By Aggrey Baba
National Unity Platform (NUP) leader, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has directed the party’s Deputy President, H.E. Jolly Tukamushaba, to lead an independent investigation into reports of manipulation in the ongoing internal vetting and harmonization process.
Kyagulanyi made the remarks during a recent press conference held in Kavule, where he addressed what he described as a string of coordinated attacks on the opposition, growing political repression, and worrying developments within his own party.
Without naming individuals, Kyagulanyi said the party leadership had received complaints suggesting that some leaders may be interfering with the work of the NUP Elections Management Committee, which is currently handling internal processes to select candidates ahead of the 2026 general elections.
He said the party is taking the allegations seriously, noting that any attempts to compromise internal democratic processes would not be tolerated.
To end this, Kyagulanyi announced that a probe led by his Tukamushaba has been set up to look into the claims. The inquiry will gather submissions from concerned party members and supporters, and issue recommendations to guide possible disciplinary or administrative action.
“We encourage all concerned citizens and Party members with relevant information to present it to the Committee for appropriate redress,” Kyagulanyi said.
The NUP president also used the same platform to comment on recent security concerns and media reports linking sections of security forces (including senior army officers) to alleged involvement in staging fake bomb threats and acts of terrorism.
Kyagulanyi said such reports only confirm long-held suspicions by opposition groups that the regime has often used fabricated or exaggerated threats as a cover to justify crackdowns on dissenting voices, particularly in Kampala.
He pointed out that many NUP supporters remain in detention in Luzira and Kitalya prisons on trumped-up charges of terrorism and illegal possession of firearms. He claimed their only offence was standing on the side of truth and justice.
According to Kyagulanyi, the regime’s own admissions have now vindicated NUP’s long-standing position that the state is behind some of the so-called security threats used to stifle political competition.
He also addressed the plight of Kampala’s urban poor, particularly youth in ghetto communities, who he said are often manipulated with small handouts to act as tools for political propaganda and violence.
The NUP president pointed to incidents during Museveni’s recent nomination under the NRM, where several youths were allegedly given yellow T-shirts and as little as UGX 10,000 to escort the incumbent. He said these same youth were later arrested and blamed for violence and theft that followed the event.
“Once again, the regime’s pattern is clear: use and discard,” Kyagulanyi said, accusing the NRM government of sacrificing vulnerable citizens to deflect from its own orchestrated chaos.
The press conference comes at a time of heightened political tension and internal competition within the opposition, especially in urban constituencies like Kawempe South, Makindye, and Lubaga, where multiple candidates have expressed interest in carrying the NUP flag.
Party insiders say the vetting and harmonization process has sparked intense lobbying and growing concern about fairness and transparency.
Kyagulanyi’s call for an independent probe is seen as an attempt to restore confidence in the party’s internal electoral systems as it prepares for 2026.
The NUP leader has urged unity and vigilance, both within the party and across the broader opposition, warning that infiltration and political manipulation remain key threats to genuine democratic change. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
