Whereas most people may admire the luxurious lifestyle of the National Unity Platform (NUP) leaders, who have in no time moved from being poor, unemployed ghetto dwellers to owning big cars and mansions in Kampala suburbs, raising funds for the Makerere Kavule-based party hasn’t been an easy task.
NUP, known for its rapid ascent from grassroots activism to a prominent political force in Uganda, has been under the spotlight for the affluent lifestyle of its leaders, which contrasts sharply with their humble beginnings. This lifestyle, critics argue, comes at a high cost, including the need for substantial party funding.
The need to fund the party activities as well as the luxurious lifestyle of its leaders has pushed the party members to do despicable things ranging from taking bribes to supporting the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) agenda.
In early 2024, NUP sent two of its male members of parliament to a gay rights convention in Brussels, Belgium, to woo funders and show the party’s commitment to protecting the rights of sexual minorities.
According to Abed Bwanika, who has come out to expose the party’s long-kept secret after falling out with NUP leadership, two MPs, whose identities remain undisclosed for privacy reasons, attended the convention to secure funding for party activities and potentially their personal expenses. However, Bwanika says, what was intended to be a strategic outreach turned harrowing when the two parliamentarians were sexually harassed by gay men.
In an act of desperation to escape further advances, the MPs reportedly posed as a gay couple themselves and checked into one hotel room, Bwanika reveals.
This maneuver, while ensuring their immediate safety, has raised questions about the lengths to which politicians might go for financial support and the ethical implications thereof.
Political analysts in Uganda have pointed out that this event might not be isolated but could reflect broader challenges within the political fundraising landscape where personal and party interests blur. “The need to maintain a certain image or lifestyle can push individuals into uncomfortable or even compromising situations,” remarked a political commentator, who chose to remain anonymous.
This incident also highlights the complex relationship between political parties and the international community, especially concerning human rights and minority rights agendas. The NUP, which has historically positioned itself against Uganda’s stringent anti-LGBTQ+ laws, finds itself navigating a delicate balance between its domestic stance and international engagements.
