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NUP bids to mark its 4-year anniversary at Kololo
Secretary General of the National Unity Platform (NUP) David Lewis Rubongoya and NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, at a press briefing in Kampala on September 21, 2022. PHOTO/MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
- A July 9 letter appears to suggest that their request had been received by the Ministry of Defence ahead of the event planned for 9am-6pm in NUP’s stronghold Kampala.
Uganda’s opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) marks four years since it’s unveiling with the party bidding to mark the July 22 milestone with celebrations at the Kololo Independence Grounds, the party’s leadership has said.
Since its debut as a political party in 2020, NUP has had a rocky relationship with state authorities, sometimes leading to death or large-scale arrests of dissidents loyal to the Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine led organization.
“As we look to the future, we wrote to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs this week, requesting to hold our commemorative event at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds - given its historical significance as well as the number of people expected,” NUP said on X.
A July 9 letter accompanying the post appears to suggest that their request had been received on July 10 ahead of the event planned for 9am-6pm in NUP’s stronghold Kampala City.
Kololo Grounds, which were given a new look in 2012, have a more than 5000-seater pavilion but with an open ground which can host an estimated more than 15, 000 people.
“As these are public grounds which are regularly used for ruling National Resistance Movement [NRM] activities, music concerts and other events, we hope we shall also have an opportunity to hold this important event at the grounds,” NUP emphasized.
NUP secretary general David Lewis Rubongoya emphasized that the event is intended to celebrate milestones of the party.
“The journey so far has been marked by so many challenges, trials and tribulations. However, we have also reached various milestones in the pursuit of our cardinal objective of ushering in a New Uganda,” he wrote to the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs.
By Friday evening, the ministry was yet to respond regarding whether the event is authorized or not.
With a majority of his 3,475,298 votes (34.83%) from the central region, Bobi Wine emerged closest challenger to President Museveni following a deadly election in 2021 that claimed over 50 lives and left dozens of opposition figures detained across the country, according to poll observers.
