Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has been re-elected unopposed as President of the National Unity Platform (NUP) for another five-year term. The swearing-in ceremony took place at the NUP Leadership School in Kamwokya during the party’s first national delegates’ conference under Kyagulanyi’s leadership.
In his post-swearing-in remarks, Kyagulanyi expressed gratitude to all participants and acknowledged the challenges faced in organizing the conference. “Until the last minute, we were unsure whether this delegates’ conference would even take place due to the hostile environment we operate in,” he said. “But we made it. We’ve reconstituted our national executive committee, and we’re ready for the work ahead.”
He applauded both the elected and the contenders for their participation. “Nobody is a loser in the National Unity Platform,” Kyagulanyi emphasized. He urged newly elected leaders to focus on advocating for better governance and preparing for the upcoming general elections. “Let’s go to work—we have a massive election ahead of us. And by the grace of God, we shall win.”
One of the key outcomes of the conference was the re-election of David Lewis Rubongoya as Secretary General, also unopposed. Meanwhile, Joel Ssenyonyi retained his role as party spokesperson after defeating Makindye West MP Allan Ssewanyana.
Speaking to the press, Ssenyonyi criticized the continued harassment of NUP members by security forces, despite being a legally registered political party. “We’ll continue urging our people to maintain peace, but even peace has its limits,” he warned. “We are writing a protest letter to the relevant security agencies to demand accountability.”
The internal election also saw Frank Kabuye, MP for Kassanda South, replace Francis Zaake as Secretary for Youth, and Akiso Benjamin take over from David Musiri as Head of Institutions.
Despite the smooth election process, questions linger regarding the transparency of the delegates’ conference. The total number of delegates and the criteria used to select them remain unclear. According to Ssenyonyi, the NUP constitution permits 127 delegates, though he did not elaborate on their selection process.