National Unity Platform (NUP) president and presidential aspirant Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has today unveiled the official party membership card. The red and white card has the NUP logo, the umbrella.
Addressing the media at NUP offices in Kamwokya that also double as the headquarters of People Power, Kyagulanyi said the NUP membership card will cost a paltry Shs 1,000 for all categories of Ugandans.
Unlike other political parties like Democratic Party (DP) and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) whose membership cards vary in price, Kyagulanyi said NUP cards will remain at Shs 1,000 regardless of one’s financial, social, political or economic status.
NUP and People Power spokesperson, Joel Ssenyonyi, said they took time contemplating about a favourable amount for all people till it was resolved that the cards should be affordable to all classes of people. Ssenyonyi cited an example of boda-boda riders who have not been working due to COVID-19 directives and might not afford more than Shs 1,000 for buying NUP cards.
“All our cards are of the same standard. This is a party that we want the common man to feel it is his. People have not been working and we want to make it easy for them to be members of this party,” Ssenyonyi said.
The cheapest card also known as ordinary at DP costs Shs 2,000 but they also have cards for Shs 500,000 and Shs 1 million. FDC’s annual ordinary ticket is Shs 1,000 but a member can as well pay for one that goes for Shs 100,000 up to Shs 5 million.
Kyagulanyi said NUP is still welcoming all members to join the party or to form a People Power alliance as the clock ticks towards 2021 general elections. Citing an example of JEEMA president, Asuman Basalirwa, who is also Bugiri Municipality MP, Kyagulanyi said all people they have been working with will not be abandoned because the agenda is taking over leadership of this country.
“We told that NUP is the registered version of People Power, therefore, People Power stays. People Power is NUP and NUP is People Power and vice versa. It happens to our other allies from other political formations. Our coordinator in Busoga is honourable Asuman Basalirwa who is the president of Justice Forum or JEEMA. We told you before and we tell you again that People Power is wider than ourselves. People Power is a platform that brings together all forces of change at least the willing ones,” Kyagulanyi said.
Kyagulanyi and Ssenyonyi said NUP membership cards can be accessed at all already established and soon to be step up regional offices. For those who had picked forms to be endorsed by People Power before NUP was unveiled, Ssenyonyi said talks have already started to reach a harmonised ground.
Kyagulanyi said their desire was to register People Power as a political party but the regime panicked and registered the name as an NGO looking after old people. He said the same way he managed to acquire and takeover NUP without the state detecting until when it was too late, is the same way they will end up in State House because they are always steps ahead of state intelligence.
He said President Yoweri Museveni recently fired Electoral Commission officials because he couldn’t believe that they failed to alert security and the intelligence about the NUP party.
Kyagulanyi acquired the National Unity, Reconciliation and Development Party from Moses Nkonge Kibalama, a regime ally and managed to change its name to National Unity Platform, effectively taking over its leadership and also becoming its presidential flag bearer.