How NUP’s Choice Of Muwanga To Replace Mpuga Leaves Nambooze’s Seat At Stake

How NUP’s Choice Of Muwanga To Replace Mpuga Leaves Nambooze’s Seat At Stake

By Angel Lubowa

KAMPALA

THE appointment of Hon Muwanga Kivumbi as new NUP Vice_ president for Buganda replacing dumped Hon Mathias Mpuga , if any thing has fatally placed Hon Betty Nambooze’s seat in balance.

Kivumbi was named along side Jacqueline Tukamushaba who became Vice-President( Western) replacing late Joly Mugisha, Harriet Ageno became Secretary for Policy, succeeding the late Toret Akecha, while Benjamin Katana became NUP representative on National Consultative Forum all in acting capacities.

Kivumbi’s appointment comes at a time when NUP is moving to discipline it’s parliamentary members and other local government leaders who haven’t been royal or those who have underperformed.

When Hon Mpuga fellow out with NUP ,the development polarized the party as some MPs stood with NUP or for Mpuga with one eye set on 2026.

As it turns out today NUP boss recently announced that all parliamentary seats are up for grabs and called it’s members to contest for any office including those of long serving MPs saying no NUP parliamentarian own a constituency .

Although the move was seen as an encouragement to party members to participate democratically ,some saw it as a plan by NUP to dump non royal MPs and weaklings.

Some NUP MPs who have allegedly been red flagged over royalty or underperformance include Hon Aloysius Mukasa ( Lubaga South), Mathias Mpuga ( Nyendo_Mukungwe), Joy Baagala ( Mityana Women), Medard Ssegona ( Busiro East),Dr Abed Bwanika ( Kimanya_ Kabonera),Allan Ssewanya ( Makindye West) , Dr Twaha Kagabo (Bukoto South), Betty Nambooze ( Mukono municipality), Bashir Kazibwe ( Kawempe South) , Kakembo Micheal Mwatekamwa( Ntebe municipality)among others .

During Mpuga_ NUP confrontations , some NUP members of Parliament took a neutral stand or lashed out at Mpuga . Hon Nambooze’s was among the later.

Though a long time ally of Hon Mpuga, Nambooze’s attack on Mpuga was seen as a move by Nambooze to strengthen her position with in NUP and her constituency seat which is lately attracting many contenders both from with in NUP and other parties come 2026.

Mpuga, the former Leader of the Opposition, fell out with the party last year following controversy over a Shs500 million service award. He has since established a political pressure group, the Democratic Alliance.

With Mpuga stand off at NUP, there has been a silent war on who will replace him among party members given the clout which comes around with being NUP vice president , Buganda including an automatic party tickets for 2026 polls.

Initially Muwanga Kivumbi, Dr Hilderman Kiyaga, Betty Nambooze, Geoffrey Lutaaya, Medard Ssegona and a few others were looked at as possible contenders for the Buganda NUP vice presidency .

With the slot gone to Kivumbi, Nambooze who was once the most powerful opposition woman MP in Buganda has to fight her way to attaining NUP ticket and retaining her Mukono municipality seat.

Reports from Mukono already indicate that some NUP members are asking her to bow out having served for over four terms since 2009. Many NUP leaders are vying for party ticket while parties like NRM, FDC, DP and independents are rallying voters too .

Nambooze’s relationship with NUP is allegedly relative, history depict Nambooze among the opposition members who took time to stand with Bobi Wine in his early making.

In 2017 for example as Hon Bobi Wine set out to contest for his maiden political office in Kyadondo East, he visited Nambooze who was bloody powerful and asked for her support.
Bobi gifted her with a cock and a bunch of matooke but reluctant Nambooze said she would first weigh on other contenders especially from FDC and DP .

That’s why it was news worth reporting mid last year when Hon Nambooze too visited NUP offices to gift Hon Bobi Wine with a goat as political waves started becoming eminent in her own Mukono municipality constituency.