Solomon Silwany, the Member of Parliament for Bukooli Central in Bugiri district, has warned National Unity Platform (NUP) about the potential consequences of removing Mathias Mpuuga from his position as the Leader of Opposition in Parliament.
Silwany emphasised Mpuuga's commendable performance during his term, asserting that he has been a strong symbol for the opposition.
As Mpuuga's term as Leader of Opposition concludes in December of this year, Silwany while appearing on NBS Morning Breeze on Monday, acknowledged Mpuuga's effective leadership, highlighting his role in branding and packaging the opposition.
Silwany expressed concern over Mpuuga's recent absence from parliamentary sessions as a form of protest against human rights violations in Uganda, questioning the effectiveness of leading the opposition from outside the parliament.
“If you are the leader of the opposition and you move out of parliament, who are you leading? Are you leading the opposition from Kaberamaido? The government asked the Leader of the Opposition to provide detailed information about the missing persons. They don't have detailed reports,” he said.
Silwany emphasized the importance of having a composed and mobilizing figure like Mpuuga at the helm.
“The current leadership has performed very well and the opposition is very safe with Mpuuga, you need a LOP who is sober and can mobilize other groups to join. If you get an erratic person and activist, you won't get anything,” he said.
However, within NUP, there are contrasting opinions on Mpuuga's leadership.
George Musisi, a lawyer associated with the National Unity Platform (NUP), acknowledged that within the party, there will always be individuals who perceive Mpuuga as compromised, whether true or not.
Musisi highlighted that dealing with such perceptions is an inherent challenge that Mpuuga must confront.
He observed that Mpuuga's recent efforts to bring attention to human rights issues in the country have significantly elevated his profile, aligning with the core concerns of the party since 2021.
Musisi pointed out Mpuuga's visits to the families of those affected by abductions and killings as a successful strategy, but uncertainties persist regarding its impact on convincing party leadership to grant him another term.
The media has extensively covered the perceived disagreements between Mpuuga's loyal supporters and those opposing his leadership.
The reported differences in approach between Mpuuga and Kyagulanyi have led to internal clashes within the party.
Some NUP supporters have openly called for Mpuuga's replacement, raising questions about his ability to retain his position as his term concludes.
Mpuuga's recent initiative to mobilize the opposition for a Parliament boycott appears to be yielding positive results.
However, whether this will be sufficient to earn the full trust of the party leadership remains an unanswered question.
Over the past month, opposition MPs have staged multiple walkouts from Parliament in protest against the government's perceived negligence of human rights violations.
The opposition's demands include holding accountable those responsible for the November 2020 killings, ensuring the accountability of detained Muslims nationwide, and addressing the cases of the 18 confirmed disappeared Ugandans.
Additional demands involve the release of political prisoners, the release of political prisoners in military courts, the appearance of the Minister of Justice before Parliament to address detention without trial, and accountability for military killings in fishing communities.
As Mpuuga's term nears its end, analysts speculate that he may be strategically working to align himself with party leader Robert Kyagulanyi, possibly in an attempt to secure a renewal of his term.
The intricate dynamics within the opposition party, coupled with the broader national issues at hand, will likely play a crucial role in determining the future of Mpuuga's leadership within NUP.
