What next for embattled Mpuuga?

Uganda’s biggest Opposition party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), is in a state of war, pitting president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine, against Mr Mathias Mpuuga, the former Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP).

After conflict over the Shs500 million that Mpuuga received as “a service ward”, the Nyendo-Mukungwe Member of Parliament (MP) made it clear that he won’t resign as parliamentary commissioner as the party demanded, and threw veiled digs at Kyagulanyi.

“I have not had a meeting with my party leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu. I have only been hearing him speak at funerals, conferences, the media, among others, trying to convince the country to believe that I’m a terrible human being. But the country has refused to believe that,” Mpuuga said.

Kyagulanyi responded by suspending Mpuuga. 

“The president of the National Unity Platform has suspended Hon Mathias Mpuuga from the position of deputy president (central region) for engaging in actions of corruption and abuse of office — which actions he has failed to give any satisfactory explanation for,” said a short statement released by NUP.

With Mpuuga now being considered as an alien in NUP, sources that are close to him have said he has been thinking about his next course of action after the war escalated.  

Though he said it vaguely at a recent press conference organised at Parliament, he made it clear that he intends to reform NUP.

“Let me now assure the entire NUP leadership, membership, supporters and the general public, that NUP is my party and I harbour no intentions whatsoever of leaving; I am going nowhere. Rather I’ll in the coming days embark on a process of instituting internal party reforms to make it a credible and competent government in waiting,” he said.

In intending to take the war to NUP leadership by asking for reforms sources close to Mpuuga, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t allowed to speak, have said the former LoP intends to put the question of NUP’s constitution to the fore.

NUP’s constitution has raised several issues with some party insiders insisting the party is not operating with the constitution ever since it shelved the one it inherited from the National Unity, Reconciliation and Development Party (NURP) under the leadership of Moses Kibalama Nkonge.

When Kyagulanyi was firing Mpuuga from the position of NUP vice president in charge of the Buganda region he for the first time cited the party’s constitution. 

“You have thus far failed to provide any satisfactory explanation for engaging in this action which goes against the vision, mission and objectives of the party. It also goes against article 53 (b) and (f) of the party constitution which obligates party members to conduct themselves in a manner that doesn’t bring disrepute to the name of the party as well as practice accountable leadership,” Kyagulanyi said.

“… And accordingly refer the matter to the national executive committee for further processing,” he added. 

Mpuuga had already cast doubt on NUP’s moves against him, saying there was no constitution.

“About the constitution go and ask the party’s secretary general [David Lewis Rubongoya], who is the custodian of the party. And ask him why the party is operating without the constitution,” Mpuuga said.

NUP, however, released a statement last week to shed more light on the issue. 

“A political party cannot operate without a constitution. The National Unity Platform has a constitution which guides its operations. The constitution we use currently is the one we inherited when we took leadership of the party in 2020,” a statement on X (formerly Twitter) read.

“As we have repeatedly said, that constitution has several defects. That is why in 2023, we amended and had it gazetted by the Electoral Commission,” it added.

When contacted for comment on the status of the NUP constitution, Electoral Commission (EC) lawyer Eric Sabiiti said “it’s too sensitive. I can’t comment about that,” referring this writer to the EC spokesperson. 

“I can’t comment on that issue.” EC spokesperson Paul Bukenya said.

Game plan
Sources say Mpuuga’s game plan in the coming months includes his allies within NUP coming out to speak openly about the ills within the party and this tactic seems to have gained traction.  

“NUP’s constitution is null and void. We have been having no constitution for some time now,” Charles Tebandeke, the Bbaale County MP who was among the MPs that came to Parliament on the account of the NUP wave in 2021, said.  

Mpuuga rallied MPs to speak up openly and he led the way, including a letter he had written in response to a warning he had got from Ms Lina Zedriga, NUP’s deputy president in charge of northern Uganda.

Mpuuga’s boldness has opened doors for many people to start venting out anger with Juliet Nakabuye, the Masaka City MP, coming out to caution Kyagulanyi. 

“President Bobi Wine, at the risk of losing my NUP card, I appeal to you to find better ways of handling issues coming your way. A leader in a serious institution should be able to use organs more than social media. A leader should be able to listen to elders,” Nakabuye said. 

It seemed that Nakubuye was referencing Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga who cautioned NUP leaders to be tolerant of contrary views.

“Leadership is such that you listen to characteristics of different people. The people we lead come in different forms: People are going to make mistakes. People are going to deviate from the route and norm you have agreed. The tenet of good leadership is to sit down and talk to one another,” Mayiga, seen as a Mpuuga ally. said.

But not all is going well for Mpuuga’s team as some MPs who he would have thought were his natural allies have taken Kyagulanyi’s side.

A case in point is Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze who has come out openly now to criticise Mpuuga, accusing him of ensuring the current impasse isn’t resolved.

“I found it disturbing that he has not used the meetings that have been organised to resolve the issues. One, the meeting that was called and I attended. I was invited to that meeting as an elder… The second meeting was for the executives that I didn’t attend but I know that he was called and he didn’t appear. The third meeting is for the parliamentary caucus that he didn’t attend,” Nambooze said. 

Mpuuga and Nambooze share a history: they were members of the Democratic Party and Suubi 2011 pressure group. Most importantly they have always identified themselves as Buganda Kingdom loyalist.

The belief in Mpuuga’s camp is that Nambooze chose Kyagulanyi’s side because she wants to save her political career. 

They point to lawyer George Musisi, who is close to Kyagulanyi, who has explored challenging the veteran politician in a NUP primary for the Mukono Municipality seat.

“Just like many MPs who fear for their NUP tickets, Nambooze didn’t decide to support Kyagulanyi over Mpuuga because she believes Mpuuga is guilty of anything. She is trying to save her political career since Musisi has made it clear that he will stand in Mukono,” a councillor at Kampala City Council (KCCA) who is close to Mpuuga said.

Nambooze has rubbished claims that she is in fear of facing Musisi in the primary. “I’m always ready for any competition. If there is any person who is interested in the NUP ticket I will be ready to face him,” Nambooze defended herself.