Iganga Municipality Member of Parliament Peter Mugema aka Panadol shocked mourners at the burial of a NUP activist Denis Waiswa when he claimed to have joined the opposition party.
Mugema is a member of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, serving his third term.
He announced his change of party on Monday in Namwendwa village, Kamuli district during the burial of National Unity Platform (NUP) activist Denis Waiswa.
Mugema said that he had seen the light and decided to cross over to the opposition party, amidst thunderous cheers from the mourners.
Mugema was welcomed by NUP party president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu who was in attendance. Kyagulanyi welcomed Mugema by placing the NUP red beret on his head.
Kyagulanyi informed Mugema that NUP is open to receive anyone who believes in the gospel of change in Uganda.
However, some mourners were heard questioning if Mugema’s conversion was genuine or an attempt to win support from NUP loyalists who had turned up in huge numbers for the funeral.
The deceased Denis Waiswa contested for the Iganga municipality MP seat on the NUP ticket in the 2021 elections and narrowly lost to Mugema.
Mugema had been forced to contest as an independent, though he was the incumbent, after he lost in the NRM primaries to Abdul Boaz Toto. Mugema claimed the internal NRM party polls were marred by irregularities.
He explained to this Nile Post report that his experience in the NRM primaries had led him to question transparency in the party. He also admired the unity and camaraderie exhibited by NUP members in times of victory or grief.
Mugema went on to retain his seat in the 2021 elections.
Waiswa died in a nasty accident last Saturday. Waiswa was part of a convoy of NUP party members escorting Kyagulanyi to canvas for votes for their candidate Toolit Simon Akecha.
The Toyota Wish car Waiswa was travelling in flipped over several times after one of its front tyres burst.
Addressing mourners, Kyagulanyi charged that Waiswa could have survived the accident if he had received adequate medical aid at Kumi hospital. This was not possible because the hospital lacks drugs and medical personnel. He castigated the sitting government for neglecting the health sector around the country.
NRM is yet to respond to Mugema’s decision.