Rose Nalubowa has stirred fresh controversy within the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) after revealing that she was not the only party member who held a meeting with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, claiming that at least 12 other individuals who previously belonged to NUP also met the President.
Nalubowa, whose alleged engagement with Museveni has attracted criticism from sections of the opposition, says she is being unfairly singled out while other people who participated in similar engagements have remained largely untouched by public criticism.
In her latest revelations, Nalubowa reportedly disclosed that 12 other members who were on the NUP ticket also had meetings with Museveni, questioning why the public debate has concentrated almost entirely on her.
She further made a controversial claim that anyone seeking to become a Member of Parliament must first obtain approval from President Museveni, a statement that is likely to generate serious debate about the independence of Uganda’s electoral and political processes.
Her remarks have placed fresh pressure on NUP, a party that has built much of its political identity around challenging the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and opposing what it describes as state interference in democratic processes.
The revelations have also reopened questions about political loyalty, secret engagements and the conduct of opposition politicians who publicly condemn the government while allegedly maintaining private relationships with the President.
However, Nalubowa’s claims about the other 12 individuals and the alleged requirement for presidential approval have not been independently established. Their identities and the circumstances surrounding the reported meetings remain unclear.
Her defence has particularly angered sections of opposition supporters who believe that the controversy goes beyond individual political meetings. For many, the bigger issue is the timing and circumstances under which such engagements allegedly happened.
The criticism is rooted in the painful experiences of opposition supporters who have faced arrests, injuries and, in some cases, death during political confrontations. Some supporters have reportedly lost limbs, while families continue to live with the consequences of political violence and alleged human rights abuses.
Against that background, Nalubowa’s revelations have raised an uncomfortable question among opposition supporters: while ordinary supporters were risking their lives, freedom and physical safety in the struggle, were some politicians quietly pursuing their own political interests?
Her latest statements could trigger further demands for accountability within NUP, particularly if the identities of the alleged 12 members are eventually made public.
For a party whose supporters have made enormous personal sacrifices, the controversy threatens to deepen an already sensitive debate about political loyalty, personal ambition and the price of opposition politics in Uganda.
