Mpuuga Launches Democratic Front, Signalling New Political Chapter Amidst NUP Fallout

Mathias Mpuuga, the former Deputy President of the National Unity Platform (NUP) for the Buganda Region and Member of Parliament for Nyendo-Mukungwe, has officially unveiled a new political party, the Democratic Front (DF). The launch marks a decisive break from the NUP and its leader, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, following months of highly publicised friction and a dramatic fallout.

The genesis of the dispute lay in allegations of abuse of office after it was revealed that Mpuuga received a shs500 million “service award” during his tenure as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP). The NUP swiftly condemned the payment as illegal, labelling it “shameful” and equating it to corruption, while demanding Mpuuga’s resignation.

The controversy deepened with an online campaign, #UgandaParliamentExhibition, which accused Mpuuga and three other backbench Parliamentary Commissioners – Solomon Silwany, Prossy Mbabazi, and Esther Afoyochan – of irregularly awarding themselves a collective shs1.7 billion in taxpayer funds under the guise of service awards. Each of the latter three reportedly received shs400 million.

Despite widespread public outcry and the NUP’s insistent demands for Mpuuga to return the funds, step down from his position as Parliamentary Commissioner, and issue a public apology, Mpuuga steadfastly refused. Efforts by MPs Theodore Ssekikubo and Jonathan Odur to initiate a censure motion against the four commissioners failed to garner sufficient support.

In a pivotal turn of events, the High Court, in a ruling delivered by Justice Douglas Karekona Singiza, declared the payouts lawful, asserting that the funds had been duly appropriated through the national budget. Following this legal victory, Mpuuga demanded an apology from the NUP, accusing the party of delivering judgment without affording him a fair hearing. “What is appalling is that someone judges another without hearing their side of the story,” Mpuuga stated, adding, “That is what was done by my party. The party leaders, I know, are following what is happening. I am waiting to see what their response will be. They should apologise. If they don’t, I know what to do.”

With reconciliation with the NUP now seemingly beyond reach, Mpuuga has embarked on a new political trajectory. The Electoral Commission has officially approved the Democratic Front, and its launch event drew several prominent political figures, including Dr. Abed Bwanika, Michael Kakembo, and Juliet Nakabuye.

The emergence of the Democratic Front comes at a crucial juncture as Uganda prepares for the 2026 general elections, with the new party positioning itself as a fresh force in the nation’s political landscape.

Taking to his official X account (formerly Twitter), Mpuuga articulated the party’s vision: “Introducing the Democratic Front (DF), a new political party that is deliberate in bringing freshness to Uganda’s political landscape. It is born out our motherland’s need for meaningful transformation that transcends the tired cycle of recycled ideologies. The comes not a disruption, but a necessity born of the failures of the status quo. It is a home for logical thinkers, progressive minds, and those who believe in political ethics and disciplined service delivery.”