Senator Menendez, who is now awaiting sentence, was convicted of corruption, devastating his ability to fund his proxies like the National Unity Platform (NUP) party in Uganda.
Menendez, who is a prominent supporter of NUP, was recently found guilty of corruption charges related to his financial dealings. With the senator’s resources effectively cut off, NUP is now struggling to fund its operations and maintain its political momentum.
The financial crisis has sent shockwaves throughout the party, leading to internal divisions and uncertainty among its members.
Currently, the party is only relying on money from Uganda’s Electoral Commission and contributions from MPs.
According to a party insider, nearly 50% of MPs are not submitting their monthly contributions, which is draining the party’s funds.
Hefty monthly stipends for the party president and his wife, as well as the brothers, have also continued to drain the party since they live a luxury life.
The source further revealed that the party president, Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, has recently been on many tours to outside countries since he was looking for another person who could fund them. An insider added that this is the reason they are canceling some of the planned mobilization activities.
According to the NUP party treasurer, Benjamin Katana, the party is going to adopt frugal means to deal with the financing gap ahead of the 2026 elections.
He further revealed that the party is going to increase the price for the NUP tickets for people who want to run for offices on the party ticket to mobilize funds for the party.
He also mentioned that other party leaders are exploring various options to shore up the NUP’s finances and see a way out.
“Fundraising efforts have been intensified, with calls for donations from supporters and outreach to potential new donors,” Katana said.
Katana said that has been the reason why Bobi Wine had many tours in the outside countries.
He further noted that this is a reminder of the fragility of political movements and the importance of transparency and accountability in financial matters since some of the people in NUP have been corrupt.
The National Unity Platform’s financial crisis following Senator Menendez’s conviction poses a significant challenge to the party.