Rubongoya: IPOD law was brought to target NUP

• Rubongoya claims the IPOD law was designed to weaken NUP and block its access to party funding.

• He accuses Minister Norbert Mao of refusing to issue the statutory instrument needed for the law to take effect.

• Despite losing government funds, NUP continues to operate through citizen fundraising and grassroots mobilization.

The National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, has accused government of using the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) law as a political weapon to target the opposition party.

Speaking alongside party president Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), Rubongoya said the law brought to Parliament was “essentially meant to cripple NUP.”

“The law that was brought to Parliament was brought essentially to target the National Unity Platform, and it is very clear,” Rubongoya said.

He explained that for the new IPOD framework to take effect, a statutory instrument had to be issued — something he claimed Justice Minister Norbert Mao had “deliberately refused to make” because it would remove any legal basis to block NUP.

“Mao knows that once the statutory instrument is in force, there is no legal basis they can use to block NUP,” he added.

Rubongoya accused government of shifting tactics after earlier attempts to discredit NUP through the Auditor General and the Inspectorate of Government failed.

“They found that our books of accounts were very good. In fact, NRM was the one not accounting,” he said.

He further alleged that the ruling party had now directed that funds initially reserved for NUP be shared among other political parties under the National Consultative Forum (NCF).

“Even when the Electoral Commission said this money should go to NUP, a letter came yesterday saying it should be shared amongst them,” he revealed.

Despite these challenges, Rubongoya expressed optimism, saying NUP continues to mobilize and operate using public donations.

“It’s now close to six months without getting any funds, but the party has kept operating using the money we raised from the people,” he said.

He also mocked the ruling party’s spending habits:

“NRM took 8.5 billion shillings, but with all the billions they have, they cannot do the rallies we do,” Rubongoya noted.

Rubongoya concluded that NUP’s resilience shows “the power of the people” even in the face of financial and political suppression.