In the last book of the Bible, Revelation 16:16, John the revelator talks about the battle that is yet to come probably after rapture where the kings of the earth and their armies will gather for battle against God and His people in a place called Armageddon.
The current events inside the National Unity Platform (NUP) resemble the Armageddon fight that John the Revelator wrote about, in which Mathias Mpuuga keeps showing Ugandans that Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, should be challenged.
Mpuuga’s acts have also asserted that Bobi Wine is subject to criticism and undermine the belief held by many of Bobi Wine’s supporters that he is infallible. Mpuuga’s fire continues to undermine the idea that Bobi Wine is infallible, refuting the idea that his choices are unquestionable and contesting the idol-like status that some have placed on him.
This narrative has clearly dismantled the notion of Bobi Wine’s infallibility, rejecting the idea that his decisions are beyond scrutiny and contesting the idolized image that some have attributed to him.
The battle
Discord began to show when Kyagulanyi gave Mpuuga a new function as Parliamentary Commissioner in place of his previous one as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. Many political flamingos saw this decision as a warning that something was wrong within the party.
Mpuuga’s redeployment was viewed by many as a demotion, yet he persisted in doing all that his boss had asked of him. Kyagulanyi probably felt a great relief for taking down the formidable structure Mpuuga had built while serving as Leader of the Opposition.
It’s true that a large number of NUP members saw their leader as an unquestionable authority and an infallible person when chopped off Mpuuga’s leadership of opposition in Parliament. However, the party made an unexpected announcement a few weeks after Mpuuga’s reassignment, claiming that Mpuuga, their recently appointed parliamentary commissioner, had been suspended because of charges of corruption.
The party revealed that Mpuuga was accused of embezzling Shs 500 million while pretending to be a service award. As a result, he was asked to step down from the commissary duty at August House on behalf of the party so that other pure members might take his place and was also urged to publicly ask the people of Uganda for forgiveness.
“You have to have the heart of a lion to beat a lion,” as the adage goes. The principal had no idea that his once-humble servant had grown a lion’s heart and was willing to rebel against him. A few days after the declaration, Mpuuga abruptly informed his boss that neither the party nor he had the right to dismiss him from his role as Parliamentary commissioner, shocking the entire NUP family.
The conflict between the perceived deity, ‘Kyagulanyi’, and the mere mortal, ‘Mpuuga’, had commenced—a veritable ‘Armageddon war’.
Many mysteries have been revealed while the fight raged, shocking Ugandans as they did so. With their audacious disclosure of these details, party members clearly showed that Kyagulanyi was vulnerable to challenge just like any other politician. Moreover, they presented examples of his mistakes, even going so far as to disparage and even assault him.
Among them is legislator Abed Bwanika of Kimanya Kabonera, who has sworn that their president has to develop his or her leadership skills. Such an opportunity would have never presented itself before, but Mpuuga appears to have paved the way for others to start bringing him into order and taking off his divine robe.
When it became clear that Mpuuga had the support of the law, the attempt to remove him from his position as parliamentary commissary seat was unsuccessful. The crucial message arrived in the shape of a letter from Parliament’s leader, Annet Anita Among, informing the party that they did not have the power to dismiss him. She made it clear that Mpuuga serves all of the parties represented in Parliament, not just one, which strengthened his position.
Mpuuga’s dismissal as the Deputy President of the National Unity Platform for the Central region was the last blow inflicted by Kyagulanyi’s actions. The president, Kyagulanyi, revealed in his statement that Mpuuga had taken part in a meeting with other officials where significant sums of money were given out, with Mpuuga purportedly taking home Shs500 million.
In spite of Mpuuga’s efforts to defend his acceptance of the money, Kyagulanyi has always made it clear that the party has rejected his justification, which has resulted in his instant dismissal from the position of leadership. Many people anticipated that Mpuuga would comply and accept the president’s decision without question in the wake of this one. Supporters of the NUP were shocked, therefore, when Mpuuga continued to act in defiance and questioned the president’s constitutional power in removing him from the position of Deputy President of the NUP’s Central area.
In his statement, Mpuuga asserted that considering the contents of the document in question, the individual who was suspended failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. However, it was noted that this same individual had previously confessed and apologized. Mpuuga expressed his uncertainty about how to free both the individual and the party from the situation they found themselves in.
Mpuuga added; “The prevailing desperate situation and the circumstances we find ourselves in, will afford me more time and space to consult with the rank and file of the party for a way forward.Accept once again my sympathies for the unyielding siege that has impaired judgement at the highest echelons of the party.”
Mpuuga’s words could be interpreted as a hypothetical critique, suggesting that the principal might have been misled by either anger or ego, leading to Mpuuga’s continued defiance and lack of respect towards him. “If indeed it is your document and signature, I appreciate and sympathize with you in the current desperate situation.I appreciate and understand that you are under siege. I don’t know how to help you and support you.”
As political tensions in Uganda intensify in anticipation of the 2026 elections, the internal strife within NUP is becoming increasingly apparent. Even low-ranking village councilors find themselves unable to question the methods employed by the party leader, Fhada/principal.
In a dramatic turn of events, councilor Katerega, adorned in full NUP regalia, made a bold move by visiting the State House. There, he pleaded with the president to grant clemency to all political prisoners as a gesture of reconciliation to the nation.
The president responded favorably to Katerega’s plea and indicated that he would be willing to look over the list of people who are presently being held. But Kyagulanyi disassociated himself from Katerega, calling him a thug posing as a NUP member. The principal confidently told the president that they had done nothing wrong and did not need any favors to get political prisoners released.
Maybe Katerega might have felt compelled to apologize to the principal but Mpuuga’s actions have shown other NUP members that the principal is human and subject to criticism.
Katerega recently attacked his leader, saying he was treating things like a novice.And asked him to have remorse for the young people rotting in prisons.
Currently, NUP is in a dangerous situation as a result of internal conflicts, which may erode public confidence in the party and its leaders with every new issue unfolding.
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