Kyagulanyi, Rubongoya re-elected.

Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has been sworn in as the president of the National Unity Platform (NUP) for another five years. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the NUP Leadership School at Kamwokya, where the party held its first delegates’ conference under the new leadership of Kyagulanyi. In his address after the swearing-in, Kyagulanyi thanked everybody who had participated in the process. He said up to the last minute, they didn’t know that the delegates’ conference would be held today because of the environment of intimidation they operate under. “We have just held our delegates’ conference; we have just reconstituted our national executive committee, and we are up and running. I want to congratulate all the winners and all of you who participated in this election. It was noble for those who stepped aside, but it was even more noble and courageous for those challenged…so nobody is a loser in the National Unity Platform,” Kyagulanyi said. He asked those who have won to use their new positions to fight for good leadership in the country, especially in the coming general election. “Let’s go to work, we have a massive election ahead of us, and we have tough times ahead. And by the grace of God, we shall win…You did not hear people fighting against each other, exchanging profanities,” Kyagulanyi said. Speaking to the press after the end of the delegates’ conference, Joel Ssenyonyi, the leader of opposition in parliament (LoP), who has also just been re-elected as the party spokesperson, castigated the force that has been used against them by state security agencies, yet they are a registered political party. “We shall continue telling our people to keep peace, but there is always a limit to what people can accept. We are writing a protest letter to security agencies to ask them why they are mistreating us,” Ssenyonyi said. There are questions about the NUP delegates’ conference held today. The number of delegates who attended the meeting and the criteria used in choosing them are all unknown to most people. According to Ssenyonyi, their constitution allows for only 127 delegates, but he didn’t go into how they are chosen. Among the few people we have learnt that have been elected today include: David Lewis Rubongoya, who retains his position as secretary general. Both Rubongoya and Kyagulanyi have been elected unopposed. Ssenyonyi had to defeat Makindye West member of parliament Allan Ssewanyana to retain the position of party spokesperson. Kassanda South MP, Frank Kabuye, replaces his Mityana municipality counterpart, Francis Zaake, as the secretary for youth, while Akiso Benjamin replaces David Musiri as the head of institutions.