The Dead Are Not Dead: Jajja Ichuli’s Prophecy on Mpuuga and NUP Split More Relevant Than Ever
Jajja Ichuli, a rabid socio-political commentator, was gunned down almost two years ago but his sitting commentaries live large beyond his grave
The late Isma Olaxes—popularly known as Jajja Ichuli—often offered compelling insights into Ugandan affairs during his lifetime, spanning entertainment, politics, health, security, and education.
In the political arena, Jajja Ichuli prophesied about Mathias Mpuuga, the then Leader of Opposition, suggesting that Mpuuga harbored bigger ambitions and was using his position in the National Unity Platform (NUP) as a stepping stone to consolidate power.
“Mpuuga has longed for power since his days at Mengo. He took over Masaka and sidelined people like Mukasa Mbidde. Mpuuga has bigger ambitions. I will not be surprised if many new members of NUP, with their larger budgets, overthrow Bobi Wine,” Ichuli stated in one of his videos.
Ichuli pointed out Mpuuga’s status, education, and intelligence, questioning why someone of his political experience and 15 years as a legislator, as well as a lawyer, would willingly be led by what he referred to as a "political novice" like Bobi Wine. He suggested it was all part of a long-term plan of betrayal.
“Someone as learned and experienced as Mpuuga, who has been in politics since Mengo and parliament, cannot simply accept to be ruled by a political novice unless he has his own targets,” Ichuli remarked.
Mpuuga was by Amama Mbabazi's side during the Go Forward stint
He criticized NUP members and leaders for ignoring this warning, attributing their lack of vigilance to their focus on opposing President Museveni rather than identifying the potential internal threat posed by Mpuuga.
“NUP is full of young people who have no idea how a party is captured. NUP is finished because Bobi Wine has handed power to party intruders hungry for leadership, like Mpuuga. You can’t just give prime positions to members who recently joined the party,” Ichuli warned.
He alleged that Mpuuga and his group had issued an ultimatum to Bobi Wine, demanding three of the topmost positions in NUP.
Ichuli noted that figures like Mpuuga and Nambooze, though part of NUP, retained Democratic Party (DP) values at heart.
The unsettled politician was one of the leaders who formed NUP
He believed they moved to NUP after being unable to secure top positions in the DP, where President General Nobert Mao had blocked their ambitions.
Ichuli argued that by giving them influential positions such as Leader of Opposition, committee chairpersons, and shadow ministers, Bobi Wine inadvertently enabled them to negotiate directly with the government—something Mpuuga had allegedly sought for years.
“Mpuuga has been transitioning from one party to another, from SUUBI to other groups. How do you trust someone like that with your new party? He abandoned his indigenous party, the Democratic Party, which he had supported since his days in Uganda Young Democrats (UYD),” Ichuli noted.
Mpuuga on Friday found a new hobby within his old hobby
He further compared the situation to Amama Mbabazi’s fallout in 2016, stating, “NUP thought they had the right people, but many were traitors. After the elections, the party’s targets were miles away, and the people they trusted turned against them.”
Ichuli lamented that NUP had sidelined its original members in favour of newcomers like Mpuuga and Nambooze, who, he argued, managed to tactically gain Bobi Wine’s trust.
He believed this was a fatal mistake for NUP, particularly when those individuals wielded greater resources and influence than the party leader himself.
“It’s difficult to trust someone who controls a budget of 3 billion, a fleet of cars, and security—things that even the party leader doesn’t have—and still think you can lead or manage them. No way,” Ichuli concluded.
On Friday, December 6, 2024, Mathias Mpuuga announced the formation of a new pressure group, the Democratic Alliance, which he envisions becoming a registered political party in the future.
The DP-born and former UYD member officially handed over the office of Leader of Opposition to former journalist and Nakawa West MP Joel Ssenyonyo on January 9, 2024.
This followed a fallout with his boss, Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, earlier in the year. The two have since become rivals, with Mpuuga accusing Bobi Wine of selfishness.
