NUP councillors defy party, attend Museveni meeting

At least 56 out of the 85 National Unity Platform (NUP) councillors in Wakiso District have defied the party position to attend a two-week leadership training called by President Museveni.

The NUP councillors had at first met at the party headquarters in Kamwokya, Kampala at the weekend and agreed to turn down the invitation to the meeting that started on Tuesday at Garuga Resort Beach in Entebbe.

The training that is under the direct supervision of the Office of the President, is expected to be closed by President Museveni after two weeks.

Party leaders in Kamwokya yesterday said they had confirmed only 35 councillors but were yet to ascertain the total number who had turned up for the meeting.

Mr Nasif Najja, the Wakiso District speaker, said the party position was that the councillors turn down the meeting but the members took individual decisions and they will soon hold a meeting to agree on a final decision to take against the members whom they called errant.

“They are mature and we can’t do anything. There was not enough information about this meeting.  I don’t need to give them consent for them to attend the meeting but the organisers didn’t inform me and the party position was that members do not attend the meeting,” Mr Najja said in an interview.

Wakiso District has 102 district councillors, of whom 85 belong to NUP. National Resistance Movement has12 councillors and Democratic Party five.

Sources close to the goings-on in the meeting told this newspaper that the NUP councillors were wooed with Shs3m before they went and were promised at least Shs10m each.

Purpose of meeting

The training, according to sources is to teach the councillors the NRM doctrine and strategies on how the next elections across the central region would be conducted.

“There are many things happening there and President Museveni is the one who called for it. There is a suggestion that the plan is to have councillors elect the president of the country and this is part of the plan to prepare them,” the source said on Wednesday.

Daily Monitor could not independently verify these claims by press time.

Ms Justine Mbabazi, the Wakiso resident district commissioner, said the training of the councillors is good as it is aimed at equipping them with leadership skills.

“I am very happy to inform you that at least 90 percent of the Wakiso District councillors have reported for the leadership training in Garuga and are ready to learn and I encourage them to listen and learn more from elders,” Ms Mbabazi said.

On Saturday last week, more than 20 NUP councillors addressed the press at Kamwokya, indicating that the training was meant to derail the party leadership and also buy some members into the NRM party. Yesterday, NUP leaders at the secretariat said they were surprised by the sudden U-turn by the leaders of Wakiso to attend the meeting.   

Mr Matia Lwanga Bwanika, the Wakiso District chairperson, said the district follows its own programme.

“Those people are mature and they can do what they want and another thing, all my executive members remained behind and if I need them, we can have meetings and we serve our people. The problem is with the council members because some of them are not there but all these actions from the President’s office affect the work of the district,” Mr Bwanika said.

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