National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, has urged NUP recruits not to prioritize seeking political positions but rather concentrate on the primary goal of ousting the National Resistance Movement (NRM) regime.
Kyagulanyi who was on Tuesday welcoming a diverse group of new NUP members who included university students, NRA bush war veterans, and seasoned politicians who defected from the ruling NRM, and opposition FDC at the party headquarters in Makerere Kavule reminded them of the party’s priority – removing NRM from power.
Among the new members is former Masaka District LC5 chairperson Jude Mbabali who has abandoned the Democratic Party – DP.
The new members are the fruits of NUP’s Kunga campaign which was unveiled in 2022 and led by Bobi Wine’s brother Fred Nyanzi in a bid to spread the party’s gospel of change at all levels across the country with mobilization committees from villages, and parishes up to the National level.
Now, speaking to the crowds, Kyagulanyi asked the recruits to focus solely on removing the NRM regime rather than competing for positions, cautioning against as a common tendency among NUP members to prioritize personal political gains.
Kyagulanyi reminded them to bear in mind the ultimate sacrifice of the NUP supporters who lost their lives in the struggle against what he called a dictatorship, only to be let down by politicians who aligned with the ruling NRM government.
He referred to the case of NUP’s Ghetto TV cameraman Ashraf Kasirye, who was injured during campaigning on their way to campaign for the now Member of Parliament for Twaha Kagabo but accused the Bukoto South MP of betraying the struggle.
Furthermore, Kyagulanyi reaffirmed NUP’s stance against negotiating with the government for the release of detained supporters, asserting that fundamental rights should not be begged for but guaranteed by the Constitution.
He said this just a day after the General Court Martial in Makindye for the third time dismissed the bail application for 28 supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) who facing trial of unlawful possession of ammunition.
The seven-member Panel of the Court chaired by Brigadier Robert Mugabe on Monday denied the supporters bail on grounds that they did not prove that they have fixed places of abode in the court’s jurisdiction.
Although the Court found the sureties of the accused persons who included politicians such as the Leader of Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi to be substantial, they couldn’t be released on the basis that they are most likely to abscond once granted bail.
This is not the first time Bobi Wine has rejected negotiations with the government regarding detained NUP members. Last year, he rejected requests from various quarters, including Kimaanya Kabonera MP Dr. Abed Bwanika, to negotiate the release of detained NUP members.
Meanwhile, Kyagulanyi also applauded traders who are currently holding a protest over the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solutions (EFRIS) system and urged all NUP supporters to join because they are on a genuine cause. He alleged that most of the revenue that is collected from taxpayers is used extravagantly by elite politicians.
Kyagulanyi however added that while empathizing with the traders’ plight, they should remember the ongoing struggles by teachers and medical workers, and asked them to also think about the broader challenges confronting various sectors.
