News reaching our desk is that the National Unity Platform (NUP) flag bearer for the Kampala Lord Mayor seat Hon. Latif Ssebagala has stepped down from the race.
The honorable member representing the people of Kawempe North in the 10th Parliament says the reason for his change of heart is the need to maintain unity for the good of the opposition.
This comes barely three days after the Election Management Committee of the NUP declared him their flag bearer edging out formidable opposition in musician Joseph Mayanja popularly known as Dr. Chameleone a decision that brought the Kamwokya camp a lot of criticism. It should be remembered that the NUP under the leadership of Hon. Robert Kyagulayi Ssentamu set up a select committee, the Election Management Committee, to vet and select persons to represent them as flag bearers in the upcoming 2021 general elections denying the party members an opportunity to vote their preferred candidates.
Speaking to the press today, September 22, at his office, Latif Ssebagala cited internal differences as some of the members of the NUP haven’t yet conceded defeat which would divide their votes and play right into the National Resistance Movement’s hands that have tried all its best to win Kampala Lord Mayor seat in the past elections despite always falling short. The apologetic parliamentarian went on to pledge all his support to Hon Kyagulanyi Robert in next year’s presidential elections.
By press time the NUP had not made any comment on Ssebagala’s decision to step down but we wait to see how the party that is still recovering from former leader Mzee Moses Kibalama’s claims that Hon Kyagulanyi Ssetamu and colleagues bought the party from him and still owe him a whopping US$5m contradicting his earlier communications that he had handed over the party in good faith will handle this development.
