Non-Baganda National Unity Platform (NUP) delegates and supporters stormed out of the Kunga Annual Convention in a rage after being neglected and excluded from the entire event. This took place at the new NUP Headquarters in Makerere kavule Thursday 23rd February afternoon.
Delegates from East and Northern Uganda were especially dissatisfied with the party leaders for making all important communications in Luganda, denying them a translator for those who did not understand Luganda.
According to sources at the convention, several pleas by the delegates for a translator fell on deaf ears as all the speakers including the party president, party spokesperson and chairman adamantly insisted on speaking in Luganda leaving all the non Baganda enthusiasts feeling out place.
“It was as if they were addressing only the Baganda because at first we were bored and later felt insulted after we were not even recognized,” said one of the delegates.
Sources state that NUP leadership sent invitations to representatives from all regions in a bid to launch Regional Kunga Convention chapters of the party.
“We were invited to come but we were ignored during the whole function. There was supposed to be a launch of the different regional NUP chapters but we left without that happening seeing as we were never called upon or maybe they called us and we didn’t understand them,” a source stated.
According to sources in the party, NUP has been constantly accused of being a “Buganda only” party basing their major emphasis on only the central region comprising majorly of Baganda.
“As you can see the leadership in NUP is comprised of mostly Baganda, some of us from Eastern Uganda are seen as outsiders and treated like invaders,’’ Opus, a member of NUP Eastern region stated.
Opus continues to state that Buganda Kingdom encourages this behavior which is dangerous for a party that is supposed to be for all.
“The Katikiro of Buganda Kingdom Peter Mayiga who is a personal friend and supporter of Kyagulanyi has come out to advocate for the compulsory use of Luganda in schools and functions. I think they used Luganda to appease him and follow his instructions,” Opus continued.
The recent closed-door meeting at Buganda Kingdom offices Bulange Mengo early last month between Mathias Mpuuga and the Party president Robert Kyagulany orchestrated by the katikiro has also cemented the claims that NUP is a Baganda only party.
It should also be remembered that recently the NUP leadership has not been at good terms with the Eastern region chapter which prompted Kamwokya based leaders to suspend them from the party without a hearing.
Political Analysits have also backed the “Buganda based party” accusations alluding that since the 2021 general elections, the party has either lost or failed to front a candidate in all major by elections in Kayunga, Soroti, Omoro and the recently concluded Serere.
