The National Unity Platform (NUP) Party Election Management Committee has set September 15th to 21, 2025 to vet applicants who expression interest to contest in the party primaries to identify its flag bearers across the country. Unlike in the past elections, many of the constituencies have more than one aspirant out of which the majority are moles.
It is also not in dispute that NUP has not fielded candidates in some constituencies for reasons that the party does not have a support base or the environment is generally hostile to the opposition. Some candidates have however made allegations of witch hunt and also raised red flags accusing some elements within party ranks for demanding for bribes.
Just a few days ago, a one Winfred Nakandi who had expressed interest to contest for Woman MP Kampala District on the NUP ticket threw in the towel citing unfairness. Her decision comes barely a week after Derrick Nyeko MP Makindye East abandoned ship and did not give clear reasons for exiting the race for the NUP flag. The party has denied any wrong doing.
During a recent press briefing at the party headquarters in Kampala, Harriet Chemutai, the elections committee chairperson noted that the vetting process is a two-tier system, with a candidate’s final score based on 40% performance before the vetting committees and 60% from grassroots consultations where a particular candidate intends to contest.
According to the party, the above was a mechanism designed to ensure the party fields the most qualified candidates with a clear support base on the ground in addition to other qualifications under the constitution and the Parliamentary elections Act. They want to avoid giving their flag to candidates with a high likelihood of being disqualified before or after elections.
But that is besides the point, the real test for the party is twofold; a sense of entitlement by some aspiring candidates and external infuriation from other “opposition” parties and the NRM party who are determined to weaken and or wipe out the opposition in order to create a pressure free parliament come 2026 so they can make bad laws.
One of the critical areas that the party must prepare for as a last resort is to ensure its candidates win the 2026 election decisively as justice will prove elusive when election petitions start trickling in. I know for a fact that specific judicial officers will be assigned to handle election petitions with clear instructions especially in Buganda where NRM is so unpopular.
Secondly, the government appears determined to destabilize NUP ahead of their primaries as they did with the arrest and incarceration of Nakawa East hopeful Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro to Luzira Prison on tramped up charges. That means NUP will vet him in absentia and will give their adversaries the opportunity to criticize the process if he gets the flag.
Thirdly, unlike Jimmy Lwanga- MP for Njeru Municipality, Kakembo of Entebbe and the Bukoto South MP Twaha Kagabo who switched to PLU and later NRM. Many of such characters have stayed in NUP strategically and will go about venting all over the place and may consider contesting as independents or will pick cards from the new parties.
To me, the worst enemies of the party are not those who left but those who stayed and received logistical support to manoeuvre their way to the party flag. The immediate plan will be to sell the flag to an NRM leaning candidate or NRM flag bearer and then take a laid-back stand to create a pass for NRM party candidate to sail through the 2026 elections with ease.
The broader plan will be for NUP flag bearer to secure the flag, go through the campaign period, participate in the 2026 general elections, win the election and then strike a deal when an election petition is filed against them. It is at this point that the election will be overturned by court declaring the NRM candidate the winner and no appeal will be preferred.
The other plan is to cause the arrest and imprisonment of NUP’s flag bearers before nomination so as to deny them the opportunity to present their credentials to the National Electoral Commission. As a counter measure, the party has asked its candidates to have their academic papers verified in advance and to sign a power of Attorney just in case.
I am reliably informed that the top management of the party have already picked intelligence information that over 85% of its current MPs are only with NUP because they do not have an alternative political vehicle or have been compromised. The majority of the old folks will miss out of the flag and will quickly announce a move to contest as independents.
Those who will be rejected by the party will also go about bad mouthing NUP and blackmailing the vetting committee of having picked money from the opponents in exchange for a flag. There will be allegations of the committee having picked money from both the winner and the loser generally creating a case for anarchy.
The architect of these games is none other than a powerful lady from Teso who has turned herself into a power broker and a chief fisher of the disgruntled. She is partly the force behind the absorption of FDC and the recent formation of political parties that have no agenda to win the presidency even a single Member of Parliament.
No wonder all these new parties have sprouted only in Buganda as their target is to reduce NUP’s support base in Buganda. Otherwise, why would the leaders of these new formations focus their attacks on Robert Kyagulanyi instead of aiming at Museveni who is supposed to be the only obvious enemy of the opposition.
Like somebody has said before, when a candidate like Rubongoya- a Munyoro is not given the flag, some people will say NUP only favours the Baganda, some will say Bobi Wine favours people within his circles. The same will be said of the likes of Segoona or Malende, they are not given the flag, people will say the man is self-centered and does not reward loyalty.
The leadership of NUP need to be reminded that you cannot please everybody, a vetting process by its nature has to announce only one winner and as such some people must be dropped. Under such circumstances, the party should ignore public sentiments but do the right thing without fear of ridicule or retribution.
Should the party navigate past all the traps, NUP should brace itself for the worst. We are told the state intends to arrest all those who participated in a military- like parade which is said to violate section 45(1)(b) of the Penal Code Act. The arrested will not spare the top leadership of the party, their spouses and some foot soldiers. That is 2026 general election for us.
Rogers Wadada is a commentator on political, legal and social issues. wadroger@yahoo.ca
