Details emerge on how Bobi struck deal for new party

New details indicate that the merger between Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, and the National Unity Platform (NUP) leadership was unveiled prematurely, Daily Monitor has learnt.
According to inside sources, the party that was registered with the Electoral Commission (EC) by Mr Moses Nkonge Kibalama was set for official handover in two weeks’ time but Mr Kyagulanyi and his team were pressured into unveiling it after the idea leaked to State House.

Sources also indicated that the group had to convene a crisis meeting at their base in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb, and at the heart of their agenda, the source says, was making sure the party is announced before the information infiltrated the public.
“The fear was that the owner of the party we were joining could have been bought or compromised by the regime as they have done to many other People Power leaders. We also feared that the party would be targeted by the government to make sure we don’t announce the party at all,” the source said.

On Thursday last week, NUP leaders presented papers of the transfer of the political party into the names of Mr Kyagulanyi and they were relieved that the documents were signed by EC officials, according to sources.
Daily Monitor has also learnt that Mr Kyagulanyi developed the idea in 2018 when he first met Mr Kibalama at a personal level before he told a few core members of People Power.

READ:

• How Bobi secretly bankrolled Kibalama to change party name

  

  Central to the move of registering the party was to get a harmonised symbol for all candidates using the movement

• How Bobi Wine, NUP deal was negotiated

  

  In the negotiations, NUP party was represented by Mr Kibalama, their president, Mr Paul Simbwa, the secretary general, Ms Lillian Odinga, the publicity secretary, and Mr Edward Seremba

During the People Power and NUP meeting on July 14, they elected Mr Kyagulanyi as president of the party, Ms Joel Senyonyi as spokesperson, Mr Lewis Rubongoya as secretary general and Ms Flavia Kalule to head the female wing. After the meeting, the next step for the political party was to begin entering into different memoranda of understanding (MoU) with other political parties and individuals to form an alliance.
Some of the parties that have been in the process for an alliance include the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) led by Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, Jeema party led by Mr Asuman Basalirwa. Others are NUP secretary general Paul Ssimbwa and Democratic Party bloc members including Busiro MP Medard Ssegona, Masaka Municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga and Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi.
The other individuals include Kasanda County MP Patrick Nsamba and Manjiya County MP John Baptist Nambeshe.

Mr Ssegona yesterday confirmed that they have been in talks with People Power and NUP but declined to divulge details and subject of their discussions.
“We have been talking and these are all semantics. What we want is unity and strength but we have not yet concretised on many things and once we do I will call you and inform you,” he said in an interview.

Mr Basalirwa told Daily Monitor last evening that they are now free to operate with Mr Kyagulanyi after the new political party.
“We continue to talk as we have been talking. It is very good that he has formed a new party and this eases our work with him. A pressure group is not bound by the Political Parties and Organisations Act. This move is good and a big congratulation,” he said.