The former leader of Opposition and Parliamentary Commissioner, Mathias Mpuuga has dismissed claims of having enemies in politics, emphasizing that his differences with opponents are purely ideological rather than personal.
Mpuuga made this remarks on March19, 2025, while being interviewed on NBS television station.
“I don’t have any enemies in politics, I only have opponents,” Mpuuga stated. “Enmity is the language of dictators, “Mpuuga said.
Mpuuga further revealed that several of his colleagues privately recognized that the current moves to censure him from his parliamentary seat were motivated by political survival rather than wrongdoing.
He also added that the NUP president with all due respect to him, mobilized people for a month to go to my constituency to speak ill about me ,yet he has never seen him mobilize and hold a rally to speak against the Electoral Commission.
His remarks come amid ongoing tensions with the National Unity Platform (NUP), the party under which he was elected to Parliament.
Mpuuga’s relationship with NUP fell out last year,2024 after the party accused him of corruption for receiving a controversial Shs500 million as a “service award. “while serving as Leader of the Opposition. These controversy led to a push within the party to remove him from his role as a Parliamentary Commissioner, a motion that ultimately failed.
During his tenure, he adopted a strategy of engagement politics but later shifted to a more assertive approach due to mounting challenges within opposition ranks.
He is currently a Parliamentary Commissioner and a member of the Democratic Alliance since 2024.
Mpuuga as a former Leader of the Opposition, was pressured to address issues such as the incarceration of opposition MPs Allan Ssewanyana and Muhammad Ssegirinya. Despite internal conflicts within NUP, Mpuuga maintained a focus on ideological engagement rather than confrontational politics.
His recent remarks reflect his commitment to fostering ideological debate over personal animosity, positioning himself as a resilient and pragmatic leader in Uganda’s political landscape.
