The National Unity Platform-NUP party has opted out of the forthcoming Adjumani West by-election, throwing its support behind independent candidate Tanru Pasi-Patrick. The NUP secretary general, David Lewis Rubongoya, made the announcement Thursday at the party headquarters in Kampala, saying the decision follows engagements with other opposition forces and Pasi-Patrick’s previous electoral performance.
Rubongoya said Pasi-Patrick, who previously contested the election on an FDC ticket, had won the previous election “by many standards” but was denied victory.
The Adjmuni West parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of the former Deputy Prime Minister, Gen. Moses Ali, who represented the area. The party also renewed its criticism of the Government’s handling of political prisoners, with Rubongoya claiming that several NUP supporters remain incarcerated without justification.
He said NUP officials visited several prisons on Wednesday, including Luzira, Kampala Remand Home, the Women’s Prison and Kigo Prison, where he said they found numerous political prisoners. Rubongoya said some of the detainees have spent years in prison over what he described as questionable allegations. He also said several people arrested during the recent Local Council elections remain in detention on what he called “ridiculous offences.”
Rubongoya appealed to Ugandans to support political prisoners by visiting them, supporting their families and demanding their release. He also praised NUP supporters in the diaspora for raising funds to assist former political prisoners and their families.
Rubongoya also questioned what he described as conflicting positions by Government agencies over criminal cases allegedly pending against NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, commonly known as Bobi Wine. He said the Government has repeatedly maintained that there are no cases against Kyagulanyi, yet NUP lawyers allegedly continue to discover files against him when they appear in different courts.
He said the cases allegedly relate to offences including campaigning outside permitted hours, defamation and incitement to violence. Rubongoya said NUP lawyers have written to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), seeking clarification on whether investigations or cases are pending against Kyagulanyi.
He said the party was prepared to subject its president to legitimate accountability but argued that prosecution should not be selective. “If there is any legitimate case, our President cannot run away from accountability,” he said, while describing the cases as political persecution.
Rubongoya also demanded investigations into alleged violence against NUP supporters during the elections, including an alleged raid on Kyagulanyi’s home and attacks against opposition supporters. He questioned why alleged offences committed against NUP supporters had not received the same attention as the cases reportedly being pursued against Kyagulanyi.
“We want there to be justice,” Rubongoya said, calling on authorities to investigate alleged killings, assaults and other abuses committed during the election period. The NUP secretary general said the party would continue pressing for accountability for both opposition supporters and security personnel accused of violating their rights-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
