Opposition political party, National Unity Platform (NUP) is upbeat about consolidating the diaspora support as well as fostering unity amongst its supporters abroad.
On Saturday, NUP David Lewis Rubongoya, represented party President, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine, in Boston at the handover ceremony of the leadership of party’s USA Diaspora Chapter. The event saw Herman Ainebyona hand over to the group’s new leader, Daniel Kawuma.
Rubongoya said he was excited to “witness the smooth transition and administer the integrity Oath to the new leaders.”
“I appreciated the outgoing leaders for the great work and charged the new leadership to embrace unity, hard-work, commitment and loyalty to the cause. No doubt, there will be many challenges, but we must keep the focus. Very grateful to all community members who came in,” he added.
In a tweet, Kyagulanyi expressed gratitude with the Ainebyona-led group whom he said withstood different challenges to remain afloat on the quest for better leadership in the country.
“We are indebted to the outgoing leadership under comrade Herman Ainebyona for the great role they played over the past few years to advance the cause, amidst great challenges. I am grateful to the new leaders under comrade Dr. Daniel Kawuma for accepting to take over leadership at such a critical time. We shall be rooting for them and supporting them all the way. Aluta continua,” Kyagulanyi wrote on Twitter.
Last month, Bobi Wine’s right hand man and Mityana Municipality legislator, Francis Zaake, was in Toronto Canada, where he engaged with leaders of party’s Diaspora Chapter.
The move, according to commentators, is intended to further hold on to the diaspora community which has been one of the party’s key pillars.
The group that’s scattered across the globe has been key in mobilising resources, drumming up support online and also boost to have connected Kyagulanyi, to powerful liberal media in the West which touted the singer-turned-politician as the only Opposition politician who has mounted a serious challenge to President Museveni’s decades’ hold onto power.
Commentators say NUP could be worried that the emerging NRM diaspora chapters which, if not countered, threatens unity of the party’s diaspora.
Particularly in Canada, the NRM diasporas continue to drum up support for President Yoweri Museveni and registering their visibly. Last year, they organized the first Canada NRM Chapter Symposium at Niagara Falls where Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Nankabirwa represented President Yoweri Museveni.
This year, the second Canada NRM Chapter Symposium aimed at seeing NRM party members and other Ugandans share knowledge on how they can tap into the investment opportunities back home, will take place from July 7 – 9 in Brampton.
Lukia Nakadama, the third Deputy Prime Minister, will lead the government delegation.
The event will be used to encourage Ugandan diasporas to embrace dialogue and unity in order to build a robust Diaspora community, which can continuously contribute to the country’s economy.
It will also provide a platform for networking, marketing and business matchmaking, markets’ knowledge sharing, Business to Business/Government to Government meetings, and deal making.
