NUP is solid and united – Rubongoya
The National Unity Platform (NUP) secretary general, David Rubongoya, has maintained that the party remains strong and united despite recent fallout with its deputy president Mathias Mpuuga.
For months now, the dispute between Mpuuga and NUP has been dominating the headlines after he was suspended on corruption charges when he accepted a Sh500 million controversial 'service award' during his tenure as the Parliamentary Commissioner.
Some political insiders had predicted a split in the party after Mpuuga and other NUP MPs such as Abed Bwanika expressed dissatisfaction with the way the party handled the former Leader of Opposition's matter.
However, appearing on Sanyuka Television, Rubongoya defended the party’s removal of Mpuuga, stressing that the decision will not affect the unity of the party.
“NUP is not divided and everything we did was within the law and for reasons that Ugandans know well. Before all this happened, our vice president (Mpuuga) was given a choice, but he chose his own option," Rubongoya said.
"Our party is solid and if a party does not have a mechanism to discipline leaders who violate it's constitution, it is not a party," he added.
He maintained that the party remains committed to its principles which all its leaders must adhere to.
"Everything the party decides is based on party law. 99% of our party leaders understand our goals and they are still on track," he said.
He also rubbished claims that the party was at risk of losing its members of parliament due to the dispute with Mpuuga.
"Some media reported that over 50 NUP MPs will leave the party. Where are they now? This shows that our party has been sold."
This comes amid growing reports that Mpuuga wants to form his own party following his rift with NUP.
Days after his thanksgiving ceremony in Masaka last month, Mpuuga announced he had rebranded to 'My Leader'.
"My Leader" represents our commitment to the people and our vision for a better Uganda. We believe this change will usher in a new era of hope and progress for our country," Mpuuga said last week.
