Mpuuga still a member of NUP, says Ssenyonyi

By Joseph Ssegawa

The Leader of the Opposition and the National Unity Platform (NUP) spokesperson, Joel Ssenyonyi, has said Mathias Mpuuga is still subject to the party's whips and disciplinary actions

Ssenyonyi, who succeeded Mpuuga last December, told congregants at St Yusufu Lugalama Church of Uganda in Ntinda where he attended Easter prayers, that his embattled predecessor was involved in corruption acts so he must be punished according to the party laws and rules.

"We are not fighting Mpuuga because is one of the strong leaders we have in the party but he must abide by the rules that govern the party," he said.

Mr Mpuuga has been under pressure to resign since it emerged at the beginning of the month that in May 2022 while still LoP, he attended a meeting that discussed and approved "service awards" for him and his backbench commissioners.

As LoP, Mpuuga was awarded Shs500m and a bodyguard, favours that were only limited to his person.

In the wake of the allegations, NUP said Mpuuga had admitted to wrongdoing and apologised but the Nyando-Mukungwe MP later released a statement trashing his party's position and declaring his innocence.

Mpuuga said the money was justified gratuity that any MP could earn and insisted he had nothing to apologise about. Instead, he accused his party of witch-hunt.

NUP moved ahead to compel him to step down but after the Speaker of Parliament thwarted this move on legality grounds, the Opposition party has decided to suspend Mpuuga from his position as deputy president for Buganda, which is seen by some as a precursor to sacking him from the party.

Ssenyonyi said that as NUP they haven't expelled Mpuuga from the party, but they have just suspended him from his position of deputy president of NUP in Buganda.

"We are not against Mpuuga but we're fighting corrupt leaders from our party and Uganda, we cannot fight corruption in the country yet we also have corrupt leaders within the party," he said.

The LoP said Ugandans should differentiate war on corruption and personal differences and they must avoid diversions in every act of corruption.