Kibalama ends ties with Bobi Wine; to appoint new NUP leadership

Moses Nkonge Kibalama, the founding president of the National Unity, Reconciliation and Development Party (NURP) which later metamorphosed into the National Unity Platform(NUP) has written to the Electoral Commission notifying them of his move to dissolve the party leadership after parting ways with Robert Kyagulanyi also known as Bobi Wine.

Kibalama in 2020 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the People Power Movement leadership led by Kyagulanyi in which he handed over the party to them and consequently the latter was appointed the NUP leader.

However, in a July 22, 2021 letter to the Electoral Commission chairman, Kibalama says that whereas he has written to the NUP leadership over including his members in the NUP leadership, his pleas have fell on deaf ears.

He consequently says the only option he has been left with is ending ties with Kyagulanyi and his group.

“We wish to bring it to your attention that all our clients’ efforts to resolve the impasse with the Leadership of the People Power Movement in the terms of the 11th July 2020 Memorandum of Understanding were futile and on the premises therefore, the impugned Memorandum of Understanding stands rescinded,”Kibalama says through his lawyers of MS Mugabi Shyaka & CO. Advocates.

New leadership

The former police officer during Obote’s government has also notified the Electoral Commission of his impending move to get new leadership for the party after ending ties with Robert Kyagulanyi.

“Our clients seek your permission to constitute an interim leadership of the National Unity Platform to among other things, steer the National Unity Platform Party forward and organize a delegates conference to elect the new leadership.”

Consequently, Kibalama has put the Electoral Commission on notice that Kyagulanyi and all the other NUP leaders are eligible to hold the same positions.

“We also wish to put your Lordship to further notice that Hon. Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert, Mr. Lewis David Rubongoya and all other persons initially holding positions in National Unity Platform Party have with immediate effect ceased to hold all their respective positions in the Party and are not authorized to act or purport to act on behalf of the National Unity Platform Party.”

In the same vein, Kibalama says he has learnt of plans to amend the NUP party constitution by Kyagulanyi’s group but he says the same is illegal and should not be allowed to happen.

“We have instructions to implore the Electoral Commission NOT to approve of the Application to change, alter or amend the constitution and or gazette or cause to be published in the gazette any notice of the intended change, amendment or alteration of the National Unity Platform Constitution in terms of S. 11 of the Political Parties and Organizations Act 2005,”Kibalama’s lawyers say.

Earlier this month, the NUP spokesperson, Joel Ssenyonyi said he was not aware of the MOU that Kibalama was referring to.

“How could we enter an MoU like that one that says that after a year we are going to review? That’s not how things operate. We want to follow the party constitution and the law as it is,” Ssenyonyi said.

He however dismissed claims that there is no longer communication between the National Unity Platform and the party founders including Kibalama.

“That’s how we have been trying to visit and sending the little support(to Kibalama) through Ssimbwa. We have tried but like I have said, these people are the ones that broke away and decided to begin fighting the party.”

Also, William Odinga Balikuddembe, a co-founder of the NURP and the head of research at the NUP party recently dismissed claims by Kibalama that none of his members had been appointed to any positions within the NUP Party.

He also noted that NUP doesn’t belong to Kibalama as he alleges but rather it is a public entity.

The latest developments by Kibalama and some of his party members have been seen by many as having someone behind it.

Kibalama was branded a liar when he contradicted himself in a recent court case against the NUP leadership led by Kyagulanyi.

He later came out in the public to confess that he had been coached to lie against Bobi Wine.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2021/01/25/i-was-coached-forced-to-lie-about-kyagulanyi-in-nup-case-kibalama/