The Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, has called on the people of Buganda to embrace unity, describing it as one of the key values the Kabaka holds dear among his subjects.
Speaking during the Kabaka's 70th birthday thanksgiving mass at Rubaga Cathedral in Kampala, Mayiga pointed to a moment that, in his view, reflected the kind of harmony the kingdom strives to uphold.
“I can see my son-in-law Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu sitting together with my uncle Mathias Mpuuga. My son-in-law, the sister is there who he gave me, and Mathias Mpuuga is my uncle. I saw them conversing. Such gestures of talking should continue,” Mayiga said, prompting applause from the congregation.
He emphasized that peaceful engagement and mutual respect are essential for the progress of both Buganda and Uganda.
Kyagulanyi, the leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), also used the occasion to clarify that he holds no personal grudges against Mpuuga, his former deputy for Buganda.
He said the decision to part ways with Mpuuga was based on principle following the latter’s involvement in a Shs 500 million “service award” scandal.
“There is no enmity with our brother Mpuuga. The only issue is that he made a mistake, which everyone witnessed, and he did not admit it. That is why we relieved him of his responsibilities. We have closed that chapter and moved forward,” Kyagulanyi told journalists.
At the event, Kyagulanyi and Mpuuga, who have been embroiled in a public fallout in recent months, were seen shaking hands and engaging in conversation an image that resonated with Mayiga’s call for unity.
Mpuuga’s relationship with NUP deteriorated last year after he and three other parliamentary commissioners reportedly shared Shs 1.7 billion as a “service award” following a May 6, 2022 meeting of the Parliamentary Commission. Mpuuga allegedly received Shs 500 million despite having served for less than a year.
The other commissioners Solomon Silwany (Bukooli Central), Prossy Mbabazi (Rubanda District Woman MP), and Esther Afoyochan (Zombo District Woman MP)—reportedly received Shs 400 million each, sparking widespread public outrage.