NUP wrangles deepen as Sseggona speaks out on party leadership

Busiro East MP Medard Lubega Sseggona has revealed that divisions within the National Unity Platform (NUP) existed long before the controversy surrounding former Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga.

“Even before the Mpuuga scenario, there were rumours that they wanted to oust us,” Sseggona said while appearing on the NBS Barometer show on Tuesday.

The fallout traces back to March 2024 when Mpuuga was accused of receiving a Shs500m “service award,” sparking a standoff with the party leadership. Mpuuga, who was dropped as Leader of Opposition two months earlier, denied any wrongdoing but refused to resign as parliamentary commissioner despite pressure from the party.

Both Mpuuga and Sseggona—once loyalists of the Democratic Party (DP) under the Uganda Young Democrats—defected to Robert Kyagulanyi’s People Power movement, which later evolved into NUP.

Sseggona, however, now accuses the party leadership of sidelining senior members without genuine grassroots consultation.

“When you say you asked people on the ground, you need to have evidence. Who did you ask? Is he or she a party member? Where does this person live?” he questioned.

He insisted he has “no personal project” in Parliament, stressing that his next steps will depend on consultations with his Busiro constituents.

The remarks highlight growing strains in NUP, Uganda’s biggest opposition force, which has struggled to balance its rapid rise with internal cohesion. With elections on the horizon, the fallout raises fresh questions about whether the party can stay united or face deeper fractures.