Earlier this week, National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, accused the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, of presenting sham NUP candidates to President Yoweri Museveni.
Bobi Wine’s accusations come after about 250 NUP leaders from Kyenjojo, Bundibugyo, and Bunyangabo districts led by three parliamentary candidates and several flag bearers for various local government positions defected on December 24. The group cited the party’s lack of a clear agenda for the future of the country as the reason for their departure.
Meanwhile, the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) is gaining ground ahead of the 2026 presidential elections, with 16 of its parliamentary candidates elected unopposed. Among them are Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and her Deputy, Thomas Tayebwa.
Bobi Wine shared a video aired by the national broadcaster UBC, alleging that Tayebwa presented non-NUP members to President Museveni as opposition candidates.
“Here is Thomas Tayebwa reading to President Museveni three people who have never been NUP candidates,” Wine said. “They know how desperate he is to buy all our candidates and have now started extorting money from him using ghost candidates.”
“They parade fake candidates to him because they know the moment he hears NUP, he releases money to pay them off,” Wine added.
In response, Tayebwa acknowledged that one of the individuals presented was not an official NUP flag bearer.
“It’s true that one of the presented comrades was not a NUP flag bearer, and I regret that. Such a mistake will not be repeated.However, the fact remains that tens of your official parliamentary flag bearers have crossed to NRM or withdrawn from the race.”Tayebwa said.
Tayebwa urged Bobi Wine to respect people who once supported him.
“For you to brand everyone who leaves you a sellout is very unfortunate. There was—and there is—no need to pay any of these people. They are approaching us themselves, and more are coming,” he said.
“These are people you lied to, promised what you knew you could not fulfill, yet expected them to remain in your camp. They tell me you promised each of them 50 million shillings to take your flag, only to abandon them along the way,” Tayebwa added.
Tayebwa said politics is about engagement and said the NRM will continue engaging those opposed to the party, including Bobi Wine and his close associates.
“We do not need to buy anyone. We only need to debunk the lies spread about our government, our party, and our candidate who has sacrificed so much so that you can enjoy this beautiful country,” Tayebwa said.
