The battle lines within the National Unity Platform (NUP) in Mukono district have been drawn, with two of the party’s most prominent figures, Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament Betty Nambooze Bakireke and Mukono district LC5 chairperson flag bearer Johnson Senyonga Muyanja, openly disagreeing on how to handle supporters denied party cards during the vetting process.
The NUP, Uganda’s leading opposition party under the leadership of Robert Kyagulanyi also known as Bobi Wine, has been conducting a vetting exercise to select flag bearers ahead of the 2026 general elections.
However, the process has stirred discontent across the country with accusations of bias, bribery, and manipulation by powerful party officials.
In several districts, aspiring candidates who lost in the vetting have either defected to other political platforms or opted to contest as independents.
In Mukono, the disagreement has now escalated into a visible rift between Nambooze and Muyanja who were longtime political allies.
During his post nomination interview on Wednesday, Muyanja implored party members who had been denied the card to put aside their frustrations and rally behind the officially endorsed candidates.
“NUP is a party for unity. If you fall off track, you will fall heavily and may never recover from the fall,” he said.
He urged aspirants who had already printed posters with party symbols to discard them in order to avoid misleading voters, adding that those who nominated out of anger should consider withdrawing for the sake of party harmony.
Nambooze took a different stance. In a recent social media post, she encouraged disappointed aspirants to turn to the people directly, even if that means running as independents.
She argued that grassroots support is more important than what she termed dictates of individuals in power.
Nambooze went further to accuse top district NUP leaders of manipulating the vetting process.
According to her, aspirants were coerced into paying bribes for party cards, only to see weak candidates endorsed as official flag bearers.
She claimed that this was a deliberate strategy by some leaders to weaken council races, giving an easy path to victory for certain MP and mayoral aspirants in 2026.
Though she did not name names directly, Nambooze’s remarks appeared to target Mukono Woman MP Hanifah Nabukeera and mayoral hopeful Robert Peter Kabanda, accusing them of sidelining stronger candidates for selfish political gain.
“It is unfortunate that weak people were handed the flag, leaving voters without real choices,” Nambooze said.
Her sharp criticism reflects wider frustrations across the NUP support base in different regions.
In districts such as Wakiso, Masaka, Mityana, and Jinja, similar complaints have been raised about card allocation.
Party insiders admit that the vetting system, which was intended to minimize internal divisions, has instead fueled mistrust.
In Mukono, voters now find themselves at a crossroads, unsure whether to heed Nambooze’s call for independent action or to follow Muyanja’s plea for unity under the party flag.
Analysts say the clash could split the NUP vote in the district if the two camps fail to reconcile.
Community voices also suggest that the two leaders should harmonize their positions to avoid weakening the party’s chances in 2026.
“When our leaders disagree in public, it confuses us the voters. We need them to sit down and speak with one voice,” said Sarah Namukasa, a resident of Seeta.
For now, Mukono remains on edge as the rift deepens, with the potential to either reshape NUP’s strategy in the district or cost the party dearly in a region it has long considered a stronghold.
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