The National Unity Platform (NUP), Uganda’s leading opposition party, is facing serious internal backlash in Greater Masaka as its local leaders accuse the party of corruption, poor leadership, and betrayal of loyal supporters.
What was meant to be a simple vetting process for local government aspirants has now turned into a political crisis, exposing deep cracks within the party structure and raising serious doubts about NUP’s readiness for the 2026 elections?
According to a source close to NUP in Masaka, Deogratius Bwanika, the party’s aspirant for Kibinge Sub-County Chairperson, found himself at the center of controversy on Thursday, August 14, 2025, when he publicly denounced the vetting committee during a media briefing in Masaka, accusing it of awarding party tickets to wealthy individuals lacking grassroots support, many of whom are not even registered NUP members.
“They’re picking people based on how much money they have, not on loyalty to the party or connection to the people,” Bwanika told our sources.
He accuses the vetting committee of taking bribes and pushing out long-serving NUP foot soldiers in favor of opportunists and even sympathizers from rival political parties.
According to Bwanika and other concerned mobilizers, the vetting team based at Bwaala Social Centre in Masaka has been working in panic mode due to the Electoral Commission’s shortened deadlines but that’s no excuse for the alleged corruption.
One local coordinator, who asked not to be named, said: “Some of the people who got tickets were recently seen at National Resistance Movement (NRM) and Democratic Party (DP) rallies. Now they’re suddenly ‘NUP candidates’? What is this real is NUP real on struggle.”
This chaos in Masaka has triggered fresh criticism of Bobi Wine’s leadership, with party insiders claiming that he has failed to establish strong internal structures outside Kampala.
NUP’s earlier vetting in the capital took several months but still led to controversy and contested outcomes. In Masaka, those same mistakes are now being repeated, but under even more pressure and with greater public backlash.
Political observers say this is a dangerous sign for a party that claims to stand for transparency and change.
With the 2026 general elections drawing closer, many political analysts are now asking: Is NUP prepared to run a credible national campaign, or will it collapse under the weight of its own internal confusion?
While parties like the NRM and Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) are quietly building solid grassroots networks, NUP seems entangled in internal power struggles and poor coordination.
What’s happening in Masaka is not just a local issue it’s a reflection of bigger problems within the National Unity Platform.
If loyal members are ignored, party tickets are sold, and non-members are favored, NUP risks losing trust not just in Masaka, but across the country.
The public is watching. And unless Bobi Wine, the leader of NUP and his team take urgent action to fix these internal messes, 2026 may become NUP’s biggest political disappointment.
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