KAMPALA – A wave of panic and internal crisis is reported to have gripped the leadership of the National Unity Platform (NUP) following revelations that several of its high-profile aspirants, who were denied the party flag, are engaged in clandestine negotiations with senior government figures.
According to multiple sources within the party, NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, is confronting a potential mass rebellion. The disgruntled aspirants are allegedly in secret talks with the Head of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, seeking sponsorship to run as Independent candidates in the 2026 elections.
Sources intimate that a strategic plan is being orchestrated where these candidates, once backed by the establishment, would be “announced as winners at all costs.” The ultimate goal, as alleged, is to ensure a bloc of legislators in Parliament who will reliably support all government legislation tabled by the Speaker, thereby weakening the opposition’s numerical strength and influence.
Kyagulanyi is said to have been briefed on a list of prominent party members involved in these talks. The list reportedly includes:
· Hon. Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West): His camp is said to have “fumed” after the party ticket was awarded to Zahara, who they alleged unfairly benefited from her relationship with a party official identified as Mulyanyama.
· Hon. Derrick Nyeko (Makindye East): Also reportedly seeking an alternative path after losing the NUP flag.
· Hon. Joyce Bagala (Mityana Woman MP): Having lost the party flag to Naboosa, whom sources claim was favored for her closeness to Hon. Francis Zaake Butebi, Bagala is alleged to have been assured of reclaiming her seat. It is further claimed that Kyagulanyi was angered to learn of Bagala’s alleged “invisible hand” in the election petition lodged against her in 2021, which purportedly explains her changed attitude towards the party leadership.
· Hon. Mathias Mpuuga (Nyendo-Mukungwe): The former Leader of the Opposition, who was recently at the center of the controversial “service award” saga, is also named among those on the list.
· Dr. Abed Bwanika: The seasoned politician is also said to be among those seeking an alternative sponsorship.
The revelations have exposed deep-seated grievances within NUP, with accusations of bias and unfairness in the candidate selection process now threatening to splinter the party. The alleged involvement of General Muhoozi’s PLU and the Speaker of Parliament points to a high-level political maneuver aimed at co-opting dissent within the main opposition party.
This development sets the stage for a highly contentious 2026 election, where internal party rivalries and external influence are expected to play a decisive role in shaping Uganda’s political landscape.
