitter: “Your son refused to abide by the NUP rules and decided to stand as an independent. You didn’t come out to call him to order. Why are you coming out now? Stop fooling, Ugandans.”
Kaliisa continued: “Your son used more than Shs 20 million to win the guild race (allegedly buying each vote for 20k). Who bankrolled his campaigns? While everyone was posting, your son was busy posting and praising Muhoozi as his generational leader. Again, you didn’t say anything. You chose to keep quiet, so keep quiet.”
The controversy also ties back to a post Churchill made in June 2023, where he shared a picture of General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, referring to him as “President of the youth and everyone.” This post created further rifts between Nyanzi, Churchill, and NUP supporters.
However, some individuals defended Churchill, claiming that he was simply carrying out his duties as the Guild President. Despite the defenses, criticism continued to escalate. As of the time of this publication, Nyanzi’s son had not responded to calls for resignation or an apology, as his father had instructed.
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