Defiant and Growing: NUP Welcomes Seven New MPs Despite State Repression
The Road Ahead With these new additions, NUP strengthens its parliamentary numbers and gains strategic representation across diverse districts. Political analysts predict that this could significantly influence future parliamentary debates and build momentum toward the 2026 general elections.
Uganda Today Edition: Defiant and Growing: NUP Welcomes Seven New MPs Despite State Repression
By Uganda Today Political Desk | May 22, 2025
Kampala, Uganda — In a bold display of political defiance and momentum, the National Unity Platform (NUP) has officially welcomed seven Members of Parliament into its fold, reinforcing the party’s growing influence despite relentless state repression under President Yoweri Museveni’s regime.
At a high-spirited ceremony held this afternoon at the NUP headquarters at Kavule, party leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, formally received the new members, calling their decision “a courageous affirmation of the people’s will and a rejection of dictatorship.”
The MPs who officially crossed over to NUP are:
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Hon. Paulson Kasana Luttamaguzi Ssemakula – Nakaseke South County
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Hon. Joan Namutaawe – Woman MP, Masaka District
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Hon. Patrick Kayongo Nsanja – Ntenjeru South
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Hon. Fortunate Nantongo – Woman MP, Kyotera District
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Hon. John Paul Mpalanyi Lukwago – Kyotera County
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Hon. Timothy Lusala Batuwa – Jinja Municipality West
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Hon. David Aga Isabirye – Jinja North Division
Their allegiance shift is being viewed as a significant boost to NUP’s parliamentary presence and a testament to the opposition party’s enduring appeal even amidst arrests, torture allegations, and a weaponized judicial system.
Symbol of Resistance Amid Political Persecution
While Uganda’s political space remains increasingly suffocated by security crackdowns, surveillance, and legal intimidation of opposition actors, NUP has emerged as a symbol of generational resistance and national renewal.
“This is more than a political shift — it is a moral declaration,” said Bobi Wine during the welcome address. “These Honorable Members have chosen to stand with the people, not with the machinery of oppression. Together, we are removing a dictator.”
The new members were equally resolute, with several reiterating that their move reflects the desires of their constituents who are increasingly disillusioned by the status quo.
“This is the home of the people’s power. I come not just as a politician, but as a voice of the voiceless,” said Hon. Batuwa of Jinja Municipality West.
A Growing Movement
The development marks a growing trend of defection from traditional parties and independent ranks toward NUP, which has styled itself as a grassroots-driven, reformist alternative to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Despite the state’s deployment of heavy-handed tactics — including the repeated arrest of NUP supporters, surveillance of party leaders, and weaponization of court processes — the party’s resilience and appeal continue to cut across regional, generational, and social divides.
The hashtag #WeAreRemovingADictator trended online shortly after the ceremony, echoing the movement’s rallying cry for political transition and accountability.
The Road Ahead
With these new additions, NUP strengthens its parliamentary numbers and gains strategic representation across diverse districts. Political analysts predict that this could significantly influence future parliamentary debates and build momentum toward the 2026 general elections.
As Uganda inches closer to a potentially historic political crossroads, today’s symbolic act by seven Members of Parliament is a loud statement — that despite repression, the fire of change still burns.
#NUP #PeoplePower #UgandaPolitics #BobiWine #PoliticalRealignment #WeAreRemovingADictator #UgandaToday
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