Mao: NUP received shs3.1B from gov’t but they never talk about it

Democratic Party (DP) president, Norbert Mao has accused fellow opposition party National Unity Platform (NUP) of receiving Shs3.1 billion government funds yet act as though they did not.

The money, according to Mao, was extended through the Inter-party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) to NUP to facilitate the party’s political activities.

Mao’s claims come on the backdrop of NUP’s recent stance on the IPOD where the party stated that it declined funds from the platform as long as Museveni continues to use it to legitimise his ‘gun rule’.

“For the record, NUP declined to join IPOD for reasons well stated, and has not accepted any facilitation from them. We are aware of the funds given to political parties under IPOD, but we declined all of them, as long as Museveni continues to use it to legitimise his illegitimate gun rule,” NUP said in December 2021.

The party has also in the past accused the ruling party, National Resistance Movement (NRM) of turning IPOD into a forum in which party principals meet for a cup of tea and photo opportunity.

However, according to Mao, whereas some opposition leaders are opposed to the IPOD agenda, the platform has yielded good results which he says, the ‘mockers’ never talk about.

“Thanks to the useless photo opportunities, tea drinking and boot licking by some of us in IPOD, many kidnapped, arrested and tortured activists were released. In addition funding to parties with MPs was more than tripled. Some eat meat. Others eat soup!” Mao said.

He urged opposition political party leaders to pick a leaf from other countries like Tanzania where leaders believe in dialogue to solve political differences.

“While some leaders in Uganda’s so called opposition think sitting down and talking with a leader of a government that has tormented you is wrong, here is Tanzania’s opposition leader who was shot dozens of times, was rigged and his party rigged but still believes in talks,”

Mao believes that Uganda would be far better if opposition leaders talked to each other other than talking about each other.

NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubogonya said, responding to Mao's statement, "We shall issue a statement and respond to all issues being raised by different actors."