In a surprising turn of events, the Government Chief Whip, Denis Hamson Obua, has publicly invited former Leader of the Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga, to join the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
During the plenary sitting on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, Obua expressed his admiration for Mpuuga’s precise execution of his duties as the Leader of the Opposition. He commended Mpuuga’s skills and urged him to consider following the footsteps of the Speaker, Hon. Anita Among, and the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, who recently crossed over from the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to join NRM.
Mpuuga, who was stripped of his position as the Leader of the Opposition by his party leader, Robert Kyagulanyi, finds himself in unfamiliar territory. He has been branded an outcast in the National Unity Platform (NUP) for allegedly collaborating with President Museveni to pass the controversial anti-homosexuality law. Mpuuga’s deviation from NUP’s core values of defiance and chaos, in favor of reason and the rule of law, has created a rift within the party.
Should Mpuuga decide to heed Obua’s invitation, he would follow in the footsteps of other prominent opposition figures who have previously made the switch to NRM. Former opposition leaders such as Beatrice Anywar, Nakiwala Kiyingi, Beti Kamya, Nasser Ntege Sebaggala, Aggrey Awori, Gilbert Bukenya, and Ahmed Washaki have all taken the path toward the ruling party.
Hon. Rosemary Nansubuga Seninde, the director of mobilization at the NRM secretariat, emphasized that the party’s doors remain open for anyone who values its clear ideologies. This inclusive approach has been demonstrated by NRM’s willingness to cooperate with opposition leaders while allowing them to retain their party affiliations. Notably, figures such as Norbert Mao of the Democratic Party (DP) and Betty Amongi of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) serve as ministers in the NRM government, highlighting the party’s ability to foster unity across political lines.
Mpuuga’s decision, should he choose to accept Obua’s offer, would undoubtedly reshape Uganda’s political landscape. As tensions escalate within the opposition, with accusations of betrayal and compromise being hurled back and forth, the country eagerly awaits Mpuuga’s response to this unexpected proposition. Whatever his decision, it is certain that his political move will reverberate throughout Uganda’s political sphere, impacting both his career trajectory and the broader opposition movement.
