Nyendo-Mukungwe Member of Parliament, Mathias Mpuuga, has denounced what he perceives as a targeted campaign to tarnish his reputation, alleging that leaders within his own party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), are orchestrating a well-funded character assassination against him.
The controversy arose after NUP issued a statement on the previous evening, disclosing that they had advised Mpuuga to relinquish his role as Commissioner of Parliament. This recommendation came following allegations that Mpuuga had admitted to accepting a controversial Shs500 million ‘Service Award’ from Parliament upon the conclusion of his two-and-a-half-year tenure as Leader of the Opposition, subsequently succeeded by Joel Ssenyonyi.
In response, Mpuuga countered with a statement of his own, asserting that the funds he received were entirely lawful and deserved, rejecting any insinuation of bribery or corruption. He argued that if such payments were deemed corrupt, then all current and former MPs should be obligated to reimburse similar payments made to them.
Despite NUP’s call for his resignation, Mpuuga defiantly refused to comply, branding the request as cowardly. “I am ready for the worst,” Mpuuga declared.
He further expressed his commitment to his principles, stating, “I commit I will not be deterred by a small-group-family interest being peddled to blur our bigger picture of how the party is being managed without transparency and the general mistreatment of other leaders in the party.”
The standoff between Mpuuga and NUP underscores growing tensions within the party and raises questions about transparency and accountability in its leadership.
