Protecting the Principal- Why Rich NUP Supporters bought Bobi Wine Bullet Proof vehicle

On Sunday, an image of National Unity Platform, NUP party president/principal Robert Kyagulanyi posing with a new car made rounds on the internet after he posted it, with a thank you note for his supporters.

According to Kyagulanyi, the vehicle was a gift from his friends in Uganda and abroad in support if the struggle for freedom and democracy.

“On behalf of the National Unity Platform, I would love to thank all comrades here and abroad who supported our campaign financially, to a point that we never lacked anything on the campaign trail. Some Ugandans gave as little as 500 shillings, as testament for their commitment to the cause. There are some friends who deposited money at petrol stations so that our vehicles never lacked fuel. THANK YOU. Some Ugandans took it upon themselves to raise funds which supported our polling agents and supervisors countrywide. THANK YOU” Kyagulanyi said.

He added that from the time they were attacked with live bullets on the campaign trail and particularly when a projectile hit Dan Magic smashing his face, many Ugandans out of concern sent him bullet proof vests and ballistic helmets, which he put on throughout the campaign period, and gave others to comrades.

Adding that if anyone did not have one on in Masaka, the story would be different.

According to the party principal, there is another group of comrades who kick-started a fundraising campaign for a bullet proof vehicle and informed him of their plan, but he had thought it was an uphill task, given how expensive it is.

“A few weeks ago, these comrades surprised me when they informed me that they had succeeded in raising enough money for the vehicle, and here it is. I can’t THANK YOU enough. There are those who have continued to support the efforts of our Secretariat in reaching out to the families of injured comrades, as well as those who are in prisons. You comrades continue to lift the burden off our shoulders, and for this WE ARE GRATEFUL” Kyagulanyi says.

He noted that contrary to what President Yoweri Museveni and his spin-masters love to say, the struggle to-date continues to be supported by Ugandans here and abroad and that he is very, very grateful as without their effort and support, he would never have been able to come this far.

One of his supporters named Malik Ssali claims to have initiated the fundraising campaign for the armored SUV for his party president. This was in order to protect their president.

“Wow…I kick-started this fundraising on my account ( Malik De’Boss which was disabled) people called us all sorts of names, opportunists, fraudster, thieves we were somehow discouraged, I thank God that the mission was accomplished. Congratulations mr president” Ssali claims.

Ssali warned some that bloggers subscribing to the ruling NRM party are allegedly plotting to spin the story into making people think that the car came from President.

Indeed, some people who commented on his image, wondered how the same car was cleared by customs, if the party claims to have secretly acquired it. They wondered if indeed it was a buy off from President Museveni.

Ssali however provided evidence of fliers they used to campaign for the vehicle as NUP supporters.