The only people who will not have primary challengers, the source added, are Kivumbi, Mpuuga and Sseggona who have been working closely with Kyagulanyi. This version was confirmed by another person close to the DP-block.
“They said if Nambooze wants their support, she should consider standing for woman MP for Mukono district because they already have Kagimu who is even bankrolling some of their activities,” a source said.
When asked about the memorandum they signed, Nambooze called it fake news and instead said her going to NUP has nothing to do with her electability.
“In democracies, presidential candidates look for big politicians for endorsement; it’s not the other way round. The stupid thing would be for me to come to Mukono and say ‘vote for me because Bobi Wine wants me. I’m not seeking endorsement from him… But even if my colleagues enter into such an arrangement, I don’t need it because I have done so many things that please my voters,” Nambooze said. Another source told this newspaper that Kyagulanyi is a very happy man now, because he has almost achieved what he wanted; being Dr Kizza Besigye’s replacement as the most prominent opposition politician.
“We want to take over leadership in parliament and use those resources allocated to the office of the Leader of Opposition against Museveni. And you can see if things go according to plan, we are soon becoming the majority opposition party in parliament,” one of the six MPs that first joined NUP said in an interview.
NUP is also eying money from the Electoral Commission, which is given to parties based on their numeric strength in parliament. Of the Shs 10billion, NRM with 310 MPs takes Shs 8 billion, FDC with 37 MPs bags Shs 1 billion, DP with 15 MPs has been getting Shs 400 million, UPC with seven MPs has been getting Shs 190 million while Jeema with one MP gets 28 million every year.
However, if Speaker Rebecca Kadaga’s words are anything to go by, NUP will have to wait to get the cash until this term of office is over. While speaking on CBS radio recently Kadaga said although the law allows MPs to switch sides in the last year of their tenure, they remain part of the party that sponsored them to parliament until the expiry of the term.
BOBI’S METHODS OF WORK
Even after publicly displaying camaraderie, one of the stickiest issues that bother senior politicians in NUP is Kyagulanyi’s method of work.
“He doesn’t trust any of them; he thinks they are out to undermine him. He’s prepared to show them that he’s the boss. If you don’t want to accept him and the young people he’s working with, then leave,” Bobi Wine’s confidant told us.
Little wonder, therefore, that he created a party, appointed deputies without telling his partners in the movement. Like in the formation of NUP, many were surprised when Kyagulanyi announced Mathias Mpuuga as his deputy for Central region, Lina Zedriga for northern, Jolly Mugisha Ekyomugasho for western and John Baptist Nambeshe, the MP for Manjiya, for Eastern region without any of his partner’s knowledge.
It was also telling that Kyagulanyi never gave an opportunity to those that had crossed to his party to say anything. “He said he doesn’t want to share a platform with anybody. He even ordered people like Latif Ssebaggala who had made it a habit to stand next to him while he addressed the press to stop doing so,” our source told us.
When it was his time to speak, he made it clear to all and sundry that in NUP there is no seniority.
“All of us here are equal,” Kyagulanyi said.
