OPINION: The political witch hunt against Mathias Mpuuga

By Sam Orikunda

It's a moment of writing statements and letters at the youngest but rather the largest opposition political party in Uganda. The written statements are followed by serious debate on social media and mainstream media.

It appears what we heard from rumours is gradually hatching into a grave disagreement in a political party that has ventured in abuses, propaganda and chaos as a tool of advancing their political ambitions.

At the beginning of the 11th parliament everyone agrees without doubt that the National Unity platform had made a good choice for the leader of opposition.

From speaking a polished English language to composure and smartness, we would be entertained every time Mpuuga stood up to speak at the floor of Parliament, however it appears the more we got entertained is the more the temperatures of crisis increased at the Kamwokya based political party.

It seems they didn't take a pride in a fine lawyer whose interest was always to disagree basing on facts and good arguments as it should be in any civilized society.

The operation of overthrowing Mathias Mpuuga began as a social media campaign calling for his removal.

The activists who were calling for his removal accused him of being closer to the speaker of Parliament of whom they said that they serve the interests of President Museveni.

Any sensible Ugandan would understand that the Leader of opposition must be in good terms with the speaker of Parliament for the smooth running of his or her activities.

The speaker is the leader of the house and takes key decision on a number of issues in the house and that's how Mathias Mpuuga would be able to help the opposition members of Parliament who would get problems like sickness, being arrested etc, or even being given a chance to speak on the floor of Parliament.

Had he decided to be quiet some of those MPs would either be dead or rotting in jail, I hope they will remember the good things that he did for them especially in these times when he being fought by their party President.

The mentality that the leader of the National Unity platform Robert Kyagulanyi shouldn't be questioned, that he doesn't make mistakes will send the two year old party into an early grave.

Leaders exist to be criticized, that's why on social media platforms there's a post against President Museveni each day, if the government decided to prosecute whoever indulges in that, the entire country would be in cells.

I hope a few NUP members will stand up and oppose the kind of treatment that Mathias Mpuuga is being given. I hope they will be old enough to understand that when a child spoils where he sleeps the mother will clean up and put the child again, the mother doesn't burn the bed or kill the child and that should be a reason enough to teach all of us that we make mistakes.

However basing on Mpuuga's explanation, it wasn't even a mistake.

Government workers, including political leaders are given retirement benefits when they retire while others are given gratuity at the anniversary of the day they were appointed or elected. Does anybody need a whole week to coached about that? I feel it's a simple thing to understand.

Any political party that doesn't have a clear ideology is bound to fail. The National Unity platform's ideology is "to remove the dictator" They do not go further to explain to the citizens what will happen when the so called dictator is removed.

Even if you call all of them today and ask what they stand for that's the reason that they will give you but they've failed to understand that it's not satisfying because when you want to remove the regime you must be providing the alternative and you must be giving reasons as to why you want to do it.

You should also be in position to show difference from the regime that you want to remove. The current parliament exhibition has revealed to us that Kyagulanyi 's in-laws are deployed in the office of the leader of opposition and that he forcefully imposed her in that office, yet the same Kyagulanyi says he is against the nepotism in NRM.

Similarly Mathias Mpuuga complains about the family rule in the national Unity platform as one of the reasons as to why he is being targeted, the public should be reminded that Bobi Wine attends most of party activities with his brother and wife, sometimes they co-opt the party secretary general when they want.

Why then do they fight NRM which they accuse "family" rule yet they're practicing it openly?

Mathias Mpuuga was removed as leader of opposition after a period of two years and replaced by a more loyal Joel Senyonyi not because he was more experienced but rather because of his loyalty.

Actually when the news of his appointment came, most Ugandans doubted his capacity to handle the office of the leader of opposition and they weren't wrong.

After a short period of time the same Mpuuga is being forced to resign as the commissioner of Parliament. This isn't different from knocking someone on the road and you go you back to knock him again to make sure that he is dead.

Some actions look personal and become witch-hunt when they target one individual. Actually while fighting corruption we're warned not to be vindictive because the whole thing will lose meaning.

In this case the country should agree that Mathias Mpuuga is being targeted by the NUP machinery and it appears they are not yet done with him.

It appears he didn't listen to the gospel of never accusing their party leader and taking it that their leader never makes mistakes and even when he makes mistakes he is not accountable to such mistakes, someone else must take responsibility.

The 500 millions that Mpuuga is accused of getting from parliament was described as a "bribe" and a bribe is given to an individual in exchange of something.

What did Mpuuga give out as an exchange to the so called bribe? why would parliament bribe one of their own? Was their any debate in parliament that needed Mpuuga's vote or approval in order to be given that sum of money to accept the deal?

The National Unity platform receives money from government to facilitate it's activities how come they have never rejected that money? Or if they accepted to keep receiving that money when do they give accountability to Ugandans? isn't it a tax payers money?

It is said and it is widely known that in the last elections anybody who got a NUP party flag paid unknown sum of money, what did that money do and where's the accountability?

Should the party flag be paid for or it should be voted for? All of us have sinned and there's no big or small sin. For as long as you commit a sin you are liable to punishment.

It's not for an individual. The NUP party should be frank enough and Inform the public that they no longer have room for Mathias Mpuuga but they shouldn't create unnecessary allegations to prove their unfair witch-hunt of one of their own, if they want to sacrifice him let them do so and the country will surely understand.

The writer is a deputy RDC