The emergence of People Power which later was transformed into the National Unity Platform (NUP) is one of the biggest political developments in Uganda in the last 20 years.
Yet NUP, led by Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, has faced a number of challenges in recent days including allegations of divisions among its leaders.
Speaking to the Nile Post in an interview, Derrick Nyeko, MP Makindye East, said the party remains strong and is capable of offering leadership.
Excerpts below:
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There have been reports of disagreements within the National Unity Platform (NUP) leadership and its legislators. What is happening in the party?
I must mention that whatever is running in the media is propaganda. As NUP leadership we are together. We have different platforms such as the parliamentary caucus and we have also held different retreats as a party and NUP leadership have had several meetings .That is how we come out with our decisions. We don’t have any issue within the party. It surprises us to see the media awash with so many things that we don’t know at all.
Why are NUP MPs no longer vocal on the issues of Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana who are currently battling charges related to treason?
On several occasions, we have raised the issues of our colleagues, Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana not only them but also many young Ugandans that are still in detention, those being held by military police and military courts which is illegal. We believe that every Ugandan needs to have justice. Let it be a Member of Parliament, common man or a vendor, they all deserve to have justice.
We continue to raise our voices and to put more action on table as a way to pressure the government to do what is right and to follow the constitution.
Some people say that when you were elected to Parliament most of you abandoned the struggle of fighting for the common people. Is this true?
Previously, it would take a year before a Member of Parliament makes a statement on the floor of Parliament but now all NUP MPs have raised something on the floor of Parliament. I want to assure you that not everyone has the same space just like we have or use social media.
Different approaches are being used by different leaders and we have to acknowledge their style of administration. As much as I know, they have provided good leadership and NUP MPs are doing their best to make sure they voice the issues affecting their people.
There are those that decide to give more time to the constituency, that is their style. There are those who decide to give more time to Parliament that is their style. There are those that give their time to the media that is their style but they are all doing something at the end of the day.
Many of the NUP MPs have not stepped at the party offices in Kamwokya yet they were regular visitors there when they were contesting in elections.
In most cases NUP press conferences sit on different days and on those days we always have committee meetings. We have meetings and probably some MPs go out to the field. It is understandable that not every Member of Parliament will be present at each press conference.
There have been rumours in the corridors of power that the regime is quietly mooting the idea of amending the constitution to set up a parliamentary system. What is your take about the proposal?
It is constitutional for Ugandans to vote the leaders of their choice and this Parliamentary system is a way of blocking democracy .It is a system that we cannot allow and we are not going to allow Parliament to make such as decision .We are going to make sure that people are involved in defending the constitution .
So our only option is to defend the constitution using the clause that mandates people to demonstrate peacefully and we are going to match with our people to Parliament so that such a decision can’t be made .It is a decision that can be made by all Ugandans.
President Museveni last year proposed the removal of bail for capital offences .What is your take on the proposal?
If the systems in Uganda would give justice, it would be understandable but in a situation whereby police, judiciary and other institutions cannot give justice then such a bill cannot be favourable in a country like Uganda. It will be intentionally used to oppress the opposition and the poor people who cannot afford expensive lawyers but it will affect freedom of speech.
It will hinder Uganda to reach a certain level because so many people would be scared of staying in prisons for a longtime. We have seen cases where people are innocent and they stay in prisons for over six months.
Where do you see NUP as a party in the next five years to come because most people claim that it is just a wave?
I must mention that NUP won the 2021 elections and NUP is here to stay. NUP is for the young people. There is no way one can think that NUP is not going to be there after five or twenty years .It is the young people that make up NUP. We believe as a party that it is going to be stronger.
It is going to be the party in power.
Some people claim that Bobi Wine overshadows NUP. Do you think the party can survive without him?
It is their thinking. As I have told you NUP, is a democratic party and people can think the way they want. I want to assure the nation that we believe in the principles of democracy, we don’t believe in overstaying in power and these are things we preach out there. I want to assure you that NUP is going to stay beyond us .It is going to stay forever.
How can the opposition take power if it is not united because NUP has on several occasions refused to join platforms which are seen as one way of bringing the opposition together?
We have never refused to join any coalition. I must say we use different fronts in the way we address our issues. Probably you have seen members of Parliament from FDC, DP, UPC constituting a shadow cabinet. That alone shows that NUP is in position to choose who becomes a minister in the shadow cabinet and it has only 19 of its members. It clearly shows you that NUP is willing to work with other parties.
As for IPOD for all the times it has been there, no conclusive evidence has been shown on the decisions made on what they agree on. We don’t see results in the IPOD and that is why we chose not to go there.
There are still acts of abductions and torture. It doesn’t make sense for us to join such a front. We believe the struggle has different fronts and we acknowledge the fronts our colleagues are taking on and we support them.
