By CHIMPREPORTS
The National Unity Platform (NUP) leader, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, is set to drop Mathias Mpuuga as the Leader of Opposition in Parliament.
Officials in NUP have intimated that Bobi will appoint Nakawa East MP Joel Ssenyonyi to take over the leadership of the House from the Nyendo – Mukungwe Division lawmaker.
“The changes in the leadership of the opposition in Parliament will be announced tomorrow (Friday),” said a source who preferred anonymity to speak freely.
“Mpuuga will be replaced with Ssenyonyi.”
Mpuuga, who also doubles as NUP’s Deputy President, has been leading the opposition in Parliament since 2021.
In February, ChimpReports reported that Kyagulanyi was uncomfortable with Mpuuga for being “so diplomatic” in dealing with the central government.
Kyagulanyi preferred a more combative LOP to pressure the government to free NUP activists languishing in jails.
The decision to sack Mpuuga comes just weeks after Kyagulanyi told BBC in London that some NUP leaders were “working with General Museveni.”
While Kyagulanyi did not mention names, many quickly pointed fingers at Mpuuga.
Fallout
The silent conflict between Kyagulanyi and Mpuuga started bubbling over the surface after the state freed MPs Mohammed Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana from prison.
NUP activists quickly took to social media, saying Mpuuga had quietly worked with senior NRM government officials to secure the MPs’ release.
Kyagulanyi distanced himself from any negotiations with the government to free the NUP MPs, saying “if anyone took part in any negotiations to secure court bail for detainees, they did not without my knowledge or endorsement.”.
“Our position remains that we must not beg Museveni and his criminal regime to grant us our God given rights,” he added.
This statement forced Mpuuga to appear on CBS radio where he denied holding negotiations to release Ssewanyana and Segirinya.
“I will do what has never been done in history – resign from my position as LOP and also as an MP if anyone out there can prove that I negotiated with President Museveni,” said Mpuuga.
Mpuuga had also come under intense criticism by NUP activists for not doing enough to pressure the government to release NUP activists who disappeared at the hands of security forces during the 2021 election campaigns.
Realising his job was in danger, Mpuuga recently mobilised NUP MPs to shun Parliament until the activists were released.
However, many argued that his actions were half-hearted.
Mpuuga’s supporters say Mpuuga “is democratic and believes in diplomatic solutions not street battles with security forces”.
Mpuuga recently distanced himself from Kyagulanyi’s remarks that some of the NUP legislators who passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 were working for Museveni.
“I don’t know what he meant,” said Mpuuga.
The LOP enjoys the benefits of a Cabinet Minister. These include a lead car, a car allowance and a fully-fledged office with employees. The office runs a budget that covers, among other, trips for Opposition MPs. The 2021/2022 budget for the LoP is Shs3.9bn.
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