NUP Dismisses Video of Bukedea Woman MP Candidate Denying Kidnap Claims

The National Unity Platform (NUP) has dismissed a video clip featuring Asio Florence, the party’s candidate for the Bukedea District Woman Parliamentary seat, in which she denies allegations that she was kidnapped on nomination day.

Rumors about Asio’s disappearance surfaced on Wednesday, shortly after NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu reported that she had gone missing together with members of her campaign team while traveling to Bukedea for nomination.

“The whereabouts of our candidate for Bukedea Woman MP, Asio Florence, are unknown. Her phone and the phones of the comrades she was traveling with from Soroti to Bukedea are all off. We’re in touch with their relatives who are desperately looking for them,” Kyagulanyi said.

Asio’s reported disappearance left the Electoral Commission (EC) with no choice but to declare Speaker Anita Among unopposed for the Bukedea Woman MP seat, sparking fears of political intimidation ahead of the 2026 general elections. However, over the weekend, a video clip of Asio surfaced on social media in which she denied claims by NUP that she had been kidnapped. In the video, Asio said she withdrew from the race voluntarily due to family pressure, adding that she was not abducted by anyone, including the Speaker of Parliament.

“As the Speaker’s daughter, I faced family pressure to pull out of the race. My decision to contest came suddenly, and my family wasn’t aware. When they found out, they were shocked, and the pressure mounted. I couldn’t handle it anymore,” Asio said.

Despite the video, NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya dismissed the claims, insisting that the party remains concerned about Asio’s safety since her phones are still switched off and her whereabouts remain unknown. Rubongoya said many NUP members have previously been abducted and forced to make statements under duress.

“We cannot judge her right now because we don’t know her whereabouts. We know the tactics of this regime. You remember Eric Mwesigwa, who was abducted, tortured, and brought out by Felix Kulaigye to say words in front of the media? You’ve seen some of our young supporters who were jailed in Kitalya for years until some accepted to say whatever the regime wanted to get their freedom. So, we can’t judge her at the moment,” Rubongoya said. 

He expressed optimism that once Asio is free, she will reveal the truth about what happened. Rubongoya also noted that several other NUP candidates were denied nominations in different areas.

Police Spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Kituuma Rusoke, said the police could not investigate Asio’s alleged kidnapping since she denied it, attributing her withdrawal to family pressure. He, however, stated that anyone dissatisfied with the nomination process for parliamentary candidates could file a petition with the Electoral Commission or report a criminal case to the police.

Before the nomination exercise, three women — Mercy Alupo of NUP, Susan Norma Otai of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), and Hellen Akol Odeke, an Independent — were removed from the voters’ register by parish tribunals under contested circumstances. This initially left Speaker Among without a challenger before NUP unveiled Asio as its new flag bearer.