I will not cover up corruption in NUP – Bobi Wine
Former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga (right) takes his party president Robert Kyagulanyi (left) on a tour of Masaka City in May last year. Photo/ Courtesy of @MathiasMpuuga on X
What you need to know:
- According to Mr Kyagulanyi, the party leadership is ready to reconcile with Mpuuga as well as offering him the necessary support, including rehabilitation, only if he apologies and steps down from the post of parliamentary commissioner.
The leader of National Unity Platform (NUP) party, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has reiterated that he will not tolerate any acts of corruption and abuse of office by the party members, urging the already defiant parliamentary commissioner, Mr Mathias Mpuuga to step down and apologise to the nation.
“As leaders we advised him [Mpuuga] to do three things; to return the dirty money, apologise to the nation and to resign from the commission as a sign of goodwill and integrity,” Mr Kyagulanyi said at NUP headquarters at Makerere Kavule in Kampala on Friday as he addressed party leaders from Wakiso District.
According to the former presidential contender, the party principles and commitments to the public are clear, which among others include fighting against corruption and ensuring transparency.
“It is on this note that I want to remind you that I will not cover up for any corruption. I will not be like [President] Museveni whose ministers steal money meant for Karamoja iron sheets and he ‘covers’ up for them,” he added.
On Thursday, NUP revealed that Mr Mpuuga acknowledged receiving Shs500 million as ‘service award’ after leaving Leader of Opposition in Parliament office.
According to Mr Kyagulanyi, the party leadership is ready to reconcile with Mpuuga as well as offering him the necessary support, including rehabilitation, only if he apologies and steps down from the post of parliamentary commissioner.
“We have a strong stand against corruption, however, we also committed that if our comrade [Mpuuga] does that right thing to disassociate with corruption, apologise to the people of Uganda and resign from that commission, then we shall be willing to come together and rehabilitate him. Now it is upon him to heed to the noble call and do what is right,” he said.
However, Mr Mpuuga on Friday declined the party’s resignation request which he described as a “cowardly call” masterminded by an inside deliberate and “funded campaign to character-assassinate” him.
“It became the official style of different party leaders to undermine my work, including hiring bloggers to abuse and insult my person….. I stayed committed and calm throughout these most compelling times because the call to serve above self remained my creed,” Mr Mpuuga said.
“I wish to assure the general membership of NUP and all change seeking forces that, this shall remain my resolve; and I cannot be deterred by small-group-family interests being peddled to blur the bigger picture of how the Party is being managed without transparency,” he added
