The National Unity Platform (NUP) has taken the government to the High Court in Kampala, saying it was unfairly removed from public funding given to political parties. The case is against the Attorney General and the Electoral Commission.
The issue started on August 25, 2025, when Justice Minister Norbert Mao told the Electoral Commission to share the money with only six parties. NUP, which is the second-largest party in Parliament, was not included. Party leaders say this decision breaks the law and puts them at a disadvantage ahead of the 2026 elections.
NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya told the court that the party has been receiving money every quarter since 2021. He said the new rule that allows only members of the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) to get funds is unfair and was made without consulting NUP. He also said the party never received official documents about the change, and only found out from the media that a meeting was held at Kololo on September 18 where the decisions were made.
The money in question is big. Government recently sent UGX 11.25 billion to the Electoral Commission for the first quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year. Reports show the total for the year is around UGX 52.5 billion, meaning each of the six approved parties could get about UGX 7.5 billion. NUP says losing this support will hurt its ability to run activities and prepare for the elections.
Lawyers for the state have asked the court to dismiss the case, saying it has no strong grounds. The matter will return to court on October 10, 2025, when the Attorney General is expected to file a full reply and NUP will also give its response.
