The National Unity Platform (NUP) Coordinator for the Acholi Sub-region, Brian Jakisa Mungu, has crossed over to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) alongside 36 other members.

Mungu publicly announced his defection on Wednesday during President Yoweri Museveni’s campaign rally held at Kaunda Parade Grounds in Gulu City.

The group, mainly composed of young district registrars, coordinators, and mobilizers from Gulu City and neighboring districts, was officially received by President Museveni in the presence of senior NRM officials.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the announcement, Mungu said his decision came after “a careful analysis” of what he described as NUP’s failure to provide a clear agenda for youth empowerment or meaningful political direction.

According to Mungu, the opposition party “doesn’t have anything for the young people and is full of excitement.” “We are fighting for leadership, but we are seeing only excitement in the opposition. We don’t want excitement; Uganda will not be ruled by excitement. We want leadership, and we have seen that leadership is what President Museveni is bringing,” Mungu said.

He added that while joining the NRM may not instantly solve all the challenges facing Uganda’s youth, it presents a more practical path toward influencing change within the government. “Crossing to NRM doesn’t absolutely resolve everything, but it’s better for us to fight for our space from inside the ruling government. How do you want to be heard when you are speaking from outside the fence?”

Mungu, who had been part of NUP since its People Power movement origins, also shared that his time in the opposition had come with significant personal sacrifices. “By being in NUP, I lost everything. I have been arrested and detained countless times by police, and the party has done nothing for me. Many of our colleagues are still in jail, some have died, and others are in exile because of the same excitement,” he lamented.

Another defector, Kelvin Alioda, expressed similar frustration, saying she initially joined NUP out of optimism but later grew disillusioned, claiming the party leadership was “using the youth for hidden agendas.” “As young people, we thought NUP would give us a voice. But we later realized we were being manipulated. I am tired of hiding and running from security personnel. I want freedom,” Alioda said.

However, NUP’s northern leadership downplayed the significance of the defection, calling it “long anticipated.”

Caesar Rubangakene, the party’s Deputy Spokesperson for Northern Uganda, remarked that Mungu’s move did not come as a surprise, adding that concerns over his loyalty had been circulating for months.

Mungu’s defection follows the party’s recent decision to deny him the NUP flag for the Bardege-Layibi Division Parliamentary seat, instead nominating Robinson Akera as its official candidate for the upcoming elections.

This development mirrors an earlier case in 2020, when Bosmic Joyce Otim, a prominent musician and former People Power mobilizer, also defected to the ruling party.

Both the NRM leadership in Gulu and at the national level praised the group’s decision, describing it as patriotic and a reflection of the growing public trust in the NRM’s youth-centered agenda.

The defections come amid a heightened NRM campaign drive in the Acholi Sub-region, where President Museveni has pledged to boost industrialization, promote commercial agriculture, and expand youth livelihood programs.