The technocrats at the Kamwokya based National Unity Platform (NUP) are on tension as various efforts to raise funds for the nomination fees of their candidates are likely to hit a dead end with less than a week to the nomination dates.
A source privy to the events in the party has intimated to us that despite the numerous calls to their foreign funders to sponsor the major activity, it’s surprising that until now, the party has not yet received the funds.
As such, the respective flag bearers has been asked to devise means for self-sponsorship, an announcement that comes on a short notice for majority of the outfit’s hassling candidates spread across the country.
NUP is just the only opposition political party in the country to have identified MP candidates for all Constituencies in the country save a few where there are close allies like in Asuman Basalirwa’s Bugiri Municipality. Democratic Party recently announced it was set to sponsor about 300 MP candidates , 200 for Mugisha Muntu’s ANT while FDC has 290.
Unfortunately, it’s only NUP among all the parties that could fail to provide their flag bearers with money for nominations kept at Shs3 million which could find many of them kicked out of the race for being unable to raise the fee on their own.
One NUP card bearer in Northern Uganda who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed fear that he could find himself automatically eliminated from the race since Shs3 million is a lot of money for someone to raise on such a short notice.
” I am scared many of us could find ourselves not on the ballot for lack of that money. Whoever participated in this process was confident there would be sponsorship for the nomination and posters because parties have such an obligation, ” he said.
“….By asking our poor people to raise that money at this time is too unfair.”
Last week, NUP principal Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine made another public appeal for funding after the fundraising drive launched months ago failed to yield any significant dividends.
