The National Unity Platform (NUP) leadership is not done penalizing Mathias Mpuuga, the former Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and Member of Parliament representing Nyendo-Mikungwe. They are now looking to further punish him by stripping him of the position of Deputy President of NUP Buganda region. As a replacement, Florence Namayanja, the Masaka City Councilor Mayor, has been positioned to run against him as a Member of Parliament in the upcoming 2026 general elections.
Joseph Kasirye, one of Mpuuga’s loyal supporters, revealed that Bobi Wine and other NUP leaders had previously pressured Mpuuga to organize protests and attack the government on various bills presented in parliament. This involved tactics such as walking out or causing chaos within the parliament. However, Mpuuga was reluctant to comply with these demands.
“While Mpuuga eventually attempted to protest and led opposition members in walking out of parliament, he was uncomfortable with the overall idea. Moreover, he voiced his discomfort with the strategy of protesting, as it seemed contrary to his principles. Unfortunately, this led to him being labeled a mole and accused of failing to unite Buganda MPs, like Kagabo Twaha, who then turned to the NRM,” said Kasirye.
Kasirye further alleged that Mpuuga’s situation worsened when Tamale Murundi, a government-affiliated political analyst, started praising Mpuuga’s exceptional leadership skills. Murundi claimed that NUP did not deserve Mpuuga due to his remarkable performance as the LoP. He criticized Bobi Wine for replacing Mpuuga with Joel Ssenyonyi, whom he portrayed as money-minded and easily swayed due to his alleged acceptance of a UGX 500 M bribe to conceal the Civil Aviation Authority report after the COSASE investigations.
“Bobi Wine will never become President; no sensible person would replace a leader like Mpuuga with a known fraud like Ssenyonyi, who has a reputation for accepting bribes,” stated Murundi.
Recently, during the handover of the LoP position in parliament, Denis Obua, the government’s chief whip, urged Mpuuga to join the ruling NRM party, assuring him that his leadership skills would be appreciated and rewarded.
These revelations, combined with Mpuuga’s previous struggles within the party, where he is often accused of being a government informant and failing to prevent the passing of the anti-homosexuality bill, have caused concerns within the NUP leadership. Furthermore, Mpuuga’s newfound friendship with Murundi and the criticism of Bobi Wine by his loyal supporters have heightened worries. As a result, the party leadership intends to completely end Mpuuga’s political career by replacing him as the Deputy President of the NUP Buganda region and targeting his parliamentary seat in Nyendo-Mukungwe.
