MENGO FACTOR: Buganda Kingdom ‘Intervenes’ in Bobi Wine-Mpuuga Saga – Albeit Indirectly

Meanderingly, Buganda Kingdom has sought to intervene in the saga between main opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) principals: Party President Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine and Mathias Mpuuga, the vice president in charge of Buganda, the political organization’s stronghold.  

Embattled Leader of the Opposition in the Uganda (LoP) Joel Ssenyonyi and NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya led party MPs and others leaders to meet with Charles Peter Mayiga, the Prime Minister of Buganda Kingdom (Katikkiro).

In the meeting, the party expressed its solidarity with Mengo regarding the Kabaka’s birthday run. Ssenyonyi donated Shs21m in tickets for the Kabaka Birthday run.

The meeting happened amidst a crisis in NUP over scandals by their leaders in Parliament: LoP Joel Ssenyonyi who faces a per diem scandal and his predecessor Mpuuga who is battling a Shs500m cash award saga, both arising from the Uganda Parliament Exhibition.

The Bulange Mengo meeting took place barely a day after Mpuuga, the Nyendo-Mukungwe MP, made it clear he would neither resign his commissioner job nor leave NUP party. (See Details Here).

KATIKKIRO MAYIGA ON NUP CRISIS

Katikkiro Mayiga told NUP leaders to learn to be patient and respect others.

“You have to be patient with each other. Hon Ssenyonyi has two children now, he’s still a young man but you will see differences between those children yet they are your children. How will you handle that? Will you throw one of them outside the house?” asked Mayiga.

“You must learn to be patient with each other. You must learn to respect each other. You must learn these things while still on the opposition side because if you don’t learn these before getting power, won’t you become a dictator when you get power? They don’t kill whoever commits a mistake. As the katikkiro of Buganda, I’m your elder, I have the right to tell you this. If [anyone] makes a mistake, call her [or him], sit and talk. If you get used to insulting each other, the next thing will be fighting.”

The Katikkiro is a respected figure in Buganda, from where most of the men and women in the meeting come. Will they listen to Mengo?

For now, Bobi Wine insists Mpuuga must resign his job as commissioner over the Shs500m cash award. Activists also say Ssenyonyi must apologize and resign over Ssegirinya per diem saga. (See Details Here, There and Over There).