A man identifying himself as a supporter of Uganda’s opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) has announced his departure from the party, citing concerns over its internal democratic processes and accusing the leadership of lacking transparency in the selection of its presidential flagbearer.
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Benjamin Kalyesubula told journalists in Kampala that he would stand as an independent candidate in the 2026 presidential elections. He criticized NUP for allegedly sidelining other aspirants in favor of the party president, Robert Kyagulanyi, commonly known as Bobi Wine.
“There was no room for open competition. The leadership handpicked a flagbearer without allowing others to contest or share their visions,” Mr Kalyesubula said, expressing disappointment in what he called a betrayal of the party’s founding principles.
He added, “NUP was supposed to represent a new kind of politics, but instead, it’s repeating the same patterns of exclusion it set out to oppose.”
However, NUP spokesperson and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi questioned Mr. Kalyesubula’s affiliation with the party, stating that he did not follow proper channels to express interest in the party’s presidential race.
“We put out an open call for presidential flagbearer nominations. Apart from Mr. Kyagulanyi, only one other person expressed interest and collected nomination forms but never returned them,” Mr. Ssenyonyi explained. “Kalyesubula did not participate in any part of this process. His claims are simply attention-seeking.”
Mr Kyagulanyi was officially nominated as NUP’s presidential flagbearer on June 25 after submitting the required documents, including his academic credentials and party membership card. His application was vetted by the NUP Election Management Committee as part of the party’s internal procedures.
The national Electoral Commission has set September 23 and 24, 2025, for the official nomination of presidential candidates.
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