By Mukwaba Katende
Chaos has erupted in National Unity Platform (NUP) after aspirants for Kawempe North by election learn t of the extortion of money by party officials who have decided to put the party ticket on the market for the highest bidder to take it.
According to some of the aspirants who asked their names to be withheld, confirmed to TV1O, that friends and family of the Principal Kyagulanyi, led by his elder brother Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu are extorting money from aspirants.
According to insiders in NUP, Nyanzi asked 400 million from Mr. Alex Luwemba if he wants to be endorsed by party President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu to stand on the NUP ticket and win the election . Sources within the Luwemba’s camp has also confirmed allegations of extortion.Luwemba is the late Mohammed Ssegirinya’s political Assistant.
The position fell vacant after the sudden demise of Muhammed Ssegirinya. The Electoral Commission announced that the by-election for the Kawempe North Constituency, to take place on March 13, 2025.
Insiders in NUP told us that some party leaders sat and agreed before inviting party members to express their interest in the position, to lean more on money and friendship to handpick a flag bearer.
They say money easily attracts support from the top officials in the party for any bid to decide who would be given the party ticket.
Our sources have learn t that one of the aspirants a city lawyer Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola when he got the information rushed to Chairman Nyanzi and offered him a sum of shillings 300 million, if he wins the party ticket. There is also a watsapp conversation between Nalukoola and Nyanzi circulating on social media platform in regards to the same.
In the Conversation, Nyanzi assured Nalukoola that he met with the top leadership in the party and addressed them Nalukoola’s offer and agreed the sum to be 330 millions.
According to the conversation the two were to meet at Kabira Country Club in Bukoto, a Kampala suburb for further discussion.
Efforts to get chairman Nyanzi to clarify on the allegations were futile, his known phone number were not picked up. However, Counsel Nalukoola posted on his x handle formerly known as twitter in disregard of the conversation.
Other aspirants on the NUP ticket are Umar Magala, Muhamood Mutazindwa and Kulya Soul Zziwa. According to people familiar with NUP, party candidates are not chosen through an internal election like most political parties are doing.
NUP has been accused in the past elections for selling tickets to aspirants who offer huge sums of money to party officials instead of selecting candidates based on their potential.
In the last general election in 2021, in Lubaga South, Aloysious Mukasa a close ally to Nyanzi and Bobi Wine is said to had bankrolled NUP to out compete Samuel Lubega Mukaku on the party ticket.
Analysts warns that NUP’s politics of selling party tickets to the highest bidder is an accident in Uganda’s politics.
