Man Jose Kayima
Former Leader of the Opposition Mathias Mpuuga has promised to announce the next step in his political journey in coming weeks.
Mr Mpuuga is at crossroads with his National Unity Platform (NUP) party over receiving Shs500 million service award during his term of office as Leader of the Opposition.
In an audio recording that has been widely shared on social media platforms, the soft-spoken Mpuuga borrowed from scriptures, drawing his supporters to Christ’s teaching to his disciples about not losing hope.
“First of all the harsh times we’re going through will make you real men and women and me being your frontliner. I want to assure you that this turbulence will not shake me and there’ no one who brought us into this struggle and they should know that we’re the ones who taught them this game of politics,” Mpuuga says.
He as speaking after attending the burial of Pascal Ssekasamba, a younger brother of former democratic party secretary general Mathias Nsubuga Birekeraawo, in Lwengo District.
The ceremony was attended by NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi, who last month suspended Mpuuga from his position as the party’s deputy president for Buganda region.
“If they’re accusing me of my knowledge, I will not apologise and the only problem with Kyagulanyi, he does not know what people talk to his back and is free to talk what he wants,” Mpuuga said.
Mpuuga asked his supporters to be calm and focused, saying he was optimistic that the storm is coming to an end and they will cross the bridge.
“Let know one divert you and I am going to come to every village and parishes here in Masaka and will tell you the next step,” he said.
“How bad is Mpuuga you are accusing? Are you the one who brought me to Parliament? Who is he working for? Any leader who despises his subjects is a bad leader – never allow such leaders to undermine others.”
Mpuuga, who was groomed into politics by Buganda kingdom with the likes of Katikiro Charles Peter Masiga, Medard Ssegona, Betty Nambooze, and Muwanga Kivumbi, maintains that he is on the right track.
“What I will not accept are learners to teach us what to do and we have given them time to listen, understand, and we shall teach them what to do if they want to understand and the good thing you all know that I don’t drink,” Mpuuga added.
A Muganda and a staunch Catholic, Mpuuga has always ran into the Catholic enclave and Buganda’s arms whenever his political ground is shaken.
Since falling into trouble, he has been tying every loose end at Bulange Mengo and accuses Kyagulanyi off undermining Buganda Kingdom by attacking its top leadership.
“We have 57 MPS in the country with 55 from Buganda but on a daily basis you undermine the cultural leaders and abusing the Katikkiro demanding the Kabaka in front of Nnalinya? That’s not right and we shall not accept that in this new generation and I urge you to the calm,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Kimanya Kabonera MP Abed Bwanika attacked the NUP president at the burial in Lwengo.
Dr Bwanika told Kyagulanyi and his youth team to stop abusing leaders such as Buganda Prime Minister Charles Peter Mayiga and Mpuuga.
In his speech , Kyagulanyi distanced himself from the accusations and told the mourners Bwanika that he had never asked his supporters to attack anyone.
“We will not be intimidated by such attacks. We are working for a better Uganda and being loved by people is not my problem,” Kyagulanyi told the mourners.
“I always respect Mpuuga and I have never mobilised anyone to hate him and abuse him and I always tell you not to do it.”
