NUP’s impressive new headquarters, a challenge to many ‘old in the tooth’ parties

In just four years since its inception, Uganda's youngest political party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), has accomplished the construction of a state-of-the-art party headquarters.

This milestone has left older political parties, some with decades of existence, envious. However, political analysts suggest that while the achievement holds symbolic value, it may not bring significant change within Uganda's current political landscape.

During the unveiling of the state-of-the-art premises in the heart of Kampala, NUP leaders and supporters celebrated their achievement, drawing comparisons to older political parties that have little to show.

Kiiza Besigye remarked,"You can imagine the National Resistance Movement (NRM) is still renting after several decades of rule."

NUP now joins the ranks of political parties such as the Uganda People's Congress (UPC), Justice Forum (JEEMA), Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), People's Progressive Party (PPP), and the Democratic Party (DP) as parties that own their headquarters.

In contrast, several other political parties, including the ruling NRM, the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), Conservative Party (CP), and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), still rent their party spaces.

On the flip side, a long list of political parties remain "briefcase entities" without even a rented home, including the People's United Movement (UPM), Peoples Development Party (PDP), and Republican Women and Youth Party (RYP), among many others.

A police officer surveys the NUP headquarters (Photo by Francis Isaano)

JEEMA, the second political party after UPC to build headquarters, takes pride in its achievement, seeing the party home as a reliable contact point between the party and its supporters.
Despite being in charge for over three decades, the ruling National Resistance Movement hasn't given up on owning a party headquarters.

Political researcher Dr. John Baptist Kasujja cautioned that even with NUP joining the ranks of parties with their premises, there may be limited benefits due to the country's entrenched political culture, which often revolves around personalities rather than institutions.

"In Uganda, parties are built on personality, even if they get headquarters, the command centers are still determined by the founder, e.g., the FDC command moved from Najjankumbi to Katonga." Dr. Kasujja noted.

While NUP's remarkable achievement highlights the progress of Uganda's youngest political party, its impact on the nation's political landscape remains to be seen in a culture that often prioritizes individuals over institutions.