Mpuuga’s Launch of Political Pressure Group Sparks NUP Split

Former Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga's unveiling of a new political pressure group, the Democratic Alliance has signaled a rift within the National Unity Platform (NUP). The move comes months after Mpuuga’s suspension from NUP over a contentious Shs 500 million service award he and other parliamentary commissioners received.

Mpuuga, the Nyendo-Mukungwe MP, announced the Democratic Alliance on Friday 6th, November 2024 describing it as a platform to foster genuine political change. “Over the past four years, the struggle for change has been derailed by pettiness and infighting,” he said, accusing NUP of neglecting its mission of achieving democratic governance.

The fallout between Mpuuga and NUP leadership escalated after NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi suspended him as deputy president for the Buganda region and demanded his resignation as a parliamentary commissioner. Mpuuga defied the directive, which deepened the divide.

Mpuuga criticized NUP’s lack of strategy to unseat President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for four decades.

Mixed Reactions from Opposition Circles

Mpuuga’s announcement has elicited varied responses across the opposition spectrum. Isaac Wampamba, NUP councillor for Butuntumula sub-county in Luwero, praised Mpuuga as a more unifying figure than Kyagulanyi. “NUP is fractured. The president doesn’t take advice, and Mpuuga’s departure will shift leadership dynamics,” he said.

Notable figures in Luwero, including Charles Ssebyala, former Luwero town council LC III chairperson, and George Ssemakula, a Katikamu South MP aspirant, have already pledged allegiance to the Democratic Alliance.

A Divided Opposition

While some view the Democratic Alliance as a breath of fresh air for Uganda’s opposition, others remain skeptical. Charles Kasibante, a veteran opposition figure, warned that further fragmentation could undermine efforts to remove Museveni. Just like Kasibante, the ongoing fight to have a share of the already limited followers in the opposition political parties is seen by many as a blow to NUP's political struggles. 

As Uganda approaches the 2026 elections, the Democratic Alliance's role in reshaping the opposition remains uncertain. Will it invigorate the push for change or deepen divisions within an already fractured political landscape?