The National Unity Platform (NUP) has formally applied to join the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD), a move that signals a significant shift in the party’s approach to Uganda’s political dialogue platform.
For years, NUP and its president, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, have been critical of IPOD, arguing that the platform largely served the interests of the ruling establishment. However, the party now says changes in the law have made membership increasingly important.
NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya recently explained that the party’s decision is influenced by amendments to the Political Parties and Organisations Act, which tie government funding to participation in IPOD.
The application was reportedly submitted through Acting NUP President Dr. Lina Zedriga, who is currently overseeing party affairs in Kyagulanyi’s absence.
Despite the application being submitted, uncertainty remains over whether IPOD will accept it.
Sources indicate that questions have been raised about whether the request should have been signed directly by the substantive party president rather than the acting president. As a result, it remains unclear how the IPOD leadership will respond.
The move comes against the backdrop of an ongoing legal battle between NUP, the Attorney General and the Electoral Commission.
Last year, NUP petitioned the High Court’s Civil Division in Kampala, challenging its exclusion from statutory government funding allocated to political parties.
The case followed a directive issued by Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao on August 25, 2025, instructing the Electoral Commission to distribute public funding to only six political parties, leaving NUP out.
NUP argues that the directive was unlawful and inconsistent with both the Constitution and the Political Parties and Organisations Act.
According to court documents filed by Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, NUP has been receiving quarterly government funding since the 2021/2022 financial year and remains an active member of the National Consultative Forum (NCF), where it serves as Deputy Chairperson.
The party also argues that it was excluded from consultations surrounding the implementation of the Political Parties and Organisations (Amendment) Act, 2025.
The controversy stems from amendments to the law assented to on June 15, 2025, which restrict government funding to political parties that belong to and actively participate in IPOD.
NUP has challenged the requirement, describing it as discriminatory and unconstitutional. The party further argues that it was never consulted before the changes were adopted.
Rubongoya has also maintained that NUP has repeatedly requested copies of the statutory instrument and the Memorandum of Understanding governing the new IPOD framework, but these documents have not been provided to the party.
With its application now submitted, attention turns to IPOD’s leadership and whether NUP will be formally admitted into the organisation. The decision could have major implications for both the party’s political engagement and its access to public funding ahead of the next electoral cycle.
