By Jude Kato
The future of Uganda’s second largest political party in Parliament, National Unity Platform (NUP), seems to hang in balance as internal differences threaten to tear the party into pieces leaving President Museveni’s NRM with no opposition.
This is worsened by what observers term as Bobi Wine’s Dictatorial tendencies often telling his social media cartel that, Father “Bobi Wine Tasobya, Tagambwako
When NUP came into the political scene, many people had mixed feelings but thier fears were buried when experienced and credible politicians and members of Parliament from Uganda’s oldest Party (Democratic Party) joined.
These were mainly from the Suubi, a pressure group that had garnered support in Buganda in the past 2011 national elections.
Although many loathed them for their perceived pride and arrogance, others thought that this was such a plus to the fame of NUP principal Robert Kyagulanyi. Not Museveni! The man from Kiruhura, vowed to deal with this group decisively.
Mpuuga becomes LoP
Mathias Mpuuga was one of the Suubi Pressure group founders and when he was named Vice president for Buganda region it was due to his experience and influence that he holds in Buganda as a region.
This roots back from the times when he served the Kabaka of Buganda as youth minister and he still managed to give NUP resounding victory propelling him to be named the leader of the opposition in parliament.
However, Mpuuga’s position did not come without any challenges since the NUP president Kyagulanyi and some elements at Kamwokya that houses the Party Headquarters had preferred John Baptist Nambeshe apparently to balance regions but faced resistance from Buganda and the Catholic Church.
Kyagulanyi’s wrath on DP block
It was not only Mpuuga and his Ssuubi associates that joined NUP, there were others from the DP including Suleiman Kidandala, Kenneth Paul Kakande, Mukaku Lubega, Ssempala Kigozi Sajjalyabeene and Michael Mabikke among others. These were all dropped and party tickets given to their opponents despite having worked tirelessly in the initial stages of the people power movement and the party formation
Analysts believe this was the first level of Kyagulanyi’s destruction of his own party by accepting to lose such brains.
There were other members from different parties who joined Kyagulanyi and they include David Lukyamuzi Kalwanga, Patrick Nsamba Oshabe, Nambeshe Derrick Nyeko all from NRM.
In just a period of two years, the divisions and internal wrangles threaten to bring down NUP, although many who came from DP are still stuck at the Kamwokya based party, it’s no secret that they are deeply disappointed for being referred to as DP members.
Those that this writer spoke to, say they feel discriminated. It seems as if they are not trusted. But sources say the issue is about their perceived arrogance since they continue to regard themselves as brain powers and look down on the Kamwokya riff raffs.
The DP group is seen through flamboyant Medard Lubega Seggona who does not mince words and does not entertain nonsense from the so-called foot soldiers, Muwanga Kivumbi, equally unwelcoming to Kamwokya mediocrity, Betty Nambooze who is currently indisposed and Mathias Mpuuga who is more accommodative than the rest of the group yet he is the one that the Kamwokya group is most afraid of.
Sources indicate that this has created more divisions in the Party and leading Kyagulanyi to task elements within the party to attack and malign Mpuuga.
The attackers mainly on social media are led by none other than party deputy spokesman Waiswa Mufumbiro.
Who is Waiswa Mufumbiro?
He is a musoga in his 40s, born in Jinja where he grew up before moving to Kampala for higher education.
He was a guild president at UCU in 2000 but never completed his course as he was dismissed over embezzlement. At the time, he subscribed to the FDC which sought to discipline him over his inappropriate conduct but he protested and ended up defecting to the DP
In the 2021 general elections, Mufumbiro contested in Jinja municipality west but only managed about 1000 votes, losing to FDC’s Batuwa Timothy.
Waiswa, being the NUP deputy spokesman it seems Bobi Wine is using him more than Senyonyi because for Mufumbiro it’s about survival, his only source of survival is attacking Bobi wines real and perceived enemies. He has been telling whoever cares that Bobi Wine sent him to bring down Mpuuga because he is very ambitious.
Waiswa is not new to this kind of trade. Him along with close associate Moses Bigirwa did exactly that during their DP times, attacking anyone opposed to DP president Norbert Mao. The two also secretly worked very well with security agencies especially former IGP Kale Kayihura along with EALA member Fred Mukasa Mbidde and Hakim Kizza who is now a KCCA councilor.
Waiswa has been heard in several circles attacking Mpuuga, saying that Mpuuga is building a political base to rival Bobi wine.
He says Mpuuga, a host of MPs loyal to him and his old friends from DP including the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago harbor presidential ambitions and they have since settled on Mpuuga therefore according to Waiswa everything must be done to undermine him.
Some MPs privy to this friction is normally heard in whispers wondering why the same Waiswa who draws a salary of 2 million shillings from their contribution continues to insult them.
There also concerns that the likes of Waiswa are driving Kyagulanyi into a self-destruction mode where he is even afraid of his shadow and constantly personally attacking his own members
The same members that gifted the party with 10 million shillings each at the beginning of the term, the ones who continue to give the party 1 million shillings per month, who also enable the party to receive billions from the electoral commission.
Yet Waiswa and his group are so quiet about their own leader Kyagulanyi global tours where he stages concerts to resurrect his musical career at the expense of the political struggle.
Many still wonder why Kyagulanyi treats International meeting as musical connects as he opts to be escorted by Nubian Li and Selector Davie instead of Party Chiefs like Louis Rubongoya who serves as the General Secretary or the regional Vice Presidents.
To analysts, Kyagulanyi is using his position as Party president to further his musical career and less bothered about political change.
Bobi Wine has been into launching films abroad, musical performances in Germany, US, Netherlands and the UAE, when does he concentrate to build a young party NUP?
What is the future of NUP without any formal party structures since Bobi wine is alleged to work in an NRM style of simply appointing individuals which challenges his democratic credentials?
