NUP Tensions Rise Over Fred Nyanzi's Listing as State Witness in Military Drills Case

Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu, elder brother of National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi and a key party figure, faces accusations of disloyalty after the state listed him as a witness in a case against NUP members. The defendants, including Eddie Mutwe, Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, Olivia Lutaaya, and others, are charged under Section 45(1)(b) of the Penal Code Act for unauthorized military-style drills, facing up to seven years in prison.

The controversy stems from a February 2025 event at NUP headquarters, where videos showed ‘foot soldiers’ led by Nyanzi conducting a parade to celebrate Kyagulanyi’s birthday. Dressed in red overalls and berets, they remixed old Bush War songs, prompting a swift UPDF warning and arrests after Supreme Court intervention blocked military trials.

Nyanzi was abducted post-event, tortured by security agencies like CMI and JATT, and released after naming some participants, which he said was public knowledge. Now, his inclusion as a witness has opponents claiming he cut a deal for freedom, though he denies recording any statement and calls it a ploy to fracture NUP unity.

Legal experts note any statement from him could be challenged as obtained under duress. Nyanzi, once an NRM activist who switched to NUP, has a history of internal influence and electoral losses, including in Kawempe South, where he alleges victory was stolen.

Critics within NUP demand an investigation into his ties, while he urges focus on opposition unity amid his ongoing election petition.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)