Unlike most people who seem a lot surprised by the impasse between National Unity Platform (NUP) President, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine, and former Leader of Minority Government in Parliament, Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, I am rather surprised that not many saw this coming.
A fortnight ago, tables turned as technocrats at the Makere Kavule-based political outfit demanded a resignation from Mpuuga whom they accused of pocketing ” evil money from the dictator,” with all attempts to explain himself on the part of the Masaka-based politician falling on deaf ears.
According to the dossier released by NUP, Mpuuga is accused of pocketing Shs 500 million in exchange for his service as LOP on expiry. The party has since demanded that Mpuuga step down from his current position of Commissioner of Parliament, just months after being demoted from the juicy LOP role. Yet there had always been reports in the corridors that Bobi Wine resents Mpuuga and his group from the Democratic Party(DP). These, among others, include, Medard Ssegona, Abbed Bwanika, and Batty Nambooze, among other leaders whose brand of politics contradicts the confrontational one preferred by Bobi Wine.
In a recent radio appearance on Buganda Kingdom Station- CBS, Mpuuga lamented about how sponsored attacks on social media aimed at discrediting his personality had given him a nightmare tenure as LOP, adding that these were regrettably funned by his comrades in NUP who disagreed with his methods of work.
The opposition stalwart has also been accused of being sympathetic towards the ruling regime, with some hostile voices on social media alleging a backdoor arrangement between President Museveni and their man.
The fracas has since ignited a debate on the significance of Mpuuga in NUP and what impact his possible dismissal could have on the party.
For starters, the maverick politician has stuck to his guns about the request fronted before him to resign, insisting that no wrongdoing warrants the action being demanded. To those accusing him of sabotaging NUP, his message has been loud and clear- ” this is not Bobi Wine’s party. We came together and formed the party together!” And this is where the problem comes in. Mpuuga and his group seem to have blundered over who they agreed to work with. For a political party where the likes of Dan Magic, Eddy Mutwe, and Nubian Lee, make the key decision-making circle, I highly doubt the likes of Mpuuga can have a place and live there in harmony. It’s thus not surprising that Mpuuga gets replaced with Ssenyonyi and not Nambetshe or Ssegona
Without necessarily wanting to appear like poking my nose in NUP affairs, Mpuuga and his company are misplaced among that group. The environment there has always not favoured forward-thinking gentlemen like him. Others of similar thinking like Ssegona and Bwanika should just wait a little before they are ejected like chicken thieves. Social media seems to have been keenly following the debate and ultimately brought out various scenarios where members of the party have, in ways similar to Mpuuga’s benefited from the generous hand of Parliament and the government. These include Members of Parliament who allegedly recieved Shs 40 million from the House early last year while others picked 50 million last week. Unsurprisingly, these can all be safe for as long as their intellectual health doesn’t contradict the rogue and vagabond structure of the party.
One would easily understand why this saga is being linked to NRM. It’s nothing other than the fact that gentlemen politicians are exclusively meant to belong to NRM. The same has happened to men like General Gregory Muntu Oyera Mugisha, Norbert Moa, Joyce Nabbisa Sseguggwawo, and the list can go on and on. Its thus, imperative that Mpuuga realises that he is not only resented in NUP for his intellectual superiority and gentlemanly conduct but also because he mistakenly opted for a wrong family. He would perfectly suit NRM- the group with an unprecedented track record of receiving and grooming opposition politicians, making them feel at home. This list is endless also. Late Jacib Oulanya, Kasule Justine Lumumba, Speaker Anitah Among, Drputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, Beatrice Anywar, Professor Ephraim Kamuntu, General Moses Ali, among others.
Not that I am very much conversant with the business at Kyadondo road but I am immensely certain that the door will always be open should Mpuuga and other like minded people seek entry.
The Writer is the Deputy Resident City Commissioner For Soroti East Division.
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