The National Unity Platform’s (NUP) stunt of feigning illness in order to gain sympathy from Ugandans and party funders has been revealed when they accused Muhammad Ssegirinya of fabricating illness in the Netherlands and refused to cover his medical bills.
According to NUP members, Ssegirinya was faking the sickness, something every NUP member is taught to do after undergoing training, and that is the reason they never sent him funds. They thought it was business as usual, but this didn’t turn out to be the case, causing a rift in the party.
MP Muhammad Ssegirinya recently returned from the Netherlands, where he was receiving treatment for skin cancer and gastrointestinal complications, among other ailments. While addressing the press at Entebbe International Airport on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, he broke down in tears, condemning the insensitive remarks made about his sickness by top NUP officials.
He stated that party members led by NUP deputy spokesperson Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro alleged that he faked his sickness to seek cheap popularity. These accusations, according to Ssegirinya, disheartened him because Mufumbiro was audacious enough to make them public and he had previously heard them from prominent NUP members.
This follows remarks made by Mufumbiro a few weeks ago, attacking Ssegirinya in a one-hour live stream for feigning sickness.
“You went to the airport walking by yourself, not in a wheelchair. You took an 8-hour flight, but it was only when you got to the hospital that, for some reason, you deteriorated,” Mufumbiro said.
Following this, the Kawempe North MP made a declaration that NUP members, led by Mufumbiro, must never be allowed at his funeral if his demise comes.
“I am sending this message to my mother, NUP members who claimed that I faked my illness must never come to my funeral because they mocked me while I was dying,” Ssegirinya said.
The squabbles between Ssegirinya and Mufumbiro did not sit well with party members close to Ssegirinya, who called for a private meeting to resolve the issues.
A source who attended the private meeting stated that Allan Ssewanyana, who chaired the meeting, expressed his disappointment at his bosses and party members, whom he claimed occasionally made fun of his close associate.
However, the NUP members under Mufumbiro’s leadership defended themselves.
According to the source who wished to remain anonymous, Mufumbiro and others claimed that they did not think Ssegirinya was ill because everyone in the party goes through a one-month training session on how to fake illness in order to win sympathy from Ugandans, people in the Diaspora, and foreign donors.
“All of us seated in this room have undergone training from our leaders on how to attract sympathy from our target audience by feigning situations. So we thought and still think it is one of those situations,” Mufumbiro said.
During the meeting, Mufumbiro also confessed to having attacked Segirinya because he was seeking help from Kampala MP Muhammad Nsereko for his medical bills, something that made NUP look weak and like they had neglected him.
“We all know that each one of us has pulled a stunt, but it was for the party’s interest and not personal gain,” Mufumbiro said.
The country has witnessed top NUP members gain sympathy by acting like victims, but according to the source, it is all an act.
“Look back and see in 2018, when party president Kyagulanyi claimed he was tortured in prison when he was arrested for disorganizing a by-election in Arua. He claimed he could only use clutches because his leg was broken. However, we all saw him putting on timberland shoes, something that is impossible for someone with a broken leg,” the source stated.
According to sources, faking sickness has been a stunt NUP members like Zaake Francis, Joel Ssenyonyi, and others have perfected. Many of them have been seen with clutches, claiming they are fractured, but within a few days, they are seen moving properly without any assistance.
Ssegirinya is currently recovering from Kawempe and is expected to address NUP leadership about the allegations soon.
