UPC hits back at NUP over colour row

BY RICHARD OYEL

Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) has laughed at National Unity Platform (NUP) over its current predicament regarding the use of colour Red in the campaigns for the 2021 elections.

At a press conference, UPC spokesperson Sharon Arach Ayat advised NUP to carry its cross and deal with its colour problem with the Independent Electoral Commission which regulates political party activity.

A condescending Arach has advised that the UPC is not aggrieved because they are not the ones that the EC is barring from using the colour.

The UPC, according to Arach cannot go to court because they are not the ones EC is telling to stop using the Red colour.

“We are not aggrieved because we have use of our colour,” Arach told Nile Post, explaining that if NUP feels aggrieved with EC over the colour.

She maintained that the matter is between EC and NUP, and advised Robert Kyagulanyi, the NUP president, to follow the guidelines as given by the commission regarding the symbols, colours and slogans that political parties may use for electoral purposes.

Kyagulanyi has tried to downplay the matter, indicating that they will go ahead and continue using the red colour.

But the EC has remained firm that no party shall use the registered dominant colour of another party. Red is the registered dominant colour of UPC.

EC chairman Justice Simon Byabakama has explicitly spelt out that the commission specifically turned down NUP’s application to adopt Red as its colour on grounds that it was already being used by another party.

“We accepted the request to change the name of the party but declined the request to change the colours from those of the old party,” Byabakama said.

This now puts the NUP on collision course with the EC and not the UPC.

UPC Workers’ leader Michael Orach Osinde further clarified that Blue which is part of UPC’s colours, is being used by FDC as its dominant colour without raising dust because it is not the UPC’s dominant colour.