David Lewis Rubongoya, the secretary general of the National Unity Platform (NUP) has said he was once a great supporter of President Museveni but fell out with the president when the age limit cap in the Constitution was lifted in 2017.
“I was a supporter and admirer [of Museveni] like other people who look up to him and over a long time he was my role model. He was someone that I look up to. First of all with more education you begin understanding a few more things about society and how it is governed,” he said during NBS TV’s popular Face-off show.
Rubongoya explained that he stopped supporting Museveni when acts of torture started increasing in the country in addition to other things related to the abuse of human rights.
“The last point of my departure is when the talk of age limit started, removing the age limit from the Constitution for me that was it.The question is about longevity in power and many Ugandans would tell you that they want Gen Museveni to leave power peacefully so that this country gets a new consensus,” he said.
Rubongoya explained that when Museveni came out from the bush in 1986, there were many people who disagreed with him and left therefore his departure from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) shouldn’t be a surprise to Ugandans who need a fundamental change.
“In my case I thought after the 2016 election, that would be his last time he would appear on the ballot so that this country gets a new consensus. The moment they started that especially when they said he would be in power beyond 75 years of age, I felt betrayed, ”he said.
Rubongoya also refuted rumours that have been making rounds on social media that he has been offered a position as ambassador adding that such false information is aimed at tarnishing his image.
“I wouldn’t take the position because I don’t believe that this struggle is for personal aggrandisement or personal favours. It is not about me as an individual, it is about Uganda, If there is any dialogue with General Museveni which we have never dismissed, but we said that it is Ugandans that should be on the negotiation table not individuals,” he said.
