By Aggrey Baba
Former Leader of Opposition and current Democratic Forum (DF) acting president Mathias Mpuuga got a bitter taste of political backlash over the weekend while on a mobilization tour in Busoga region.
Mpuuga, who also serves as the national coordinator of the Democratic Alliance (the broader coalition under which DF operates) was hosted on a local radio station as part of his party’s effort to popularize itself ahead of the 2026 elections.
But things took a humiliating turn when callers flooded the show with sharp, sometimes personal questions, demanding explanations over the controversial UGX 500 million “service award” he received while still serving as LoP.
Some callers openly labelled him a hypocrite, while others asked what criteria had been used to award him the hefty sum, pointing out that former opposition leaders like Nathan Nandala Mafabi and Wafula Oguttu (both from Eastern Uganda) never received similar benefits. One caller even asked why Ugandans would entrust leadership again to a man so greedy.
The uncomfortable exchange has since gone viral, causing visible discomfort in the Mpuuga camp. Now, DA has come out swinging, this time, not against their political rivals, but against the very people they had hoped to win over.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), the Democratic Forum questioned the authenticity of the callers, suggesting the National Unity Platform (NUP) had coached villagers to embarrass Mpuuga live on air.
“Those people of Busoga who called in the program as our national coordinator were on the radio program were coached by NUP and other jealous people,” the tweet reads. “You can’t convince us at DF that a Musoga villager who can’t afford data has knowledge about the service award and even knows that previous LoPs were not awarded.”
They went further to justify the controversial payout, saying: “We stand by our leader Mathias Mpuuga. After all, the 500 million has helped us start our own party. We need resources to operate.”
The comments have sparked fresh outrage online, with many interpreting the DA’s statement as an insult to the intelligence of ordinary Basoga. Critics say the party appears to be alienating the very voters it claims to represent.
Mpuuga has been under fire ever since details of the UGX 500 million surfaced last year. While he insists the money was legally awarded as a token of appreciation for his time as LoP, critics (especially within NUP) have accused him of compromising the opposition cause.
Now, with Democratic Forum trying to gain ground in regions like Busoga, the timing and tone of this backlash may not be in their favour.
Whether this moment was a misstep or a sign of deeper frustration within the DA remains to be seen. But one clear thing is that Busoga was not buying what Mpuuga went to sell. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
