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Police approve Masaka Recreation Grounds as venue for NUP tour
NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi addressing a rally at Ntaawo playground in Mukono Municipality on May 29,2024. PHOTO/DIPHAS KIGULI
What you need to know:
- Ms Alice Nanungi, a Masaka City councilor representing Nyendo Ward and one of the main organizers of Friday rally, said the three legislators who have disagreements with the party are expected to be in attendance.
Police have cleared Masaka Recreation Centre as the venue for the National Unity Platform (NUP) moblisation rally slated for May 31.
This comes at a time when there was fear among NUP leaders and supporters in the area about police rejecting the venue as was the case in Mukono Town on May 29 where NUP leaders were forced to take their main rally to Ntaawo playground, outside the town instead of the planned Njogezi playground.
NUP leaders had at first chosen Masaka Liberation Square as the venue.
According to Mr Twaha Kasirye , the southern regional police spokesperson, NUP activities will go as planned provided “the organisers strictly follow the guidelines issued to them”.
“NUP leaders are free to go ahead with their rally so long as they follow traffic rules and other guidelines whenever they will pass as they head to Masaka City .We don’t expect processions in the busy city centre and we have made necessary deployments to ensure safety of all people that will attend the rally and those who will remain in their shops ,working ,” Mr Kasirye said.
NUP leaders in Masaka have expressed readiness to host their party President, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, saying they have mobilised party supporters to turn up for the event by among others, conducting community service, bulungi bwansi by cleaning several parts of the city.
NUP has considerable political support in Masaka sub region and the area is considered as the party’s stronghold. Currently, the majority of leaders at various levels including local councils and parliament subscribe to NUP except a few who have fallen out with the party like Former Leader of Opposition in Parliament and Nyendo-Mukungwe legislator, Mr Mathias Mpuuga, Kimaanya /Kabonera legislator, Dr Abed Bwanika and Bukoto South maverick legislator, Dr Twaha Kagabo among others.
Ms Alice Nanungi, a Masaka City councilor representing Nyendo Ward and one of the main organizers of Friday rally, said the three legislators who have disagreements with the party are expected to be in attendance.
“These [Mpuuga,Bwanika and Kagabo] are party flag bearers and we expect them to be there to welcome our party president,” she said.
Mr Mpuuga has also organized a thanksgiving ceremony at Masaka Diocesan Sports Arena ground in Kitovu on June 21, where Katikkiro Mayiga is expected to be the chief guest. It is at this planned event that Mpuuga is expected to announce his next political move ahead of 2026 general elections after an apparent fallout with Mr Kyagulanyi. It is unclear whether the NUP leadership will attend the fete.
The soar relationship between Mr Kyagulanyi and Mr Mpuuga stems from the controversial Shs500m "service award" the latter received while still serving as Leader of Opposition in Parliament.
Mr Kyagulanyi suspended Mr Mpuuga as NUP vice president, a day after Mr Mayiga had suggested a possible mediated solution to the raging dispute inside NUP, where Mpuuga is accused of corruption.
Although several opinion leaders including religious and cultural leaders in the region have advised the warring parties to amicably settle their grievances, this option is yet to be exploited.
NUP, Uganda’s youngest political party has in the past five months endured political upheavals, including alleged mudslinging and mistrust among some members.
