A section of Members of Parliament (MP) from the National Unity Platform (NUP), led by Kimanya Kabonera County representative Abed Bwanika, have called on their party leadership to present to them the accountability of the party funds since it has never been available to members since the day of establishment.
Bwanika, who was speaking on behalf of his aggrieved colleagues on March 24, 2024, at a local TV station, pointed out the issue of accountability in NUP, saying that it has for long been neglected yet the party receives a lot of tax payer’s money that needs to be accounted for, let alone the monthly remittances by members and donations from the LGBTQ community.
“I want to raise accountability issues. NUP received UGX 4.1 billion from the government last year. I contribute up to UGX 13 million to NUP every year, and we receive money from abroad. We need accountability for these funds,” Bwanika noted.
The demand for accountability comes against the backdrop of alleged embezzlement of party funds by its president, Robert Kyagulanyi, who is being accused of paying a hefty monthly salary to his wife from the party’s coffers and spending extravagantly on luxurious foreign trips that are not sanctioned by the party, among other unthrifty activities that are not sanctioned by the party.
Additionally, top leaders in the NUP, including party spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi and deputy president for Buganda Mathias Mpuuga, have been implicated in corruption scandals in parliament, which has caused the Bwanika-led sect to raise suspicions about the safety of party funds.
Bwanika also questioned Kyagulanyi’s approach of advancing NUP’s quest for power by concentrating on traveling abroad to promote movies and music instead of focusing on on-ground mobilization. “There hasn’t been a term where Museveni has felt as comfortable as now; those supposed to oppose him are visitors to Uganda. They are always on a plane leaving the country,” Bwanika said.
However, he affirmed that he won’t be leaving NUP since it is his brainchild, but he will keep pushing for answers to his accountability question.
The unthrifty activities of the NUP, including the alleged embezzlement of party funds and extravagant spending, can have severe consequences for the party. It not only undermines the trust and confidence of party members and supporters, but it also tarnishes the party’s reputation and credibility in the eyes of the public.
