Busiro East MP Medard Lubega Sseggona has revealed that the National Unity Platform (NUP) leadership wanted to cut out some senior members even before the controversy surrounding former Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Mathias Mpuuga.
"Even before the Mpuuga scenario, there were rumours that they wanted to oust us," Sseggona said, suggesting that the crisis over Mpuuga's Shs500 million "service award" in March 2024 only exposed tensions that had been simmering for months.
The Mpuuga saga, which unfolded two months after he had been dropped as Leader of Opposition in January 2024, marked the start of open confrontation between the NUP leadership and some of its senior figures.
Mpuuga rejected accusations of corruption and blackmail, while the party's top brass demanded that he step down as a parliamentary commissioner.
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Sseggona and Mpuuga both trace their political roots to the Democratic Party (DP), where they were once seen as diehard loyalists uner the Uganda Young Democrats banner.
But after years of internal schisms and factional battles in DP, they defected to the People Power movement led by Robert Kyagulanyi, which later evolved into the NUP.
Speaking on the NBS Barometer show on Tuesday night, Sseggona dismissed speculation that his recent positions in Parliament reflect a personal agenda, insisting his work is tied to the party and his constituents.
"I have no personal project in the Parliament of Uganda. I am always deployed by various stakeholders, the party and the people of Busiro. Now that the party has made its decision, I am going to consult with the people of Busiro," he said.
Timeline of the Fallout
- January 9, 2024 - Mathias Mpuuga is dropped as Leader of Opposition in Parliament after two and a half years in the role. March 6, 2024 - NUP accuses Mpuuga of corruption over a Shs500 million "service award" and demands his resignation as parliamentary commissioner. Mpuuga rejects the allegations as blackmail. Mid-2024 - Internal tensions deepen as senior figures like Medard Sseggona express frustration with party decision-making and alleged sidelining. September 29, 2025 - Sseggona, along with other Mpuuga friends such as Joyce Bagala, loses Busiro East parliamentary flag to singer Mathias Walukaga.
- September 30, 2025 - Sseggona publicly claims NUP leadership wanted to push out senior members even before the Mpuuga fallout.
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He also challenged claims that party leaders had consulted the grassroots before making key decisions.
"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?" Sseggona questioned, casting doubt on the authenticity of such processes.
His remarks underline the growing strains inside NUP, Uganda's strongest opposition party, whose rapid rise in 2020 was fueled by defections from traditional opposition forces and the energy of the People Power movement.
But the fallout with Mpuuga and now Sseggona's public criticism show how fragile the party's internal cohesion remains ahead of future elections.
For now, the Busiro East legislator says his political steps will depend on consultations with his constituents, leaving open questions about whether he will remain a central figure within NUP or pursue a different path.
