By Mukwaba Katende
As 2026 presidential elections draw closer, the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu is likely to face serious financial setback as one of his top US, campaign funder Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison over corruption charges.
Menendez 71, a former New Jersey Senator has been sentenced for his involvement in a long corruption scheme in which he conducted favors from several foreign governments in exchange for lavish gifts.
Menendez’s sentence is a big financial blow to Bobi Wine who has been a direct beneficiary of his shady dealings.
In 2022, Menendez, once a three term senator who chaired the powerful Senate Foreign Relations committee, used his position as a Senator to push for sanctions on Ugandan officials over their support on violation of human rights and their involvement in corruption scandals.
In 2018, Menendez publicly called for immediate release of Robert Kyagulanyi, leader of the National Unity Platform who had been arrested in Arua on treason charges and causing malicious damage to a car belonging to the president’s convoy.
He also blamed Museveni’s government security agencies of torture, injuring and shooting dead unarmed people during Kasese and Kampala riots in 2016 and 2020 respectively.
In 2023, when p[Parliament passed the Anti Homosexuality act 2023, Senator Bob Menendez tabled a resolution in the US senate pushing for targeted sanctions and visa restrictions on Ugandan Government officials who supported the act . He recommended that the US redirect its funding to Bobi Wine since he is willing to protect the gay rights.
Before sentencing, Menendez cried while recounting how he dedicated himself to public service so much that he missed several events in his two children’s lives.
He struggled to describe the pain of missing events in his grandchildren’s lives if he was given a long sentence but all didn’t save him. In July last year, he was convicted of 16 federal charges including bribery,fraud, acting as a foreign agent and obstruction.
Prosecutors said that the Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI) discovered gold bars and over 400,000 US dollars in cash hidden in various locations such as jackets and shoes within his residence.
His conviction has exposed him as both a funder and beneficiary of gross human rights abuse, having been caught with gold bars traced back to brutal militias Congo.
