Mbarara: Two More NUP Candidates Withdraw from Race, Quit Party

MBARARA: TWO MORE NUP CANDIDATES WITHDRAW FROM RACE, QUIT PARTY

Two female National Unity Platform (NUP) candidates in Mbarara have withdrawn from the upcoming local council elections, citing unfulfilled party promises, financial challenges, and lack of campaign support.

The candidates — Provia Bakazi of Rwemigyina Ward and Hellen Kembaga of Biharwe — announced on Tuesday that they are not only stepping out of the elections but also quitting the NUP entirely. Both say they were persuaded to join the party under commitments that were never honoured.

Bakazi, a resident of Koranorya who was contesting for councillor of Rwemigyina Ward, told journalists she could no longer sustain her campaign without the promised support.

“Due to some circumstances, I am unable to keep in the race. I was persuaded by Peter Mpaka to contest, and he is the one who recruited me into NUP. But due to lack of support, I realised that I would not manage the race. I have made the decision to withdraw my candidature. The same reason forced my boss, Peter Mpaka, to withdraw from the race,” Bakazi said.

Kembaga, who was contesting for the councillor seat in Biharwe, echoed similar frustrations. She cited the financial burden of campaigning across multiple cells without party assistance.

“I have also withdrawn my candidature from the race due to lack of financial support. We have many cells to traverse but we lack the means. I was recruited into NUP by Peter Mpaka, and when he quit the race, I also decided to quit,” she said.

Both candidates accuse NUP of backtracking on commitments made during their recruitment, including promises to provide campaign materials such as posters. They claim that repeated attempts to seek answers from Mpaka — who recently quit his own parliamentary race — were unsuccessful.

When asked whether their withdrawal was influenced by weak support at the grassroots, Bakazi insisted she enjoys strong backing in her area but lacked the resources to run an effective campaign.

Their departure adds to the growing list of NUP candidates in Mbarara who have recently stepped out of the political race, intensifying scrutiny on the party’s internal organization and support mechanisms ahead of the elections.