The president of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Robert Kyagulanyi, has reignited the fights in Uganda’s leading opposition political party by hurling insults at the former leader of opposition Mathias Mpuuga and his cohorts, who include Kimanya Kabonera county Member of Parliament (MP) Abed Bwanika, while performing to revellers in London on Saturday night, April 20, 2024.
Tensions were beginning to calm down in the Makerere-Kavule-based party following weeks of intraparty fights between rival factions, which include the DP bloc led by Mathias Mpuuga and the Firebase faction led by Robert Kyagulanyi.
However, Kyagulanyi doesn’t seem ready to let go of the fighting and therefore took advantage of his music event to throw more punches at his rivals within NUP. During an interlude, Kyagulanyi bragged about how he defeated Mathias, sent him packing, and when his dogs, including Abed Bwanika, who came to his rescue, were badly defeated and sent back to Kimanya Kabonera.
“When Mathias and his dogs reached Kamwokya, they ran into Kyagulanyi; a battle ensued, and he (Mathias) left while limping, then his dogs coiled their tails and escaped to Kimanya-Kabonera, where they’re currently telling lies,” Kyagulanyi sang in a freestyle.
The insults received cheers from the crowds, predominantly members of the LGBTQ community, who have been angry with Mpuuga for supporting the Anti-Homosexuality Act, contrary to the party’s values, which include respect for gay rights. The happy revealers cheered on and raised red and rainbow flags, showing support for Kyagulanyi.
However, Kyagulanyi’s comments have irked many Ugandans, including members of his own party, who are wondering why a party president is more focused on destroying his colleagues than on the primary role of causing regime change.
“A party president is single-handedly burning his own party to the ground,” Kelvin Omukungu, a social media user, commented on X.
One Eston also posted on X, stating that “I honestly feel that Bobiwine had better ways to handle Mpuuga’s exit. Anyway, time will tell if he was right or wrong.”
Nonetheless, Kyagulanyi seems unbothered by the backlash, having recently refused to heed religious leaders’ and ‘Katikiro’s’ advice to reconcile with those he has issues with within the party.
