Step down, Zaake tells Mpuuga

Mityana Municipality legislator Francis Zaake has said the only honorable thing to be done by his opposition counterpart Mathias Mpuuga is to handover the Parliamentary Commissioner's office, per the National Unity Platform (NUP) party’s top leadership resolution.

Zaake was March 15 nominated by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to replace under pressure Mpuuga as commissioner.

Speaking to Monitor’s Peter Sserugo in a Sunday interview, Zaake said “Mpuuga’s refusal to step down would mean he is the hands of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.” Below is the full interview:

How did the party NEC choose you as Mpuuga's replacement?

Zaake: I am part of the NUP top leadership known as NEC but to avoid conflict of interest, I was advised to excuse myself from the meeting when the issue of who to replace Mpuuga was being discussed. When I came back, they told me that I had been reappointed to take on this responsibility, which I accepted.

Why do you think you were nominated as the best candidate for this position?

Zaake: I was the first commissioner when we got into parliament, and since I did a very good job, asking hard questions to ensure that the commission audits itself… it is the reason as to why I didn't even spend a year before being kicked out of the commission. So, I know that in case I get there [as a commissioner] what I am going to be doing is just a continuation of my work. That is one of the reasons why I accepted this reappointment.

But if Mpuuga had come to the NEC meeting, I am so sure that the right person he would point at to perform that job so well would still be me.

Isn't this likely to affect your relationship with Mpuuga?

Zaake: I have been serving with Mpuuga in the commission and I am sure he knows what I am capable of. I therefore don't think that this is actually going to spoil any kind of relationship between us, unless we are not being sincere to ourselves.

Since your nomination, have you contacted Mpuuga about this issue?

Zaake: I am sure that when we meet somewhere, we shall talk about it. Mpuuga is that one person I have always called and picked up because he is my leader as a deputy party president. I actually loved him more when he accepted the fact that he made a mistake. We all make mistakes because they are normal, but it is important that when you accept the mistake, be ready to correct it.

What if Mpuuga refuses to surrender from his position as a commissioner?

Zaake: I am still in shock that Mpuuga said in one of the interviews that he will not accept to step down. I was surprised because that is not the honorable Mpuuga I know. The same way he accepted to leave [the position of the Leader of Opposition] for Joel Ssenyonyi, is the way I am too sure that he will do to me [on the Parliamentary Commissioner position].

If he [Mpuuga] refuses to step down, then it will mean that he is in the hands of the NRM and he has accepted to work for the NRM, but I don't think he will accept all what he has done in life to be put to the dust.

What do you say about some party members who are against Mpuuga's impeachment?

Zaake: Although we have misguiding people like Abed Bwanika, Jimmy Lwanga and Twaha Kagabo, I don't think Mpuuga is part of the people who can be misguided because he is genius and I am sure he can never disrespect our party president and the decision of the party leadership.

The only honorable and moral thing that he is able to do is to step down and I am convinced that he will listen to the voices of reasons around him and do the right thing.

Aren't these misunderstandings going to affect NUP ahead of 2026 general elections?

Zaake: It is unfortunate that we are having these misunderstandings in the party, but these are giving Ugandans a lot of hope because at the end of it all they will know those who have been failing the party. What is happening now is like a test to know who is Mpuuga, who is Ssenyonyi or who is Zaake, and all other leaders. This is a litmus test to find out who is turning red or yellow.

Background

On Friday, NUP resolved to recall its deputy president from his current position as a Parliamentary Commissioner. The Nyendo-Mukungwe legislator was replaced with Zaake.

Acting NUP president Dr Lina Zedriga emphasized that Mpuuga failed to give satisfactory explanation to justify the circumstances under which he received Shs500m as 'service award' from the Parliamentary Commission.

Mpuuga previously said he would not step down denouncing the move as influenced by a deliberate inside funded campaign to character assassinate him.