By Aggrey Baba
They say a tree with deep roots does not fear the wind, and in Nyendo-Mukungwe, few political trees have deeper roots than Mathias Mpuuga.
As Uganda edges closer to the 2026 general elections, the battle lines are already being drawn. In Masaka City’s most politically active constituency, Nyendo-Mukungwe, the National Unity Platform (NUP) is quietly, yet decisively preparing to field a new candidate to replace its current MP, Hon. Mpuuga.
But as many seasoned observers have noted, this is not a contest for the faint-hearted.
Mpuuga is not merely a politician, but a symbol, a man forged in the crucible of Buganda’s historical struggles and opposition resilience.
His journey from Suubi 2011, through the Democratic Party (DP) ranks, and into NUP’s highest echelons as Leader of the Opposition, has been long and strategic, marked by loyalty to principle, consistent service, and deep engagement with his community.
There are whispers of change and attempts at internal reform within NUP, the party, whose leadership accuses Mpuuga of benefitting from what they call an “inappropriate service award,” (UGX 500m), earning him a nickname Mr. 500, and they have demanded an apology, but Mpuuga has refused to bow.
His defiance has been met with a cold shoulder from Kavule, the party’s headquarters. Now, political strategists aligned with the party’s leadership are plotting to replace him on the 2026 ballot.
Yet it won’t be easy. And that’s the point of Derrick Kiyonga’s sharp analysis in today’s Saturday Monitor. Without dramatics or emotion, Kiyonga lays out a clear-eyed view, that NUP is up against a man who not only knows the terrain, but the terrain, himself.
The Kavule based party’s rumored options to replace Mpuuga include Masaka councillor Alice Nankya Nanungi, lawyer Samuel Mulindwa Muyizzi, MUK Deputy bursar, Gyaviira Lubowa Ssebina and activist Jimmy Lwanga.
While all of them bring varying degrees of passion and experience, they lack one critical factor, deep, organic ties to the people of Nyendo-Mukungwe, and that’s where Mpuuga holds an unshakable advantage.
In Buganda, and especially in Masaka, politics is not merely about popularity, but identity, respect, and historical credibility. Mpuuga, who has for years defended the kingdom’s interests, participated in key opposition protests like the 2011 “Walk to Work” campaign, and held firm during parliamentary turbulence, commands a loyalty that goes beyond party lines.
Kiyonga’s piece reminds readers that Mpuuga’s relationship with Masaka is not transactional, because he’s seen as a disciplined son of the soil, one whose presence in Parliament preserves the dignity and voice of a region that has often felt overlooked or misunderstood by national politics.
While NUP may argue it is holding its leaders accountable, the optics of purging a founding leader like Mpuuga risk backlash, especially in a place like Masaka, where voters do not take kindly to what they perceive as arrogance or betrayal from political elites in Kampala.
In politics, timing and strategy matter, but so does memory, and the people of Nyendo-Mukungwe can easily remember who stood with them during tough times, and who answered their calls even when the cameras were off. That kind of history is not easily erased by slogans or party directives.
If NUP chooses to go head-to-head with Mpuuga in 2026, it must prepare for more than a contest, but a reckoning. Because in Masaka, loyalty is not dictated by party cards, but earned, and protected. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
