Highly placed sources within the National Unity Platform (NUP) headquarters at Makerere Kavule have revealed to mighty Grapevine that all indicators show that their principal Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) is not going to extend the tenure of Mathias Mpuuga as the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP).

Mpuuga’s two and half years term is ending this December and sources disclosed that Bobi Wine will soon instruct the party Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya to communicate to the Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among the party’s new leadership in parliament which is going to command their troops.

Sources divulged that there has been stiff competition between Mpuuga, Butambala county legislator Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, Opposition Chief Whip  John Baptist Nambeshe and Nakawa West’s Joel Ssenyonyi.

However the current indicators show that Nambeshe is highly favoured and may take the day.

“Even in 2021, Bobi Wine wanted to appoint Nambeshe, he never trusted those people from the Democratic Party (DP) but he was under pressure from those people at Mengo (Buganda Kingdom Leadership). Others said that Nambeshe could not be trusted because he was new and had just crossed from President Museveni’s NRM. They allged that this meant that he was not yet tested. They even warned the Principal that Nambeshe can sell their party leadership in parliament to Museveni. That is why he decided to appoint Mpuuga who some now claim has betrayed him,” a NUP insider said.

This insider based his argument on the recent statements Bobi Wine made in an interview with BBC in London that a number of his party Members of Parliament are working with  and for President Museveni.

First were allegations that Mpuuga led negotiations with President Museveni’s government that led to the release of legislators Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana from prison after they were detained for two years on murder, terrorism and attempted murder charges.

Bobi Wine was also shocked to learn that the opposition leadership in parliament were aware of the alleged Shs40m given to each Member of Parliament (including NUP legislator) thanking them which many alleged was a bribe from the sitting government.

Sources said that to protect his diaspora supporters who fund many of their political activities in NUP, Bobi Wine decided to drop Mpuuga because most of the party leadership in the Diaspora are not happy with him and are alleging that he is in bed with NRM leadership in parliament.

Sources added that the reason why Bobi Wine traveled with Nambeshe to United Kingdom where he has spent over ten years without stepping foot because of his anti-gay activism is an indicator that the man from Bugishu may fall into things very soon.

Earlier, Bobi Wine assigned Nambeshe to start receiving application from opposition legislators who want to apply for different positions in parliament.

In United Kingdom, Bobi Wine, Nambeshe, Barbra Itungo Kyagulanyi held private meetings with a number of politicians in Britain and other leaders from NUP Diaspora. He later traveled to German.

However, theGrapevine has established that Bobi Wine is under pressure from a section of Muslim leaders who are complaining over his decision not to appoint Kivumbi as the next Leader of Opposition in Parliament.

Sources said that recently, Bobi Wine explained to a few of them on phone that his goal is to first silence those people accusing his party of being the new Kabaka Yekka party.

He promised to compensate them by appointing Kivumbi as the Opposition Chief Whip in parliament replacing Nambeshe.

“This is our time, Bobi Wine seems to have betrayed us. Does he think that a Muslim is not fit for that office? He is also slowly becoming like other politicians who sideline Muslims when it comes to giving them big assignment,” a top sheikh at Kibuli Muslim faction told theGrapevine during the course of investigating this story.

theGrapevine has also seen a letter written by Kimanya-Kabonera legislator Dr Abed Bwanika asking for the position of Opposition representative on the Parliamentary Commission as a replacement for embattled Mityana Municipality legislator Francis Butebi Zaake.

Sources said that Bwanika has a big task of convincing Bobi Wine to assign him this influential position because he is on the list of legislators he rarely trusts.

Other sources disclosed that Bwanika is very calculative. He

“He is very sure that once Bobi Wine drops Mpuuga, he has to compensate the people of Greater Masaka by giving one of their sons another position.”

Sources said that chances are high that Bobi Wine is going to renew Zaake’s contract as Parliamentary Commissioner but if he is pressurised to make changes, he will replace him with either Ssenyonyi or Kasanda district woman legislator Flavia Nabagabe Kalule, who is a very good friend to Bobi Wine’s wife.

Zaake was impeached from the office of the commissioner of parliament on indiscipline grounds after attacking the speaker Among.

However, his actions were supported by Bobi Wine.

NUP insiders disclosed that Bobi Wine is expected back into the country before the end of this week to make the long awaited announcement.

By Grapevine Reporters

The Opposition in Parliament lead by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP) Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba on Tuesday are set to task Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire the Internal Affairs senior minister to give a detailed report concerning the circumstances that caused the death of Francis Kalibbala Ssenteza the former bodyguard to National Unity Platform (NUP) Principal Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine).

Shadow Finance minister and also Butambala County legislator Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi told theGrapevine that they were not convinced with Gen. Otafiire’s report and they are going to give the country a response through Mpuuga on the floor of Parliament.

Kivumbi said that among the issues they want explained is the way Ssenteza was killed in a motor accident because Gen. Otafiire’s report claims that he was knocked by Bobi Wine’s Toyota Hiace which he used during the 2021 presidential campaigns.

He narrated that Gen. Otafiire who signed the Statement, even though it was read by his State Minister Gen. David Muhoozi confirmed that at the scene of crime, there was a military vehicle.

He added that government intentionally refused to carry out a postmortem report on Ssenteza’s dead body because they feared that it would reveal the cause of his death.

“He stated that NUP supporters run away with the dead body and it is the reason they gave why they didn’t make a postmortem report but all of us know very well that the State has the capacity to exhume a body and carry out an autopsy because we cannot allow a person to die in such circumstances not subject his body to a postmortem,” Kivumbi said.

Ssenteza, who was a carpenter at Mulago ku Biiri along Bombo road was knocked dead at Busega roundabout and buried in December of 2020 at his ancestral home in Masaka district.

Kivumbi added that another explanation they want from Otafire is the circumstances under which Bobi Wine supporter Ritah Nabukenya died in a motor accident.

He said that Otafire confirmed that Nabukenya was knocked by a speeding police patrol at Nakawa a Kampala city suburb and the driver of the patrol was arrested but the Director for Public Prosecution (DPP) Justice Jane Frances Abodo declined to sanction the file on grounds that it did not have supporting evidence.

He insisted that the evidence was there but the file was not sanctioned on political grounds.

However when contacted, Gen. Otafiire boasted that he is ready to face Mpuuga in parliament and he will answer all his questions on the floor of parliament because he will be there himself, not his junior minister.

Highly placed sources in the LOP’s office told theGrapevine that immediately after Mpuuga makes his response, he will table fresh demands.

They will include demands for an explanation on the arrest and humiliation of Muslim clerics and the issue of Balalo in northern Uganda particularly in Acholi.

But Otafiire said that once the new demands are raised, he will ask the presiding speaker to give him more time to investigate the allegation and report back as he did with the first demands.

By Hadijja Namagembe

As the elders say, “He who rushes ahead doesn’t reach far.” This proverb explains exactly why Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) rapidly conquered Busoga but drastically seem to have lost it within a twinkle of an eye.

This has also justified the saying that; “A chick that will grow into a cock can be spotted the very day it is hatched.”

NUP’s egg will never hatch. The recently concluded memorable royal wedding, which Basoga and the friends of Busoga adhored and witnessed exposed the ill  intentions of NUP towards Busoga.

In an alleged audio conversation between Bigirwa and the mysterious woman whose efforts were focused on failing the royal wedding, Bigirwa talks about how they (he and his president)  faked the 10M contribution delivery to the Busoga premier as a stunt and PR for the party but they did not do it out of love for Busoga.

This shocked Basoga and opened their eyes to know how exactly NUP feels about BUSOGA.

The ill intentions of NUP towards Busoga was further exposed after the royal wedding when Bajjo appeared on one of the Kampala based FM radio stations where he falsely insulted and accused Busoga kingdom that they didn’t invite NUP yet there were NUP officials who attended the function like MP Manjeri Kyebakutika, Swengere, Hassan Muwanga, etc.

He went ahead to demand for the refund of the money NUP contributed towards the royal wedding.

As if that was not enough, there are so many bloggers and TikTokers who have continuously abused the king and Basoga using Luganda language as well as attaching themselves to NUP and Bobi Wine. Neither the NUP principal nor the party leaders have come out to disassociate themselves and the party from such individuals, maybe as a sign that they support them.

To redeem themselves, the party leadership sat and demoted Bigirwa from his position as coordinator eastern region, a move which rubber-stamp their guilt.

In a dramatic turn of events, Bigirwa has vowed not to drown alone. He has promised to expose the true version of NUP and expose all their misdeeds.

Nothing disturbs me more than the glorification of stupidity against our culture because of their selfishness interests.

What’s the significance of all the above?

In a court of fowls, the cockroach never wins his case. NUP loses; NRM and President Museveni win again.

1.If you shut out the truth and bury it under the ground, it will grow, and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through, it will blow up everything in its way. Basoga have realized that NUP and Bobi Wine are their enemies. They were hoodwinked by Bobi Wine and given time, the truth has unfolded. After all, how easy is it to make people believe a lie, and how hard is it to undo that work again.

2.Why is the Guinea fowl not used in rituals despite it’s beauty. The simple answer is in alignment with the popular axiom: “All that glitters is not gold.” Majority of the population in Busoga are so much aggrieved by such actions and have vowed not to support NUP and Bobi Wine anymore. They believe that they have been rediculed enough and have discovered the initial deception of Bobi Wine.

3. Some Basoga are ready to refund the 10m NUP contributed towards the function as demanded by BAJJO.
4. If a musoga says NO, he means it. It’s point clear that they have dustbined Bobi Wine and NUP.
5. NUP is built on opportunism, sectarianism, tribalism and hypocrisy. They are self seekers and therefore the so called struggle is built for personal gains. How ironically it is, they want to reap fat cheques without due work done.

The reason why president Museveni has remained relevant politically for the last 60 years, is because he takes the line between Uganda and Africa, he doesn’t look at identity. The big problem in Uganda before him was bad politics which he solved immediately.

As usual, patience is the companion of wisdom, general Museveni will undoubtedly reclaim Busoga in 2026 with a resounding victory. As iron is eaten away by rust, so the envious are consumed by their own passion.

The writer, George Mubiru, is a Jinja based researcher and NRM mobilizer

Tel: 0754877595

Email: georgemubiru93@gmail.com