NUP's Ssemboga insists on running as independent in Kawempe South

Dropped National Unity Platform (NUP) aspirant in the Kawempe South Member of Parliament race, Roy Ssemboga has insisted that he will run as an independent in the forthcoming 2021 general election.

Ssemboga lost the battle for the Kawempe South MP NUP flag to journalist Bashir Kazibwe, but he has said that although he respects the party's decision, his conscious tells him that this is his time.

Ssemboga made these remarks in a long post on his Facebook page.

Ssemboga said: "There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor political nor popular, but he must take it because his conscious tells him it is right."

"It is at this juncture that I would like to let the country know and the people of Kawempe South that I will be running for the position of Member of Parliament for Kawempe South in 2021 to 2026," Ssemboga added.

Ssemboga said that as a high ranking member if the executive of NUP, he will continue executing his duties in the party and will support all other party activities especially the NUP principal, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine.

Ssemboga has now joined a growing list of candidates who have been dropped in NUP only to announce bids to run as independent candidates.

Joel Ssenyonyi, the NUP party spokesperson on Friday said that NUP would prefer having dropped candidates supporting their selected counterparts because running as independents would divide their votes.

Although undesirable, Ssenyonyi said that NUP has no right to stop the dropped candidates from running as independents because it is their constitutional right.