Bukenya has not returned to NRM says, PNU official

Former vice president Prof Gilbert Bukenya. File photo

Kampala- A senior official in Prof Gilbert Bukenya’s Pressure for National Unity (PNU) has said the former vice president has not left PNU for the National Resistance Movement.

Mr Ibrahim Nsamba, the secretary general of PNU, yesterday said Prof Bukenya merely declared support for President Museveni in the 2016 presidential elections.
“Prof Gilbert Bukenya is still a member and the leader of PNU. He has only said he will support President Museveni’s candidature. That does not mean that he has gone back to NRM. In any case, he will stand as an Independent in the Busiro North Constituency parliamentary elections,” Mr Nsamba said during a press conference.
Mr Nsamba’s remarks follow reports that Prof Bukenya, who had two weeks ago said Mr Museveni has nothing new to offer to Ugandans and would just exploit them, has made a U-turn and said he would now support Mr Museveni.

Mr Nsamba said Prof Bukenya realised The Democratic Alliance (TDA), which he had joined, would not deliver victory.

Earlier, before Mr Nsamba addressed the media, three members of the pressure group claimed they had replaced Prof Bukenya following reports he had re-joined the NRM.

Mr Robinson Lukwago and Mr Abiya Saali Lwanga (PNU national chairman), who introduced themselves as members of the PNU National Executive Committee, said they had picked Mr Christopher Ssenyimba to be interim president of the pressure group. Mr Ssenyimba said if Prof Bukenya does not give a convincing reason for his re-joining the NRM, “we shall expel him”.

Mr Nsamba dismissed the “new” president and his colleagues as “masqueraders”.
Prof Bukenya was expected to address the same press conference but he did not showed up.