Days after posting the lists of the successful persons awarded National Unity Platform (NUP) cards to contest on local, division, municipality and district offices in the coming general elections, Harriet Chemutai the party’s Election Management Committee (EMC) furiously stormed Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) office at the party headquarters in Kavule threatening to resign from the assignment given to her by the party top leadership
Chemutai stormed Bobi Wine’s office after spending almost two days asking for a meeting with him and he was told every time of asking that the principal was very busy yet she wanted to address her grievances directly to him not through anyone else.
Bobi Wine was forced to summon the top party leaders after Chamutai informed him that she was going to resign from her position accussing them of undermining their work as members assigned to handle the process of choosing the suitable candidates to be awarded party cards. She disclosed that people who did not get the party card have started accusing them of being corrupt.
Highly placed sources at Kavule told this website that, Bobi Wine allowed other members of the EMC to attend the meeting where they questioned why 30% of the candidates they recommended to be given party tickets were changed and their positions given to other people who didn’t perform well during the vetting process without consulting them.
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Bobi Wine together with David Lewis Rubongoya the party Secretary General pleaded with Chamutai not to resign. They explained the her that the said action was going to put the party in bad light. Thy assured her that going forward, they will be consulted concerning any amendments in their vetted lists.
Kampala Lord Mayor candidate on NUP card Ronald Balimwezo told this website that NUP hired a private company which went on the ground to collect the 60% marks for each contestant which the EMC used to evaluate candidates before adding the 40% from the headquarters.
Sources said that Bobi Wine’s supreme committee which consists of the top leadership of the party made changes on the lists forwarded by Chamutai committee because there were names of candidates they preferred for different positions.
“ Like Balimwezo, he was given the opportunity to choose the councillors who should be given the party card for city hall positions. The same applied to Moses Katabu at Kampala Central Division where he is contesting for mayor and other candidates in other places,” a source said
He added that because of the threats Chamutai made, when Bobi Wine and group were going through the final lists for Members of Parliament, she was consulted on the changes they made at the final hour especially that of Zahara Luyirika who was defeated as Kampala district woman Member of Parliament.
Sources said that Chemutai has been more serious and corrupt free. A story is told where one of the candidates from greater Mukono entered the vetting room with a bag full of money and he opened it wide to make sure that members see the money
Furiously, Chemutai immediately directed him to move out of the vetting room with his money and she followed him together with John Marry Ssebuufu the Commissioner and directly moved to the microphone and warned other candidates never be attempt to enter the vetting room with money.
Sources said that Chemutai committee has been more transparent and corruption free compared to Mercy Walukamba’s 2020 Committee where money was shared among the committee members and top party leaders.
One of the successful candidates then, in one of the key Kamapala constituencies alleged that he paid a Shs1bn bribe to get the card.
Sources said that this statement angered Bobi Wine so much that is why this MP was denied the card this time.
