Title: Conflict of Interest Claims Rock NUP as Ssebuwuffu Sits on Vetting Panel While Contesting
KAMPALA, UGANDA — Tensions are rising within the National Unity Platform (NUP) following revelations that Mr. John Mary Ssebuwuffu, a candidate in the ongoing party primaries, is simultaneously serving on the party’s Electoral Management Committee (EMC) responsible for vetting other contenders.
The discovery has sparked outrage among rival aspirants and party loyalists, who are questioning the integrity and transparency of NUP’s internal democratic processes. Critics argue that Ssebuwuffu’s dual role constitutes a glaring conflict of interest, compromising the fairness of the vetting exercise.
“This is unacceptable. You can’t be both a referee and a player in the same game,” one of the aggrieved aspirants commented. “It goes against every principle of fairness and accountability that NUP claims to stand for.”
Public pressure is mounting on party president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, to intervene and uphold the party’s core values. Social media users have directly called out the NUP leader, urging him to “stand up for integrity, even when it’s inconvenient.”
“This is not the New Uganda we have been promising,” one post read. “Leadership means doing what’s right, not what’s politically easy. Ssebuwuffu should step down from the EMC immediately and be disqualified from the race.”
Attempts by NUP Spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi and Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya to defuse the situation have so far been unsuccessful, with many accusing party leadership of silence or complicity. Deputy Secretary General for Mobilisation, Ms. Aisha Mufumbiro, has also come under fire, with critics accusing her of “defending the indefensible.”
Several party members are now calling for Ssebuwuffu to be replaced by a neutral elder or party veteran on the vetting committee to restore credibility to the process.
As the NUP continues to position itself as the face of ethical and progressive politics in Uganda, the unfolding controversy poses a serious test of its commitment to democratic principles and internal accountability.
