Genesis of the Mpuuga-Bobi Wine fallout 

When Mr Mathias Mpuuga and his colleagues from the Democratic Party (DP) bloc joined the People Power pressure group in mid-2020, their arrival wasn’t welcomed by everyone from the then Kamwokya-based group.

Some members of the People Power Movement – that later morphed into National Unity Platform (NUP) – viewed the entrance of the DP bloc members into the infant political group as disruptive. 

They felt Mpuuga’s experience and the number of politicians he had moved in with from DP in the mass exodus would dismantle the arrangements in Kamwokya.

During the press conference in August 2020 at the then NUP headquarters in Kamwokya in Kampala, members of the DP bloc, apart from signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with People Power, were subjected to different scrutiny.  Since then, there have been signs of strife within the party, with some party leaders and supporters attacking Mpuuga.

Parliament business
Upon being appointed Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) in 2021, Mpuuga got a baptism of fire when two NUP MPs, Mr Muhammad Ssegirinya of Kawempe North and Allan Ssewanyana of Makindye West, were arrested on allegations of being connected to the infamous machete-wielding gangs in Greater Masaka region.

Sources say party leader Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, was never happy with the way his LoP was handling business. 

Mpuuga was accused of using a very soft style of leadership while addressing matters of the arrests and abductions of party leaders and supporters.

“We always had this issue and called Mr Mpuuga to order at so many points, but he didn’t listen to anyone,” NUP deputy spokesperson Alex Mufumbiro told this newspaper.

Magere meeting
In September 2021, a meeting was held at Bobi Wine’s residence in Magere, Wakiso District, to task Mpuuga to explain his closeness to the leadership of Parliament, and why he was purportedly working at snail’s pace to address matters of disappearances of NUP supporters.

This meeting included Bobi Wine, party secretary general David Lewis Rubongoya, spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi, and deputy president in-charge of the west Jolly Mugisha.

Also in the meeting were Mr John Baptist Nambeshe, the deputy president in-charge of the east, and other senior party leaders.

Mpuuga was also accused of not offering leadership when MPs, including those from Opposition, took Shs40m as appreciation for passing a supplementary budget. 

Although some MPs confessed to receiving the money and promised to return it as directed by the party leadership, Mpuuga insisted in several media interviews that he was not aware of such money.

This newspaper at the time did a story about the growing strife within the party, and when Mpuuga was asked about the Magere meeting, he neither confirmed nor denied it.

“You mean I meet with my president [Bobi Wine] and he comes and tells you whatever we have discussed? What kind of thing is that?” he replied in a WhatsApp message. 

Zaake’s sacking
In February 2022 when Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake was accused of disrespecting Speaker of Parliament Anita Among on social media, and he was subsequently removed from his position as commissioner of Parliament, Bobi Wine asked his LoP to intervene and have the vocal MP reinstated, but it didn’t happen.

Some sources within NUP informed this reporter that they believe Mpuuga supported the continued blocking of Zaake from accessing his office despite the Constitutional Court ruling that Parliament breached the rules in impeaching Zaake.

Asked to respond to allegations against him in this story, Mpuuga promised to get back to this reporter, but had not by press time, despite repeated messages. 

A music producer who works closely with Bobi Wine and did not want to be named, says the musician-cum-politician’s song Nalumansi was a dedication to Mpuuga. The song portrays betrayal by a woman named Nalumansi. 

By this time, the party relationship with Mpuuga had gone sour, with the public witnessing altercations between Mufumbiro and Mpuuga.

“Some people within that small and young party should accept to be led because we are the people who know it all,” Mpuuga said while appearing at CBS radio last year.

Hitting back, Mufumbiro accused Mpuuga of undermining party structures and leaders.

Imminent sacking 
Close to half way into his tenure as LoP, the troubles had become insurmountable and Bobi Wine was determined to sack Mpuuga in early 2023.

It took the intervention of the Catholic Church and Buganda Kingdom to try and reconcile the warring sides.

A meeting was called at Bulange in Mengo. It was attended by some senior kingdom and church leaders, Mpuuga, and Bobi Wine, among others.

Sources that attended the meeting say in the middle of the heated meeting, Mpuuga walked out, although it was explained that he had another urgent engagement.

Mpuuga was also accused of mobilising about 20 MPs to back his ambitions.

“Mr Mpuuga opposed our party constitution publicly because we had included a clause that gives MPs a two-term limit. We have not healed from this as well, but we know that he has been plotting to take over the party and that will not happen,” a source within NUP claims.

The party secretary general, Rubongoya, says: “We know about all that, but we have decided not to comment about it right now.” 

Battle for Masaka
Buganda Kingdom and the Catholic Church are influential in Masaka politics, with Mpuuga said to have a strong support from these two power centres.

With the battle lines drawn, more than two NUP supporters have sprung up to show interest in Mpuuga’s Nyendo–Mukungwe seat. 

Mr Lubowa Ssebina, who is the bursar at Makerere University, boasts of the work he has done for the people of Masaka and NUP.

“Mr Mpuuga has stopped party mobilisation events and that is not good for us. We have not sat to discuss recruitment and making sure more people join the party and he thinks that no one else can do anything without him,” Mr Lubowa said.

Ms Alice Nanungi, who is also eyeing the seat, says Mpuuga has not delivered on his promises and should make way for others.

But at a recent event in Masaka, Mpuuga accused NUP party leaders of disorganising supporters in his constituency.

“We are not here to play games. There are members and leaders within the party that need to be taught a lesson. I will stand on my own two feet and stop any leader who is coming to disorganise my people,” Mpuuga said.

The commissioner of Parliament has on several occasions accused party leaders of supporting and grooming other leaders to undermine, and he says he will not allow that to happen.