Africa-Press – Uganda. Nyendo-Mukungwe Member of Parliament, Mathias Mpuuga, has declared that he will not run under the National Unity Platform (NUP) in the 2026 general elections, deepening his public fallout with party leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.
In a series of statements made during a press appearance, Mpuuga said his association with the NUP had ended and that he was considering future political options outside the party.
“In 2026, if I’m to choose a position, I will choose the form, but definitely it will not be NUP. It will not,” Mpuuga said.
The former Leader of Opposition, who once served as NUP’s deputy president for the Buganda region, accused the party of undermining his contributions and labeled Kyagulanyi a dishonest and compromised leader.
“I gave NUP my time, energy and brain,” Mpuuga said. “You see now the brain that remained there. Let them go with that.”
The ongoing rift follows months of tension between Mpuuga and the NUP top leadership after he received a controversial “service award” during his tenure as a parliamentary commissioner.
The party demanded his resignation and apology, accusing him of unethical conduct, but Mpuuga refused, citing bad faith and political witch-hunt.
“If you ask me to go and apologize, probably one can ask, about what? Do you know the matter for which I must apologize?” he asked. “I think we need to be serious.”
Mpuuga sharply criticised Kyagulanyi’s leadership style, accusing him of dishonesty, egotism, and manipulating supporters for personal gain.
“If you want reconciliation, it must be about the truth. The liar must come to the table of truth,” he said. “We now know the liar. Go and ask the liar if he is ready to reconcile with himself and his lies.”
He added, “You can see deep-seated ill will in his eyes, spirit and talk. I don’t know what to do with him as a Christian. That is why I sounded sympathetic and asked those around him to try and help him. Probably he needs support.”
Mpuuga further alleged that Kyagulanyi had been “captured” by unnamed interests, questioning his judgment and suitability to lead a national political movement.
“I still ask the same question, if he understands the duty of a leader and his position,” he said. “Those questions still linger and still question what informs his wisdom.”
Mpuuga expressed solidarity with ordinary opposition members, whom he said are being sacrificed for the survival of individuals at the top.
“I feel obligated to sympathise with the rank and file in the opposition some prefer to call them foot soldiers. That is what you have for a leader he will sacrifice you so that he can extend his shelf life in politics.”
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