The National Unity Platform (NUP) has officially dropped Mukono District LC5 Chairperson Rev. Peter Bakaluba Mukasa in favor of Johnson Muyanja Ssenyonga as the party’s flag bearer for the forthcoming district chairperson race.
The announcement was made during a rally in Mukono by NUP Deputy Party President for the Buganda region, Muwanga Kivumbi.
He revealed that the party had successfully convinced Muyanja Ssenyonga to step back from his earlier ambition to contest for the Mukono South parliamentary seat, paving the way for him to vie for the district chairperson position.
“We have been in intense discussions with Ssenyonga, and it was not a simple task to convince him to withdraw from Mukono South in favor of the energetic and vibrant youth in the race,” Kivumbi said.
The Mukono South race has so far attracted youthful aspirants, including Robert Maseruka, the former guild president of Makerere University.
Although Ssenyonga’s shift to the LC5 race was a tough decision, he publicly pledged loyalty to the party and promised to transform Mukono into a model district if elected.
Rev. Bakaluba’s fallout with NUP leadership reportedly stems from his defiance during the formation of the district service commission, where he is said to have ignored the advice of party president Robert Kyagulanyi.
Earlier, he also sparked discontent within NUP when he selected his deputy chairperson from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
Party insiders further accuse Rev. Bakaluba of covertly supporting NRM candidates during their recent primaries, casting doubts on his loyalty.
Efforts to get his comment on the latest developments were unsuccessful by press time.
Once Ssenyonga formally submits his nomination papers at the party headquarters, he will become the third contender for the NUP flag, joining Rev. Bakaluba and Steven Gganzi Musoke.
The winner of the party primaries will face off against NRM’s Francis Lukooya Mukoome and any potential independent candidates in the general election.
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