Africa-Press – Uganda. As the embattled former Leader of the Opposition in Parliament continues to fight for his political survival in the National Unity Platform (NUP), three people have so far expressed interest in vying for his Nyendo-Mukungwe parliamentary seat.
The most notable individuals include Ms Alice Nannungi, a woman councillor representing Nyendo/Mukungwe Division at Masaka City Council, Mr Gyaviira Lubowa Ssebina, a Makerere University deputy bursar, and Ms Sarah Kiyimba of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and Rakai Resident District Commissioner.
Both Nannungi and Ssebina subscribe to NUP and are key members of the Kunga Uganda mobilisation campaign headed by the party’s national mobiliser, Mr Fred Nyanzi.
Ms Nannungi, who is a darling to NUP’s top executive, was the first person to express interest in Mpuuga’s seat over a year ago. Like Ssebina, Nannungi is currently crisscrossing the constituency and uses city council projects as her campaigning tool.
For instance, the new roads being opened up in the peril-urban areas that were annexed to the city and the infrastructures being improved under the World Bank-funded Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Programme (USMID) in the city centre, are among the things she is riding on to endear voters to her camp.
According to Mr Maurice Peter Matovu, one of Mr Ssebina’s political assistants, nothing will hold them back from their pursuit. He says his boss is focusing on fighting against cheap politics by bridging the gap between the Opposition and the government, which has cost the people of Masaka several benefits in the form of government projects.
“Being Opposition doesn’t mean ignoring government programmes, there are a lot of opportunities we have lost because of the current leadership that put their interests forward,” he says.
“Nyendo /Mukungwe currently needs a leader who can move an extra mile. Debating is good, but a Member of Parliament should be able to lobby for his people to foster development in the constituency,’’ he adds.
Mr Ssebina is the founder of Lubowa Ssebina Foundation, a community-based organisation promoting talents and development. This is the vehicle he is using to reach out to the youth, women and elderly groups in the constituency.
Political pundits say the current infighting in NUP may affect Mpuuga as a person and the party’s political base – Buganda Region, particularly the Greater Masaka area where Mpuuga is a kingpin.
The internal bickering within the NUP camp in Masaka intensified in January when party leaders in the area led by the former Leader of Opposition and Nyendo-Mukungwe legislator, Mr Mathias Mpuuga, stopped the ‘Kunga Uganda’ mobilisation campaign in the area. The move sparked off mixed reactions as he was accused by Masaka City Mayor, Ms Florence Namayanja, and other leaders of trying to frustrate party activities aimed at drumming up support ahead of the 2026 elections.
Mr Mpuuga’s group believes ‘Kunga Uganda’ is envisioned to undermine some veteran politicians, including himself at the advantage of newcomers jostling to join Parliament in 2026.
At the national level, the party leadership is also in turmoil following a fallout between NUP party president, Robert Kyagulanyi and his deputy president in charge of Buganda, Mr Mpuuga. The bad blood stems from the controversial Shs500m “service award’’ that the latter received while still servicing as LoP in Parliament.
Last week, Mr Kyagulanyi suspended Mr Mpuuga as NUP vice president, a day after Buganda Kingdom Premier (Katikkiro) Charles Peter Mayiga had suggested a possible mediated solution to the raging dispute inside NUP, where Mpuuga is accused of corruption.
Despite Mr Mpuuga being embroiled in the current NUP power struggle, members of his camp in Masaka are confident that he is still strong to further their agenda.
“The smear campaign against our man will not achieve its goals. Mpuuga’s legacy is clear and we believe he is still a valuable asset in the struggle as a commander of our region, we know how we have been overcoming similar situations in the past and we are not shaken at all,” Mr Leonard Kabumbuli, the chairperson of the party’s elderly council in Masaka, says.
Currently, the NRM camp is not doing any serious mobilisation in pursuit of the seat, however party leaders and supporters are confident that their 2021 ticket holder [Sarah Kiyimba] will again contest for the seat.
Mr Geofrey Ntale, the chairperson of NRM in Nyendo-Mukungwe Constituency, told this publication that they are still confident that Ms Kiyimba who emerged second during the 2021 polls behind Mr Mpuuga will be able to carry their flag again and win the seat.
The Democratic Party, which once dominated the area, has not yet expressed interest in the seat. Lawyer and former member of East African Legislative Assembly, Mr Denis Mukasa Mbidde, who contested for the same seat on the DP ticket in 2021 said: “It is not yet time to respond on such a matter. We shall communicate our position as a party at the right time.”
Background
Nyendo/Mukungwe Municipality is one of the two constituencies in Masaka City, with the other being Kimaanya/Kabonera. It has more than 70,000 registered voters.
In 2021, the constituency witnessed a hot race between NUP, NRM, DP and Mpuuga who had the NUP ticket then carried the day after garnering 26,810 votes while his closest competitor, Ms Kiyimba, gathered only 11,238 votes. Other contenders in the race were independents Peter Sempa and Michael Ssekabira.
The Opposition, particularly DP, has for over three decades been in the control of Masaka politics until they recently started losing key constituencies such as Masaka Municipality in 1996, Bukoto East Constituency in 2016 and the district woman MP seat went to NRM in 2006 and 2011 respectively, due to internal party wrangles. Although the district woman MP seat was reclaimed by DP in 2016, the internal party divisions denied them a win in 2021.
During the 2016 General Election, President Museveni had warned the electorates in Masaaka area against voting for DP candidates, saying they had retarded development in the sub-region. However, the residents did not listen to him and voted otherwise.
Source: Monitor
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