Sebaggala  explains why he quit lord mayor race 

Kawempe North MP Latif Sebaggala on Tuesday explained his decision to quit the race for Kampala Lord Mayor on National Unity Platform (NUP) flag hardly two days after the party endorsed him as their candidate.
Mr Sebaggala said that his decision to quit the race was intended to give chance to  other Opposition candidates advantage and decongest the already crowded contest for the city’s highest office.
“I have made this decision to withdraw from the mayoral race in Kampala in the best interest of the wider Opposition and also given the fact that we have many conflicting interests within us as NUP and within the party supporting different candidates which could cost us as a party,” Mr Sebaggala said.
On Sunday, NUP released the list of successful flag bearers who had been vetted by the party’s elections committee headed by Ms Mercy Walukamba. 
The party preferred Mr Sebaggala ahead of musician Mr Joseph Mayanja, alias Jose Chameleone.
The party leadership cited problematic academic documents as the reason they had denied the musician-cum-politician the flag.
Sources within NUP told Daily Monitor that Mr Sebaggala was facing pressure from some political and religious circles which could have compelled him to step down and seek other alternatives. 
The reasons for pushing Sebaggala to step down were not readily established.
“Latif tendered in a letter of withdrawal from this race a while ago, all along Chameleone had known that he was unopposed but it was surprising that the party leadership preferred someone who didn’t want the flag,” a source said.
In response, Mr David Lewis Rubongoya, the NUP secretary general, said Mr Sebaggala’s withdrawal was a personal decision and that he had informed the party about it earlier.
“Mr Latif sent a letter of stepping down from the race but he later withdrew the letter. That is why we gave him the flag. His decision to step down now means he didn’t need the flag and we can’t force it on him,” Mr Rubongoya said.
Sources told Daily Monitor that Chameleone had since petitioned NUP over the decision to deny him the party flag.
“The party are contemplating on giving Chameleone the flag because the papers which they said he does not have are not a requirement for a mayor. They are now in panic mode to respond to his petition in which he notes that by September 18, Mr Sebaggala had withdrawn from the race,” the source said.
Mr Rubongoya said: “We have received this complaint and elections committee is studying it and they will come and give us a report. We sit as a board to decide on which particular direction to take. As for now, we are focusing on many other things as responsible offices take charge of that matter.”
National nomination for mayors and other local government councils started on Monday and will last 10 days.
It is not clear whether the party will be able to vet and field another candidate before the end of the nomination exercise which is taking place in different districts and divisions across the country.