Dan Muliika: Former Katikkiro asks Mpuuga to apologise over NUP spat
Muliika said it is disheartening to see NUP members succumbing to such bribes, emphasising that this is proof that they did not understand the party as they joined this newly formed political party.
Former Katikkiro of Buganda, Dan Muliika, has lashed out at National Unity Platform (NUP) deputy president Mathias Mpuuga for accepting Shs500 million "service award" from Parliament.
Muliika said it is disheartening to see NUP members succumbing to such bribes, emphasising that this is proof that they did not understand the party as they joined this newly formed political party.
On May 6, 2022, the Parliamentary Commission sat in a meeting attended by then Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mpuuga and doled out Shs1.7m to the NUP legislator and three other NRM backbench commissioners.
Mpuuga has defended the money, saying the Parliamentary Commission has a right to give gratuity to legislators in their different capacities.
However, NUP said the money was "corruption" and "abuse of office" and asked Mpuuga to step down from his current position as a backbench commissioner.
And Muliika did not mince his words when addressing reporters on Tuesday.
"Accepting Shs500 million as an individual reward raises question. That is proof that it was bribe," he said.
Muliika points out that such actions not only tarnish Mpuuga's reputation but also raise doubts about his commitment to the party's principles and the NUP's agenda.
"Mpuuga's acceptance of the Shs500 million is not just unethical but also suspicious," he said.
"They must explain why it's acceptable for a single individual to receive such hefty sums. This is not in line with his party's values."
The former Buganda premier is further convinced that the ongoing spat is proof that some politicians joined NUP without understanding its values and ideologies.
He asked Mpuuga to apologise for his mistake.
Muliika urged the NUP leadership to address the issue promptly and ensure that such incidents do not recur, emphasizing the importance of maintaining integrity within the political sphere.
"NUP's leadership must not turn a blind eye to such misconduct," he said. "They should take decisive action to restore public trust and uphold the integrity of our party."
Muliika calls upon NUP supporters to remain vigilant and hold their leaders accountable, urging them to prioritize the party's core values over personal gains.
Mpuuga and his partly are allegedly holding another secret meeting soon to resolve this matter but since it came to the lime light, he has insisted not to step down from his commissioner parliamentary post, arguing that he deserved his service award.
This comes at a time when NRM has also launched investigations in allegations that their four commissioners in parliament were also rewarded 400m each in the same meeting.
