Kampala, (UG): The National Unity Platform (NUP) President, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has suspended Nyendo-Mukungwe MP, Hon Mathias Mpuuga as the party’s Deputy President in Buganda Region.
In a brief statement on Thursday, March 28, 2024, NUP said Mpuuga’s dismissal is premised on his engagement in actions of corruption and abuse of office, which he has failed to give satisfactory explanations for.
“The President of the National Unity Platform has suspended Hon. Mathias Mpuuga from the position of Deputy President (Central Region) for engaging in actions of corruption and abuse of office, which actions he has failed to give any satisfactory explanation for,” reads a statement released on Thursday evening via the official party account on X (formerly Twitter).
An inside source told DailyExpress that the decision to suspend Mpuuga (who has publicly refused to bow down to the party’s requests) Bobi Wine, in a letter, dated March 27, subsequently communicated to Mpuuga the outcomes of the party’s leadership.
In the letter, contents of which DailyExpress has seen, Bobi Wine maintains that Mpuuga failed to satisfactorily convince the leadership of the party regarding his engagement in the wrongdoings when the Parliamentary Commission.
The former Presidential candidate insists that Mpuuga corruptly received the Shs500 million as ‘service award’ during his term of office as a Leader of Opposition (LoP), something that is against Section 9(1) of the Leadership Code Act (2002) as well as Article 5.3 (b) and (f) of the party constitution and party principles.
“On the 6th day of May 2022, while you served as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament-a position to which you were seconded by the Party, you participated in a meeting at which you, together with three NRM-nominated Parliamentary Commissioners, allocated yourselves 1.700.000.000/- (Uganda Shillings One Billion, Seven Hundred Million), under the pretext of “Service Awards”. You were personally allocated 500,000,000/= (Uganda Shillings Five Hundred Million). This was an act of corruption and abuse of office, which violated numerous laws, including Section 9(1) of the Leadership Code Act (2002) which prohibits leaders from taking part in meetings at which matters of personal interest to them are to be discussed.” Bobi says.
“You have thus far failed to provide any satisfactory explanation for engaging in this action which goes against the vision, mission and objectives of the Party. It also goes against Article 5.3 (b) and (f) of the Party Constitution which obligates party members to conduct themselves in a manner that does not bring disrepute to the name of the party, as well as practice accountable leadership.”
“In accordance with Articles 6.3 (h) and 7.1 (e) of the Party Constitution, I hereby suspend you from the position of Deputy President of the National Unity Platform for Central Region with immediate effect, and accordingly refer the matter to the National Executive Committee for further processing,” Kyagulanyi further writes in a letter copied to all NUP members and the National Executive Committee (NEC.)
READ HERE: Speaker Among: NUP has no powers to recall Mpuuga as Parliament Commissioner
The embattled NUP party about two weeks ago nominated Mityana Municipality MP, Hon Francis Zaake to replace him but their plea to withdraw Mpuuga from parliament hit a dead end after Speaker Among declined their request on grounds that they don’t have the mandate to do so.
Citing the law for NUP Secretary General Mr David Lewis Rubongoya, Ms Among stated that the Parliamentary Commissioners are elected by Parliament by virtue of section 2 of the Administration of Parliament, Cap 257 and rule 11 (4) of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
Under this, she said the role of parties is limited to nominating candidates for election to the office as stipulated in sub-section 2 (2b).
Mpuuga’s woes
The National Unity Platform accuses Mpuuga of engaging in acts of “corruption and abuse of office” when he, together with members of the NRM Parliamentary Commission, irregularly allocated himself Shs500m of the 1.7 billion shillings categorised as “service awards” in a meeting chaired by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among.
At that time, Mpuuga was the Leader of the Opposition in the House before he was dropped from the position and appointed Commissioner of Parliament.
Although NUP asked Mpuuga to return the money he received, apologize to Ugandans, and step down voluntarily from his role as Parliament Commissioner, he has defiantly refused to honour any of the party’s requests.
Mpuuga, who is also the former Leader of Opposition in Parliament while addressing the media on Tuesday maintained his position and said he won’t be forced out or pressured by the party to step down as Commissioner of Parliament.
“I am a founder member of NUP where I serve as a Deputy President. I am not leaving the party I founded and I’m not doing anything that destroys a young party I participated in establishing with conscience and conviction,” Mr Mpuuga told journalists at Parliament on Tuesday.
READ HERE: ‘I won’t leave NUP or quit as commissioner of parliament,’ Mpuuga vows
The former DP Bloc member maintains that he has never been engaged in any acts of corruption and the money was granted to him as a gratuity therefore he cannot be accused of any crime.
And now his suspension further escalates an already impulsive situation at the Party headquarters that has seen the top leaders attacking one another.
The internal bickering in NUP has raised concerns that the biggest opposition political party is headed for a split just two years ahead of the 2026 elections.
Do you have a story or an opinion to share? Email us on: dailyexpressug@gmail.com Or follow the Daily Express on X Platform or WhatsApp for the latest updates.
