A prominent National Unity Platform (NUP) parliamentary hopeful in Mubende has caused uproar after declaring she will not support any other candidate if the party denies her the flag for the Mubende Municipality seat.
Sumayah Nabawanuka, a founding member of NUP in the district and former Greater Mubende regional coordinator, made the controversial statement during a live talk show on Mubende FM.
Nabawanuka is competing for the NUP flag alongside Bob Richard Kyamanywa and Ismael “Sureman” Ssegawa.
“Since we are in the vetting process and they will come on the ground to assess who is popular, I want to encourage my supporters to recommend Sumayah,” she said.
“But if the party fails to give me the flag, I will not support anyone. That will mean the selected person doesn’t need any external support—it will show the party chose a powerful candidate,” she added.
Her remarks sparked backlash on social media, with many party supporters accusing her of undermining NUP’s unity and discipline.
“This is totally wrong from someone who cannot abide by party principles,” one supporter wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Another posted: “This shows Sumayah is only focused on getting the party flag, not on respecting party values.”
Moses Musasizi Ssemata, the NUP chairperson for Mubende Municipality, condemned the statement, describing it as contrary to the spirit of the party.
“I have heard the audio, but I am not sure whether it’s hers. If it is true, then it goes against the party principles,” he said.
Ssemata added that NUP expects unity and cooperation among all candidates once the flag bearer is selected.
“In many areas across the country, once a flag bearer is chosen, the rest rally behind that person. We expect Ms Nabawanuka to do the same if she is not given the flag,” he said.
The chairperson also revealed plans to convene a crisis meeting with the party’s administrative secretary, the NUP district leadership, and Nabawanuka to address the fallout.
