Who is Joel Ssenyonyi? Flash Uganda Media looks at his biography, age, wife, family, tribe, achievements, and relationship with Febress Nagawa Ssenyonyi, Gianna, Hezekiah, and the early life and education of the current Leader of Opposition in Parliament and spokesperson for the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) political party.
Joel Ssenyonyi is a Uganda politician, lawyer, media personality and former journalist.
He is the current Leader of Opposition in Parliament and spokesperson for the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) political party.
He was elected as Nakawa West Constituency Member of Parliament in 2021 and the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament in 2023.
Joel Ssenyonyi is also the chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE).
Net Worth
Joel Sssenyonyi’s estimated net worth is 500 million Uganda Shillings.
After being elected to Parliament and receiving a salary of 30 million Ugandan Shillings per month, his estimated annual income increased by more than 300 million Ugandan Shillings.
Early Life
Joel Besekezi Ssenyonyi was born on December 20, 1986, in Mulago Hospital, Kampala to Joseph Basekezi and his legally wedded wife Dorothy Nankunda.
He was raised by his mother in a rented house in Kyengera in the Kampala outskirts after his father moved away.
Joel Senyonyi is a Muruuli by tribe from Nakasongola, and his mother is of Rwandan descent.
He is the firstborn among her mother’s four children and he has other step-brothers and sisters from his father’s side.
Ssenyonyi Joel is a devout Born-Again Christian who attends prayers at Watoto Church in Ntinda and Central in Kampala.
Education Background
From Primary one to Primary five, Joel Ssenyonyi attended Kazinda Memorial School.
After two terms at Namirembe Infant Primary School in Bakuli, he transferred to Joy Primary School.
However, he ended up in Trinity Academy Primary School in Bukoto, where, in 1999, at the age of 13, he sat for his Primary Leaving Examinations.
Senyonyi completed his primary leaving exams at Trinity Academy Primary School in Bukoto.
In 2000, he enrolled at St. Lawrence Citizens High School, where he obtained his Ordinary level Certificate. In 2005, he went back and completed his Advanced level Certificate after offering PEM/A.
He then earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Statistics degree and later a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree at Makerere University.
Ssenyonyi completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice at the Law Development Centre (LDC) in 2024, qualifying him as an advocate.
In July 2025, he graduated with a Master’s Degree in Organisational Leadership and Management from Uganda Christian University (UCU).
“Thanking God for yet another academic qualification attained today, a Master’s in Organisational Leadership and Management from Uganda Christian University (UCU),” he posted on X.
Education background summary
| Years | Institution | Status /Award |
| 1999 | Trinity Academy Primary School | PLE |
| – 2006 | St. Lawrence Citizens High School | UCE & UACE |
| Makerere University | Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Business Statistics | |
| Makerere University | Bachelor of Laws (LLB) | |
| 2024 | Law Development Centre | Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice |
| 2025 | Uganda Christian University (UCU) | Masters Degree in Organisational Leadership and Management |
Marriage Life
Joel Ssenyonyi wedded Febress Nagawa Ssenyonyi at a ‘scientific’ wedding at Watoto Church North in June 2020. Afterwards, they proceeded to a wedding reception at Hotel Africana.
Joel publicly referred to himself as a proud virgin. He vowed that he would only engage in any sexual affairs after marriage.
In October 2021, the Ssenyonyi welcomed their first child, a daughter they named Gianna.
And on November 20, 2023, Febress gave birth to a baby boy who they named Hezekiah.
Career and Professional Work Experience
Joel Senyonyi began his career in journalism at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) in 2006 while on his senior six vacation.
He volunteered to help out during the news program and was eventually hired as a news anchor at the station.
He left UBC in 2011 to work as a gospel radio host on Power FM, where he aired the “Fahrenheit” political talk show from Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Ssenyonyi ran for the Central Region youth MP in 2011 on an FDC ticket but was unsuccessful.
Later, he moved to NTV Uganda of Nation Media where he worked as a News anchor. He anchored the NTV Tonight news hour program and also hosted a talk show.
After five years, Ssenyonyi quit the job to join the People Power movement.
Following his resignation from Nation Media NTV, Bobi Wine selected him to head the NUP Spokes team.
On May 6, 2019, Joel Ssenyonyi formally joined the NUP Party following his election as the People Power Movement’s official spokesperson.
On January 14, 2021, Joel Ssenyonyi was elected as a member of parliament in the general elections.
He had defeated Margret Zziwa Nantongo of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) by winning a seat for the National Unity Platform party.
On December 22, 2023, Ssenyonyi Joel was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament by the NUP President, Robert Kyagulanyi.
He replaced his fellow MP Mathias Mpuga Nsamba who departed after a rift between him and Kyagulanyi.
On January 9, 2024, Joel took the office officially.
Work experience background summary
| Years | Institution | Position |
| 2006 – 2011 | UBC | News anchor |
| 2011 – 2014 | Power FM | Political talk show host |
| 2014 – 2019 | NTV Uganda of Nation Media | News anchor |
| 2019 – Present | NUP Party | Spokesperson |
| 2021 – 2026 | Parliament | Nakawa West Constituency Member of Parliament |
| 2024 – Present | Parliament | Leader of the Opposition |
Leader of Opposition
In December 2023, the National Unity Platform (NUP) named Nakawa West MP Joel Ssenyonyi as the new Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP), taking over from Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba. Mpuuga has since broken away from NUP to form a new political formation, the Democratic Front.
Ssenyonyi was officially appointed on 22 December 2023 and assumed office on 9 January 2024.
Speaking at the NUP headquarters in Kampala, party president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu said the changes should not be viewed as a demotion, but rather a reflection of the party’s commitment to rotating leadership.
Achievements and Awards
Joel Ssenyonyi has had a successful 13-year career in journalism anchoring news on television and hosting talk shows.
One of the many significant broadcast honours Joel has received is the Bbale Francis Best Male TV News Anchor Award in 2016.
He was nominated for the annual Heaven Inspired Triumph (HIT) Awards’ “TV Personality of the Year 2016”
Controversies
In 2022, Joel disclosed via Twitter that he had been threatened over the phone for his Uganda Airlines investigation by Minister of Tourism Tom Butime.
He declared that no one could frighten him and that he would not give up on his probe into the National Airline.
Ssenyonyi charged Speaker Anita Among with blocking the tabling of the Uganda Airlines’ management report.
He claimed that although the report had been with the Speaker for three months, she never placed it on the order paper of the Parliament for the Members of Parliament to discuss.
According to a leaked copy of the COSASE report, Uganda Airlines executives who violated procurement laws and mismanaged the company were to face penalties.
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