The National Unity Platform (NUP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding under the National Consultative Forum (NCF), a move that could allow the opposition party to access government funding through a system it has long criticized.
This follows Parliament’s amendment of the Political Parties and Organisations Act, which now requires all political parties to join either the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) or the Forum for Non-Represented Political Parties. Both bodies are now under the NCF, a statutory platform that coordinates and funds political party activities.
NUP, which serves as Deputy Chairperson of the NCF, had previously boycotted IPOD, calling it a political tool to legitimize President Museveni’s rule. The party says signing the MoU is not cooperation with the government but a legal requirement while it awaits the Constitutional Court’s decision on its petition challenging the law.
“The National Unity Platform has decided to sign the current Memorandum of Understanding since it is already a member of the applicable organ by conscription of the law,” NUP stated. The party added that refusing to sign could have allowed the Electoral Commission to block its operations, including participation in elections and access to statutory funding.
Under the new law, all NCF-recognized parties — including NRM, FDC, UPC, DP, JEEMA, and NUP — are entitled to annual government funding. This situation creates a dilemma for NUP: comply and risk criticism for taking state funds, or resist and risk operational restrictions.
NUP has filed a Constitutional Petition challenging the law, arguing it was passed without consultation and targets the party’s independence. The party maintains that its participation in the NCF is temporary and purely “strategic compliance” until the court rules.
About the NCF
The National Consultative Forum (NCF) is a government-recognized platform for all registered political parties, overseeing coordination, consultation, and funding. It supervises IPOD for parliamentary parties and the Forum for Non-Represented Political Parties. Under the new law, all parties must participate in the NCF to receive funding or operate legally. NUP insists its compliance is temporary while the legal challenge is ongoing.
