Chairman Nyanzi Fred, the National Chief Campaign Mobilizer for the National Unity Platform (NUP), has called upon his son, Ssentamu Churchill James, to resign from his position as Guild President of Makerere University. This request follows the photos taken of Churchill alongside President Museveni.
It is important to note that the President visited the university this week for official engagements and met with the student leadership. When it was time for a photo opportunity, Churchill, as the Guild leader, was among those in attendance.
This has caused discontent among NUP supporters, who are questioning how the young leader could betray their cause. Among those expressing disappointment is his father, Chairman Nyanzi, who released a nearly three-minute video addressing the issue. Nyanzi explained that he saw the matter on social media and, being out of the country, needed to confirm its accuracy first.
After verification, he shared some advice for his son. He began by reminding him that President Museveni is a dictator and a murderer, with blood on his hands from both the Ssentamu family ancestors and the wider Ugandan population. Nyanzi expressed that Museveni has long sought someone from the Ssentamu lineage to corrupt, and he saw this photo as a regrettable moment of compromise.
The former Kampala Central MP aspirant urged his son not to become the weak link that the ‘Dictator’ could exploit. He further mentioned that since Churchill is a member of the National Unity Platform, it would be prudent for him to publicly apologize for this incident or even step down.
“I saw reports circulating about my son meeting with the dictator, and I had to verify the information since I was abroad. After confirming, I need to inform my son that the man he posed with is a bloody murderous dictator with stained hands. He has killed many of our people and has long sought a weak link in the Ssentamu family; I advise my son not to become that pathway. I suggest he either apologize or resign if he cannot withstand the situation,” stated Nyanzi.
This matter has sparked a divided opinion on social media, with some people defending Churchill while others argue he should have stood firm and declined the photo opportunity. Nyanzi reminded his son of Museveni’s long history of attempting to harm Bobi Wine and the imprisonment and torture of his siblings.
It is noteworthy that Churchill won the guild election as an Independent candidate after NUP denied him the party ticket. Following his victory, he did not hesitate to attribute his landslide success to God and distanced himself from NUP, which he claimed did not support him.
On the other hand, Nyanzi himself was previously an NRM supporter for over 30 years and has contested several times on the party’s ticket at various levels.
