Robert Kyagulanyi, the president of the National Unity Platform has pledged to defend liberal principles including “the rights of those who are vulnerable to discrimination whether they are members of ethnic group, PWDs…and LGBTQ+ people”.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This was one of the resolutions made at a gathering of human rights activists, academics, and political actors fighting for enactment of “liberal principles” in Santiago, Chile.
It is organized by The Latin American Liberal Network (Relial) which brings together liberal organizations in the region and beyond.
NUP is an affiliate member of the network whose four core values are: the defense of democracy; respect for human rights; the primacy of the rule of law and promoting the market economy.
All participating members including NUP agreed to adhere to this and other pledges such as access to quality education and healthcare and respect for human rights.
Kyagulanyi, who was accompanied by Lewis Rubongoya, NUP’s secretary general, addressed the gathering yesterday. In his short speech, he narrated the challenges NUP has faced in its effort to bring about good governance and respect for human rights in Uganda.
“Many of our supporters are rotting in jail. Others have been killed by the state. It is not easy but we (NUP) shall push on,” he said, receiving applause from the gathering.
Yet it is the pledge by NUP to defend LGBTQI+ people that is likely going to raise eyebrows in Uganda where many people remain sexually conservative.
Already Abed Bwanika, the NUP MP for Kimanya-Kabonera today posted that they will not accept the promotion of “homosexuality” in Uganda.
The country passed the Anti-Homosexuality Law last year amid protestations from local human rights activists and donors.
At the time Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, declined to state decisively whether he was for or against the law.
During an interview with BBC in November last year, he said many of the MPs who voted for the law including those from NUP were “working with Museveni.”
“I wanna be known as a leader that is respectful and inclusive of everybody,” he told the BBC.
