By Sarah Mazirwe – Kampala, Uganda, Friday September 18, 2020.
Moses Nkonge Kibalama, a Ugandan politician in a twist of events has turned against Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu, aka Bobi Wine asking back his party, which Bobi Wine heads.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, Kibalama wants his party back from Bobi Wine’s team and regrets transferring it to Bobi Wine.
In July, Bobi Wine under his then pressure group took the political scene by surprise when he unveiled a registered political party – National Unity Platform (NUP).
Bobi Wine bought National Unity Reconciliation and Development Party (NURP) from Kibalama and changed it to NUP, reports say.
Kibalama founded NURP in 2004 to challenge Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni in the 2006 presidential polls, National Telegraph can confirm.
Kibalama however claims the terms of agreement with Bobi Wine’s team has not been honoured.
Among them included being rewarded with top political positions in the party which has not been realised. Others included undocumented claims of giving them licences of export-import Bank Uganda Limited, city free trade and an offer of Shs18.8M ($5m) for transfer of the party.
“Ofcourse when someone turns up with an offer as a good as $5m, anybody would go with it, that’s how we fell into the trap. It was a good promise and we hoped so but since we had not worked with his group, we didn’t know them until we got closer and saw for ourselves,” Kibalama lamented.
However, while speaking at the launch of the NUP at the party headquarters in Kampala in July 2020, Kibalama said they resolved to change the name from NURP to NUP.
He also said he handed over 25,000 registered members to Bobi Wine to drive change in 2021.
“I know Bobi Wine is one of the leaders that can protect the values that we as a party stand for. He is the leader of the new era and I trust that he can change the government,” Kibalama said as the launch of the party in July.
NUP leader, Bobi Wine has refuted the claims, saying their party is legally existing but only referred to Kibalama as a crook.
“My assurance to all supporters and members is that NUP exist legally and firmly. We are in advanced stages of candidate selection and other party activities. There is no number of machinations and gimmicks which will save Gen Museveni from inevitable and imminent fall,” NUP responded.
Since its inception in 2018, Bobi Wine has been running it as a pressure group dubbed People Power. However, it has always been criticised by opposition political actors referring to it as a school with students without an examination centre, hence not suitable for coalition.
This prompted Bobi Wine to have his pressure group registered hence the name National Unity Platform, which he is heading as flagbearer to battle President Museveni in 2021 general polls
