Sudden Defection: NUP Youths Join NRM in Opposition Stronghold

At least 20 youths claiming to be supporters of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) in Kabembe Trading Centre, Mukono District, have defected to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) ahead of the 2026 general elections.

Led by Hamis Kabaya, a known NUP supporter, the group cited disappointment with unfulfilled opposition promises as the reason for switching allegiance.

Former Mukono North MP Ronald Kibuule received the defectors at a campaign rally in Kabembe, where they publicly replaced NUP shirts with NRM attire amid cheers from NRM supporters.

Kabembe Trading Centre has long been considered an opposition stronghold in the district, making the defection a significant development for local politics.

During the rally, some residents previously reported as abducted ahead of the 2021 elections said their arrests were politicized by opposition leaders to tarnish the government's image.

Augustine Kamira claimed they were arrested for taking part in the November 2020 riots, not for political reasons, and were handed to police by plainclothes security operatives.

Brian Ssekajigo also said he was arrested for vandalizing campaign posters, and later opposition leaders allegedly asked him to falsely implicate Kibuule in the abductions.

Mukono North MP Abdallah Kiwanuka dismissed the statements, saying the individuals were bribed to retract their earlier claims and aid Kibuule’s political agenda.

NUP spokesperson Waiswa Mufumbiro downplayed the defections, calling the defectors self-serving. Kibuule urged voters to return him to Parliament, promising jobs, development, and revived infrastructure projects