Kabale NUP Party Office Closed

The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) offices in Kabale District are under lock and key. Officially opened by NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, in August 2023, the offices are located along Rugabo Road, opposite Kabale Secondary School in Central Division, Kabale Municipality.

The office was intended to extend services to party supporters in Kabale, Rukiga, and Rubanda districts. The party has been paying Shillings 600,000 monthly for the office space, which remained operational throughout the election period.

However, over the weekend, our reporter observed that party colours and posters had been removed from the premises, and the office was closed. By Monday, the room had been repainted white and replaced with posters of Kidawalime Bakery Limited.

Locals operating near the office told our reporter that they saw NUP officials last week packing items and vacating the premises without any explanation. When contacted, Derrick Kateebire, the Kabale District NUP Chairperson, confirmed the closure.

He attributed the decision to financial challenges facing the party. According to Kateebire, the situation worsened after the party was excluded from receiving funds from the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) by the government through the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

He noted that this has made it difficult for the party to sustain projects such as renting office space. Kateebire, however, called for calm, assuring supporters that the closure is temporary as the party searches for alternative sources of funding.

Hamza Jungu, the NUP Vice Chairperson for Kabale Municipality, expressed frustration over the closure, saying it was carried out abruptly without informing party supporters about where they would access services.

In the Kigezi sub-region, NUP had offices only in Kabale and Kisoro districts. The closure of the Kabale office leaves Kisoro as the only district with an operational NUP office in the region. Our reporter also visited the offices of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in Kabale, located along Corryndon Road in Central Division, and found them largely inactive.

Jessy Aine, the FDC Chairperson for Kabale District, said that although their office remains open, its operations are minimal due to a lack of financial resources.

He cited challenges such as the inability to purchase furniture and pay staff, noting that this has significantly affected party activities.The challenges facing NUP and FDC offices in Kabale have drawn reactions from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Edison Turyahaabwa, the NRM Publicity Secretary for Kabale District, said that the closure of a political party office indicates weak leadership and questioned the long-term sustainability of such parties.