National Unity Platform
{{Short description|Ugandan political party}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = National Unity Platform
| native_name = Jukwaa la Umoja wa Kitaifa
| colorcode = #C62127
| logo = National Unity Platform logo.png
| logo_size = 240px
| leader = Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu
| secretary_general = David Lewis Rubongoya
| spokesperson = Joel Ssenyonyi
| foundation = December 2004 {{small|(as the National Unity, Reconciliation and Development Party)}}
| headquarters = Kamwokya, Kampala, Uganda
| ideology = Progressivism{{Cite web |title=Bobi Wine: How an ex-pop star could finally threaten the 'big man syndrome' of African politics |url=https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/bobi-wine-ex-pop-star-203600898.html |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=Yahoo! Finance |date=10 January 2021 |language=en-GB}}
Constitutionalism
| position = Centre-left
| regional =
| slogan = "People power, Our power"
| membership =
| seats1_title = Parliament of Uganda
| seats1 = {{Composition bar|57|529|hex={{party color|National Unity Platform}}}}
| colours = Red, white and navy blue
| website = {{URL|https://nupuganda.org/}}
| country = Uganda
| abbreviation = NUP
}}
{{Politics of Uganda}}
The National Unity Platform (NUP, {{langx|sw|Jukwaa la Umoja wa Kitaifa}}),{{cite web | title=Je chama kipya cha Bobi Wine kitaleta ushindani Uganda? - 22.07.2020 | website=DW.COM | url=https://www.dw.com/sw/je-chama-kipya-cha-bobi-wine-kitaleta-ushindani-uganda/av-54267606 | language=sw | access-date=2021-01-18}} formerly the National Unity, Reconciliation and Development Party (NURP), is a political party in Uganda led by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (also known as Bobi Wine). The NURP was led by Moses Nkonge Kibalama from December 2004 until July 2020. On 14 July 2020, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu assumed leadership of the party and was declared the party flag-bearer for the January 2021 Ugandan presidential elections.{{cite web| url=https://www.softpower.ug/2021-polls-bobi-wine-to-run-for-presidency-under-national-unity-platform-political-party/ | title=Bobi Wine To Run For Presidency Under National Unity Platform Political Party |publisher=SoftPower Uganda |date=22 July 2020 |author=Nixon Segawa |access-date=22 July 2020 | location=Kampala}}
Background
The NURP was formed in December 2004, headed by Moses Kibalama. For the next 16 years, he served as the president of the party.
In July 2017, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu was sworn in as the MP representing Kyaddondo East Constituency in the 10th Parliament (2016-2021). To win that constituency, he beat two seasoned politicians in a by-election: Sitenda Sebalu of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and Apollo Kantinti of the main opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).{{cite web|url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Bobi-Wine-swears-in-Kyaddondo-East-MP/688334-4009982-u3msoyz/index.html |
title=Bobi Wine Swears In As Kyaddondo East MP |date=11 July 2017 |newspaper=Daily Monitor |author=Job Bwire |access-date=22 July 2020 |location=Kampala}}
While running for the Kyaddondo East seat, Kyagulanyi was shunned by both the DP and FDC political parties, so he ran as an Independent candidate.{{cite web| url=https://observer.ug/news/headlines/58538-bobi-wine-the-making-of-people-power.html |title=Bobi Wine: The making of people power |newspaper=The Observer (Uganda) |date=29 August 2018 |author=Sulaiman Kakaire |access-date=22 July 2020 |
location=Kampala}} He adopted the ‘People Power, Our Power’ slogan as his rallying call, leading to what is referred to as the People Power Movement in Uganda.{{cite web| url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-45195664 |date=6 September 2018 |title=Bobi Wine: The pop star seeking 'people power' |publisher=BBC News |author=Dickens Olewe | access-date=22 July 2020 | location=London}}{{cite web|title=With Bobi Wine, people power could finally win in Uganda |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=22 July 2020 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/04/bobi-wine-people-power-uganda-singer-africa-museveni |date=4 October 2018 |author=Patience Akumu |location=London}}
Since the formation of the People Power Movement in 2017, a number of legislators, including members of the ruling National Resistance Movement and opposition Forum for Democratic Change, have allied with People Power.{{cite web| title=Uganda's People Power Movement Registers a Political Wing Ahead of 2021 General Elections | url=https://www.voanews.com/a/africa_ugandas-people-power-movement-registers-political-wing-ahead-2021-general-elections/6193238.html |
access-date=2020-12-17 |website=Voice of America | date=22 July 2020 |language=en}}
The People Power movement finally got a legally registered party NURP and changed the name to the National Unity Platform and on 22 July 2020, the founders of NUP,{{cite web| title=Home|url=https://peoplepower.org.ug/|access-date=2020-12-17 |website=people power, our power |language=en-US}} together with leading personalities from the People Power Movement, announced that Kyagulanyi had been elected President of NUP and presidential party flag bearer in the upcoming 2021 national elections.{{cite web|newspaper=The Guardian | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/22/reggae-star-bobi-wine-launches-new-political-party-in-uganda |date=22 July 2020 |title=Reggae star Bobi Wine launches new political party in Uganda | author=Jason Burke |access-date=22 July 2020 | location=London}}{{cite web|
url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Bobi-Wine-unveils-new-political-party/688334-5597260-wya824z/index.html | title=Bobi Wine unveils new political party |newspaper=Daily Monitor |date=22 July 2020 |access-date=22 July 2020 |
author=Derrick Wandera |location=Kampala}}
The party is registered with the Uganda Electoral Commission.
The party's symbol is an umbrella in red, white and blue surrounded by three circles in red, white and navy blue. The NUP symbol is fully gazetted by the Uganda Electoral Commission{{cite web|author=the fast observer|date=22 July 2020|title=Electoral Commission Officially Gazettes NUP umbrella symbol|url=https://www.fastobserver.com/2020/11/electoral-commission-officially.html|access-date=24 November 2020|publisher=The Fast Observer|location=Kampala}}
On 28 July 2020, the party unveiled membership cards that cost only USh1,000 (about USD 0.27 or GBP 0.2), an amount they said did not discriminate against social class and would be affordable to every Ugandan.{{cite web|url=https://edge.ug/2020/07/28/bobi-wine-unveils-nup-membership-cards/ |title=Bobi Wine unveils NUP membership cards | publisher=Edge Uganda |date=28 July 2020 |author=Edge Uganda | access-date=29 July 2020 |location=Kampala}}
On 3 August 2020, the party president announced five members of parliament who crossed that day to the National Unity Platform. These included John Baptist Nambeshe (NRM), Patrick Nsamba (NRM), Francis Zaake (Independent) and Busujju's legislator David Kalwanga (Independent).{{cite web|
url=https://www.softpower.ug/five-mps-some-from-nrm-mayors-join-bobi-wines-nup/ |title=Five MPS Some From NRM, Mayors Join Bobi Wine's NUP |publisher=SoftPower Uganda |date=3 August 2020 |
author=SoftPower News |access-date=4 August 2020 | location=Kampala}} On 13 August 2020, sixteen more Members of Parliament, joined the NUP political party, crossing from the Democratic Party (DP). This brought the total number of MPs who have joined Kyagulanyi in NUP, during the first two weeks of August 2020 to twenty one (21).{{cite web| url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/21-MPs-join-Bobi-Wine/688334-5609160-30em7i/index.html |title=21 MPs join Bobi Wine |date=14 August 2020 |newspaper=Daily Monitor |
access-date=15 August 2020 |author=Derrick Wandera and Shabiba Nakirigya |location=Kampala}}
On 14 January 2021 general elections took place. According to a survey performed by Market Intelligence Group, Bobi Wine had the support of about 59% of the Ugandans.{{Cite web|title=Rigged|url=https://uvote.nup-uganda.com/rigged/Rigged.pdf}}{{Cite web|title=Kyagulanyi will win elections with over 60% of the votes|url=https://freedomuganda.com/?page_id=279}} On 16 January the Electoral Commission announced, even before all votes were counted, that Bobi Wine received 35.08% of the votes. This announcement was heavily criticized since there are 409 polling stations with a 100% turnout.{{Cite web|title=409 polling stations with 100% turnout|url=https://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/409-polling-stations-had-100-voter-turnout-giving-museveni-95-8}} Many videos of ballot box stuffing turned up.{{Cite web|title=Youtube|website = YouTube| date=2 February 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TggSh1kUvTo}}{{Cite web|title=Pre-ticking ballots|website = Facebook|url=https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=477864099873168}}{{Cite web|title=Ballot box stuffing|website = Facebook|url=https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=418312356146125}} Other opposition leaders also stated that Bobi Wine had won and Museveni was falsely sworn in.{{Cite web|title=Gen Muntu admits that Bobi Wine won 2021 polls|url=https://ekyooto.co.uk/2021/05/10/gen-muntu-admits-that-bobi-wine-won-2021-polls/|access-date=2021-08-27|website=Ekyooto Uganda|language=en-US}} Factchecker organisation Pesacheck published Uganda has not held honest election in over 30 years.{{Cite web|title=Pesacheck|date=22 June 2021|url=https://pesacheck.org/is-it-true-that-uganda-has-not-held-a-fair-and-transparent-election-in-over-30-years-5d8548d42059}} On 9 February the European Parliament passed a resolution stating that the elections were violent and neither free nor fair.{{Cite web|title=EU Parliament resolution|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2021-0140_EN.html}}
On 3 August 2021 well-known government critic, blogger, and party supporter Fred Lumbuye disappeared from his home address in Turkey.
Electoral history
= Presidential elections =
= Parliament of Uganda elections =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Election !Party leader ! colspan="2" |Votes !% !Seats !+/– !Position !Government |
| rowspan="2" |2021
| rowspan="2" |Bobi Wine |Constituency |1,347,929 |13.48% | rowspan="2" |{{Composition bar|57|529|hex={{party color|National Unity Platform}}}} | rowspan="2" |New | rowspan="2" |{{increase}} 2nd | rowspan="2" {{No2|Opposition}} |
| Women
|1,697,425 |16.71% |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://nupuganda.org/ Official Website]
- [https://peoplepower.org.ug/ People website before registration as NUP]
- [https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1523120/bobi-wine-unveiled-leader-national-unity-platform Bobi Wine unveiled as new leader of National Unity Platform] As of 22 July 2020.
- [https://www.softpower.ug/five-mps-some-from-nrm-mayors-join-bobi-wines-nup/ Five members of parliament join National Unit Platform.]
- {{cite web | title=Visible Polls - National Unity Platform (NUP) Candidates for President, MP and District Chairperson - Uganda 2021 General Election | website=Visible Polls | url=https://visiblepolls.org/ug/2021-general-election/parties/nup/ | access-date=3 March 2021 }}
{{Authority control}}
{{Ugandan political parties}}
Category:2004 establishments in Uganda
Category:Political parties established in 2004