Mathias Mpuuga, Former Leader of Opposition, has said he won’t step down as a parliamentary commissioner as earlier demanded by his party, National Unity Platform(NUP).
The NUP Vice President for Buganda, rather said he is a victim of witch-hunt by his party members and family intrigue.
“I accordingly decline the cowardly call on me to resign as a parliamentary Commissioner, based on spite, and deliberate misrepresentation for mischievous reasons,”
Adding, “I commit that, I’ll not be deterred by small-group- family interests being peddled to blur the bigger picture of how the Party is being managed without transparency, and the general mistreatment of other leaders in the party.”
Recently, Mpuuga in his capacity as the Vice President for Buganda (NUP), stopped all ‘Kunga’ mobilization campaigns in the greater Masaka Sub-region pitting him against powerful, Fred Nyanzi, the Head of Mobilization and elder brother to NUP supremo, Robert Kyagulanyi.
He mentioned that the general public is aware and alive to the internal intrigue and machinations, unfortunately, within the party over the last two and ahalf years, during his occupation of the coveted office of LoP.
Mpuuga noted that it became the official style of different party leaders to undermine his work, including hiring of bloggers to abuse and insult my person, something he says didn’t deter his commitment.
“I stayed committed and calm throughout these most compelling times, because the call to serve above self remained my creed. I wish to assure the general membership of NUP and all change seeking forces that, this shall remain my resolve; and that not any of my actions while leading the opposition as the LOP amounted to corruption or abuse of office,”
On Thursday 29, NUP released a statement asking him to resign his position as a commissioner of parliament for partaking in the controversial and questionable ‘service award’ cash bonanza, where he was a beneficiary of a staggering Shs 500 million of taxpayers’ money.
The ‘service award’ was passed during a meeting of the Parliamentary Commission held on May 6, 2022, in the Speaker Anita Among’s boardroom at the Parliament Building.
NUP said Mpuuga appeared on Wednesday before a meeting of senior leaders of the party, including all deputy presidents, convened by party leader Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, and he admitted that he indeed took part in the process, however, apologized for the same.
“In light of this, he was strongly advised that the moral thing to do in the circumstances is to step down from his role as Parliamentary Commissioner with immediate effect,” read NUP’s statement.
However, Mpuuga, has said the call by NUP is based on falsehoods and terrible misapprehension of facts including basic ones.
He explained that the duties and roles of the Parliamentary Commission are well stipulated in the laws of the land, and couched in basic language, an issue he shared and labored to educate his m comrades with whom he interacted in an informal conversation at the party offices.
“It is the same commission that votes funds to all political offices, including the LOP’s office. It takes care of the welfare of ordinary members and their leaders in Parliament, including determining the range of legally permissible payments, that may be salary, allowances, gratuity, honoraria, car grants among others,” he said.
Mpuuga explained that the decisions of the commission are not personal but collective in nature, and for anyone to purport to make them personal decisions of an individual is a deliberate, well-crafted malicious campaign designed for character assassination.
“Every decision of the Commission to confer or reward anyone under its charge, is subjected to the relevant committees of Parliament for legality, feasibility, sustainability and relevancy.
To call any such payments corruption is the highest level of spite, double standards and deliberate misrepresentation to the public and membership of the Party on a purely selfish and malicious mission,” said Mpuuga.
Adding, “If such payments amounted to corruption, all current and previous MPs would be compelled to refund to the public coffers monies paid as gratuity or honoraria since no MP, current and previous was not paid gratuity at the determination of the parliamentary Commission.”
He however, noted that the general public has every right and must be encouraged to question the decisions of their leaders at every level.
“This right should never be exploited by self-seekers, opportunists and populists to undermine, berate and smear those they consider in unpalatable terms to their brand of politics. The campaign to character assassinate me is deliberate, and I am perfectly aware. It’s well orchestrated and well-funded. I am ready for the worst, if it takes this sacrifice to return sanity and common sense to our politics,” he said.
