The National Unity Platform (NUP) has officially distanced itself from Ssentamu Churchill James, the Guild President of Makerere University and son of Fred Nyanzi popularly known as Chairman Nyanzi and brother to NUP party president, Bobi Wine.
The announcement was made by NUP Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, during a live discussion on X Space (formerly Twitter Spaces).
Rubongoya confirmed that Churchill’s membership in the party became void after Ssentamu Churchill chose to run as an independent candidate in the university’s guild elections, following his loss in the party’s internal primaries.
According to the NUP constitution, any member who chooses to contest independently after losing in primaries automatically forfeits their membership.
“The young man is no longer a member of NUP,” Rubongoya stated firmly. He reiterated that the party has clear guidelines and principles, and individuals who go against them cannot continue to be recognized as members.
“I have no comment on someone who is not a member,” he added.
The controversy intensified after a video of Chairman Nyanzi advising his son to apologize or resign surfaced online.
The conversation reportedly stemmed from a now-viral photo showing Churchill posing with President Yoweri Museveni and other student leaders during the launch of Makerere University’s Research and Innovations Week.
Clarifying the incident, Rubongoya noted that Chairman Nyanzi was speaking not as a party official, but as a concerned father.
“He was talking to his son, reminding him that the individual he posed with in the photo has harmed many people, including myself and other family members,” Rubongoya said, alluding to President Museveni’s long-standing opposition to the NUP and its leaders.
The image sparked a flurry of debate online, with some critics accusing Churchill of betraying the opposition movement due to his proximity to the President. However, others defended the move, pointing out that as Guild President, Churchill is expected to represent the interests of the entire student body, not just his political affiliation, and that the event was an official university function not a political rally.
Ssentamu Churchill has not yet issued a public statement in response to the party’s declaration or the ongoing public scrutiny.
As tensions simmer, the incident has once again highlighted the delicate balance between youth political engagement, party loyalty, and institutional representation in Uganda’s charged political climate.
