NUP Founders’ Court Battle Against Bobi Takes A New Angle After Seeking Injunction Halting Party Activities

National Unity Platform (NUP) top officials are in a panic after the original founders of the party dragged them to court, seeking to stop all activities, including the upcoming delegates’ conference and elections.

The founders, led by Ssimbwa Paul Kagombe, Nkonge Moses Kibalama, Luyinda Moses, Omony Delwilbert, and Kasirye Joseph Emmanuel, have filed a case against the party and its top officials, including Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi (President), David Lewis Rubongoya (Secretary General), Joel Ssenyonyi (Spokesperson and Leader of the Opposition), Benjamin Katana (Treasurer), and Fred Ssentamu Nyanzi (Head of Mobilization).

According to court documents signed on June 5, 2025, the applicants are seeking a total of 14 specific orders from the court, mostly injunctions on various ongoing matters within the party.

Having joined the Electoral Commission as the 7th respondent, the aggrieved applicants seek a temporary injunction to restrain the respondents from convening the delegates’ conference and conducting elections for the National Executive Committee until the disposal of the main suit.

They also want the court to prevent the party from nominating and endorsing candidates for the 2026-2031 general elections.

The founders claim that the party’s constitution registered with the Electoral Commission under the Kyagulanyi-led leadership is a falsified document and not the original one they registered in 2004 when the party was founded.

They argue that all actions taken by the party based on this constitution are illegal, null, and void.

“The introduction of the purported new party register of the NUP party is intended to delete the applicants’ names from the current party membership register and remove the applicants from the party, of which some of them are founder members,” reads the court document.

They assert that the party’s decision to overhaul or deregister the original party membership register is subject to court scrutiny and pending before the honorable court.

They thus want the court to preserve the status quo of the party’s register at the Electoral Commission.

The applicants further allege that the respondents are carrying out party activities that are prejudicial to the matter before the court.

In a chamber summons, the applicants’ lawyer seeks orders to restrain the Electoral Commission from releasing public funds to the respondents for any matters concerning the party until the main suit is resolved.

Ssimbwa Paul Kagombe, the first applicant, asserts that unless the Electoral Commission is restrained from carrying out any activities that are injurious to the applicants and prejudicial to matters before the court, the status quo regarding the party membership register shall be upset to the detriment of the applicants.

The court is expected to hear the application soon, and the outcome will determine the fate of NUP’s activities. The party’s founders are determined to have their day in court, and they are willing to fight for what they believe is right.

“NUP’s internal conflicts have spilled over into the courts, with original founders seeking to halt all party activities,” said a party insider, who wished to remain anonymous.

“This is a worrying trend for the party, and it remains to be seen how this will play out,” the source added.

The case has sparked interest among political observers, who are eager to see how the court will rule.

“This is a test of the party’s internal democracy and the rule of law,” a political analyst said, “The court’s decision will have far-reaching implications for NUP and Ugandan politics.”

As the case unfolds, one thing is clear: the fate of NUP is at a crossroads-will the court grant the injunctions, or will the party be allowed to proceed with its activities? Only time will tell.

The respondents have not yet commented on the case, but the applicants are confident that they will get justice.

“We are fighting for the soul of our party,” Ssimbwa Paul Kagombe stated, “we will not let the respondents hijack NUP and turn it into a vehicle for their selfish interests.”