Abed Bwanika, the Kimanya-Kabonera County Member of Parliament (MP) and member of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), has vowed to leave his party in response to European and American praise for his party leaders’ defence and promotion of LGBTQ rights.
Bwanika, who was speaking during a televised political talk show at a local media house on Thursday night, May 16, 2024, said that he is on the verge of quitting NUP if the party leadership doesn’t come clear on their stance on the LGBTQ question.
His plight comes in light of the UK Parliament’s praise for the NUP’s spokesperson, who doubles as the Leader of Opposition (LOP) in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, whom they referred to as a brave young leader defending the rights of LGBTQ people in Uganda amidst alleged persecution.
In March 2023, a European Union Parliament official posted on X praising NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi for his continued fight and promotion of gay rights in Uganda and Africa at large.
Bwanika says the leaders have always made their comments about their stance in Luganda to hoodwink Ugandans in communications that are not clearly picked by their foreign funders, who are always commending them for their support of gay rights.
He adds that in addition to the letter he wrote to the party’s vice president, John Baptist Nambeshe, demanding that he convene a meeting for the party to clearly state its stance on LGBTQ, he intends to write similar letters to Ssenyonyi and Kyagulanyi, demanding they clearly state their stance in English. He stated that failure to heed his demands will see him and many others who value African culture and beliefs exit NUP.
Bwanika’s testing demands are putting NUP between a rock and a hard place since, whichever stand the party takes, it will imply losing the financial muscle from the gay community or popular support from the religious locals.