Ssenyonyi’s campaign kicked off in Bukomansimbi, Uganda’s top coffee-producing district, on November 19, 2024, where he rallied farmers to keep growing coffee.

Ssenyonyi demanded President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to verify his claims that the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) was giving seedlings only to opposition MPs and leaving out their NRM counterparts.

On Wednesday, November 6, 2024, parliament passed the Coffee Amendment Bill, which caused chaos in parliament after Francis Zaake (NUP) and Anthony Akol (FDC) exchanged blows over a chair.

During the parliamentary session on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, tempers flared when MPs Francis Zaake and Anthony Akol clashed over procedural issues, leading to a physical altercation and a brief suspension of the House for some minutes.

On March 27, 2024, the first reading was made in parliament with an Act to enact the National Coffee Act 2021. Act 17 of 2021 aims to dissolve the Coffee Development Authority and transfer its functions to the Ministry responsible for agriculture. This change aligns with the government policy on the rationalization of government agencies and public expenditures.

The NUP youth convention was attended by young people from all over the country, mainly youth leaders and other youths from the Busoga region, who were the hosts. It was also attended by top NUP leadership, including the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, other NUP Members of Parliament, and CEC members. 

Before the government makes any financial commitment to a company, there must be due diligence done, and it is imperative for the government to prioritize accountability in all public expenditures, particularly in high-stakes commitments such as Dei Biopharma Company.

This is not the first time such an incident is happening in Uganda; in July 2013, over 35 people died and many survived with injuries as they tried to get fuel from a fuel tanker involved in an accident. Many, mainly boda boda raiders,were caught up in the fire and lost their lives.