Top Story: Nalukoola Clashes With Kyagulanyi Over Flag Bearer Selections — Demands Answers on Rubongoya’s Role
Kampala – Tensions are simmering within the National Unity Platform (NUP) as newly elected Kawempe North MP Erias Nalukoola finds himself at odds with the party’s leadership over the allocation of flag bearer tickets ahead of local government elections.
In what has become common practice within NUP, Members of Parliament often forward names of preferred candidates for lower-level elective positions—such as LC3 Chairpersons and Division Councillors—to the party’s headquarters in Kavule. In some cases, influential MPs like Mukono Municipality’s Betty Nambooze have even managed to sway decisions at the district level, including LC5 selections.
However, Nalukoola’s recent experience paints a different picture.
A Bitter Awakening
Despite submitting a list of loyalists for consideration as party flag bearers in Kawempe North, Nalukoola was shocked to find none of his recommended candidates included in the final list approved by Kavule. The rejection sparked immediate outrage.
Sources close to the matter reveal that Nalukoola registered his protest with the party leadership, a move that reportedly unsettled party president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine). In a bid to calm the waters, Kyagulanyi personally reached out to Nalukoola, urging him to de-escalate tensions and pacify his agitated grassroots mobilizers.
Instead, the call took a fiery turn.
“Why Was I Betrayed?” — Nalukoola Demands Accountability
In an emotionally charged exchange, Nalukoola questioned why he was sidelined while other MPs were able to push their allies onto the ticket.
“Why would you let this happen to me?” he reportedly asked Kyagulanyi. “Other MPs had their people considered. Why not me?”
The exclusion, especially in Muslim-dominated areas like Mbogo, has sparked concern among pro-Nalukoola religious leaders. Several Sheikhs who once believed in Nalukoola’s influence within NUP are now questioning whether they overestimated his standing in the party.
One insider noted:
“They are beginning to realise that Nalukoola’s early rise was more about euphoria than real influence.”
Even after the party offered to recall and reallocate four of the initial ticket decisions, Nalukoola’s allies were once again passed over in favor of candidates viewed as politically hostile to him within Kawempe North. The final blow, sources say, left him “broken like never before.”
The Rubongoya Factor
During a subsequent call with Kyagulanyi, Nalukoola reportedly went a step further, venting his frustrations over what he perceived to be the involvement—or at least silent approval—of NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya.
“Your Excellency, I have always respected the Secretary General,” Nalukoola is quoted as saying. “But after what happened, that respect is gone. There’s no way this could’ve happened without his knowledge or blessing.”
A visibly overwhelmed Kyagulanyi responded with disbelief:
“Eeeh comrade, you’ve taken this too far? I didn’t expect such condemnation of the Secretary General from you, of all people.”
The Bigger Picture
Nalukoola’s outburst reflects a deeper dilemma for sitting MPs within the party, many of whom face pressure to secure flag bearer slots for their supporters as a sign of their influence. When those expectations aren’t met, MPs risk losing political capital in their constituencies—and, ultimately, their grip on power.
Whether this signals the beginning of a deeper rift within NUP or a temporary squabble remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the power dynamics in Kawempe North—and perhaps within the party at large—are far from settled.
