The Busiro East Member of Parliament, Medard Ssegona, has dismissed National Unity Platform (NUP) grassroot mobilizers, commonly known as foot soldiers, stating that they have no influence in the party’s decision-making processes.
Ssegona’s remarks came in response to growing demands from foot soldiers opposing his potential nomination as NUP flag bearer for the Busiro East parliamentary seat in the 2026 elections, due to his close ties with the embattled former Leader of the Opposition and NUP’s deputy president for the Buganda region, Mathias Mpuuga.
Speaking on a local television station earlier today, July 28, 2025, Ssegona downplayed the concerns raised by the foot soldiers, especially on social media, insisting that their opinions hold no weight in NUP’s administrative affairs.
“Those foot soldiers can shout all they want, but the truth is they don’t know anything about politics, and their opinion does not matter in any way,” Ssegona said.
Ssegona’s remarks come as NUP’s Election Management Committee begins the vetting of aspirants for various positions, including local council and parliamentary seats, starting today, July 28, 2025, at the party headquarters in Makerere-Kavule.
Sources within NUP suggest that Ssegona’s loyalty to party president Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, has been questioned, raising speculation that he may be denied a party flag. His association with Mpuuga, who was chased from the party over alleged misconduct, has further strained his standing within NUP.
Political analysts warn that Ssegona should be concerned about foot soldiers attacks, noting they are always sanctioned and coordinated by the party’s top leadership. They argue that he should take such coordinated attacks as a warning that he no longer has a place in NUP.
“When you see the ‘foot soldiers’ all chanting the same tune and targeting a specific individual, especially around a critical period like vetting, it’s rarely organic; it’s a carefully orchestrated message from higher up. Ssegona’s dismissal of it only shows he might be misreading the writing on the wall,” stated Angelo Izama, a political commentator and analyst.
Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Abed Bwanika, a former member of NUP, stated that “I know firsthand how these ‘foot soldier’ chants can start as mere online noise and quickly escalate into something sanctioned, signalling your ultimate sidelining by the party leadership.”
Bwanika, drawing from his own experiences within the NUP, added that “Ssegona should be worried indeed that this isn’t just a random outburst from a few individuals; it’s a clear indication that he might already be considered useless.”
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