The National Unity Platform (NUP) party president, Robert Kyagulanyi, has said that NUP is not in any way connected to the organizers of the July 23, 2024, March to Parliament protests, though it is fully in support of the action and believes in the power of the people.
While addressing the members of the press at his home in Magere on July 22, 2024, Kyagulanyi said that, as a party, they want to add their voice to the call on the Ugandans to march against corruption.
“The regime in Uganda is trying so much to attach every protest to the National Unity Platform; for the record, we did not organize these protests, but we shall support in any way the people of Uganda who have decided to stand against corruption,” Kyagulanyi added.
Kyagulanyi’s remarks came after the scheduled press conference at the party headquarters was canceled following a heavy security deployment at Makerere Kavule, where some of the party MPs and supporters were arrested on July 22, 2024, as they tried to access the party offices.
Among those arrested are the Mityana Municipality MP, Zaake Francis, Charles Tibandeka, MP for Baale in Kayunga district, and Hassan Kurumira for Katikamu South.
Others who were denied access included Lina Zedriga, the NUP party deputy president for the Northern Region, Gorreth Namugga for Mawogola South, and other party supporters who were ordered to turn back and go.
The March to Parliament, which is scheduled to take place on July 23, 2024, has no known leader as of now, as it has been classified as a partyless and leaderless campaign where concerned citizens are meant to march to parliament in a demonstration against corruption.
The Parliament of Uganda has been under the spotlight in the past few months as the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among, and some Members of Parliament have been mentioned in corruption scandals, resulting in some being arraigned in the courts of law and remanded as further investigations are ongoing.
