By now its no surprise if you hear anyone talk about NUP as being on the verge of collapse and president Museveni must be either in Nakasero or Entebbe peacefully sipping on his Kashera with what’s happening in the National Unity Platform.
When NUP was formed almost three years back, many Ugandans were skeptical about its strength, but the reassurance largely came from the credibility brought by a group of MPs from DP otherwise known as the Suubi group. While many loathed them for their perceived pride and arrogance, others thought that this was such a plus to the fame of NUP principal Robert Kyagulanyi. Not Museveni! The man from Kiruhura, vowed to deal with this group decisively.
Mpuuga becomes LOP
One of the Suubi group members Mathias Mpuuga was named vice president Buganda and indeed used his experience and influence in a region where he had served the Kabaka as youth minister to give NUP resounding victory propelling to its current position as leader of the opposition in parliament
However, Mpuuga’s position did not come without any challenges since the NUP president Kyagulanyi and some elements at Kamwokya had preferred John Baptist Nambeshe apparently to balance regions but faced resistance from Buganda and the catholic church.
DP Block members dropped
It was not only Mpuuga and his Ssuubi associates that joined NUP, there were others from the DP including Suleiman Kidandala, Kenneth Paul Kakande, Mukaku Lubega, Ssempala Kigozi Sajjalyabeene and Michael Mabikke among others. These were all dropped despite having worked tirelessly in the initial stages of the people power movement and the party formation
Observers think this was the first level of Kyagulanyi’s destruction of his own party by accepting to lose such brains.
Others who left different parties to join Kyagulanyi include David Lukyamuzi Kalwanga, Patrick Nsamba Oshabe, Nambeshe Derrick Nyeko all from NRM.
Two years down the road even former DP members who stuck with NUP seem frustrated as they are being referred to as DP members instead of NUP to which they belong. Those that this reporter spoke to, say they feel discriminated. It’s seeming as if they are not trusted. But sources say the issue is about their perceived arrogance since they continue to regard themselves as brain powers and look down on the Kamwokya riff raffs.
The DP group is seen through flamboyant Medard Lubega Seggona who does not mince words and does not entertain the nonsense from the so-called foot soldiers, Muwanga Kivumbi, equally unwelcoming to Kamwokya mediocrity, Betty Nambooze who is currently indisposed and Mathias Mpuuga who is more accommodative than the rest of the group yet he is the one that the Kamwokya group is most afraid of.
Insiders say, that with this at the back of his mind, Kyagulanyi has resorted to using elements within the party against Mpuuga. The attackers mainly on social media are led by none other than party deputy spokesman Waiswa Mufumbiro.
But who is Waiswa Mufumbiro?
He is a musoga in his 40s, born in Jinja where he grew up before moving to Kampala for higher education.
He was a guild president at UCU in 2000 but never completed his course as he was dismissed over embezzlement. At the time, he subscribed to the FDC which sought to discipline him over his inappropriate conduct but he protested and ended up defecting to the DP
In the 2021 general elections, Mufumbiro contested in Jinja municipality west but only managed about 1000 votes, losing to FDC’s Batuwa Timothy.
Waiswa being the NUP deputy spokesman it seems Bobi Wine is using him other than Senyonyi because for Waiswa its survival, his only source of survival is attacking Bobi wines real and perceived enemies. Waiswa has been telling whoever cares that Bobi Wine sent him to bring down Mpuuga because he is very ambitious.
Waiswa is not new to this kind of trade. Him along with close associate Moses Bigirwa did exactly that during their DP times, attacking anyone opposed to DP president Norbert Mao. The two also secretly worked very well with security agencies especially former IGP Kale Kaihura along with EALA member Fred Mukasa Mbidde and Hakim Kizza who is now a KCCA councilor.
Waiswa has been heard in several circles attacking Mpuuga, saying that Mpuuga is building a political base to rival Bobi wine. He says Mpuuga, a host of MPs loyal to him and his old friends from DP including the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago harbor presidential ambitions and they have since settled on Mpuuga therefore according to Waiswa everything must be done to undermine Mpuuga by tainting his image.
Some MPs privy to this friction are normally heard in whispers wondering why the same Waiswa who draws a salary of 2 million shillings from their contribution continues to insult them. Others are concerned that people like Waiswa has driven Kyagulanyi into a self-destruction mode where he is even afraid of his shadow and constantly personally attacking his own members
The same members that gifted the party with 10 million shillings each at the beginning of the term, the ones who continue to give the party 1 million shillings per month, who also enable the party to receive billions from the electoral commission.
Yet Waiswa and his group are so quiet about their own leader Kyagulanyi global trotting from one country to another actually now going back to his entertainment trade by staging concerts and charging revelers in dollars and pounds in the guise of fundraising for the struggle.
Questions arise why Bobi Wine also travels for international meetings meant for the party with musical partners like Nubian Li and selector Davie instead of party chiefs like secretary General Louis Rubongoya or at least the LoP who also doubles as deputy president.
Has Bobi Wine retreated to music and using NUP as a tool for his music career than serious political challenge to the dictatorship?
Bobi Wine has been into launching films abroad, musical performances in Germany, US, Netherlands and the UAE, when does he concentrate to build a young party NUP?
What is the future of NUP without any formal party structures since Bobi wine is alleged to work in an NRM style od simply appointing individuals which challenges his democratic credentials?
Watch the space, a more analysis of NUP’s internal politics coming out soon.
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