The former Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Parliament, Betty Aol Ochan, has advised Mathias Mpuuga to step down from his current position as parliamentary commissioner.
This is after his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP) asked the former LoP, Mpuuga to step down from his current position (parliamentary commissioner), accusing him of corruption and abuse of office after he was given Shs500 million “gratuity”.
According to his successor, Joel Ssenyonyi, in a meeting held by the party president, Robert Kyagulanyi earlier, Mpuuga was found guilty of corruption upon subjection to a party crisis meeting which resolved to have him resign.
He also noted that during the meeting, Mpuuga admitted that he indeed took part in this wrongdoing and apologized for the same.
However Mpuuga scoffed at “an unsigned document” purportedly calling for his resignation based on what he called “falsehoods and terrible misapprehension of facts including basic ones.”
In a statement issued on Friday, Mpuuga explained that the said money (Shs500M) was granted to him by the Parliamentary Commission as gratuity and thus he cannot be accused of any crime.
However, Ochan says her colleague should accept to step down, calling for the removal of other ‘dirty commissioners’.
“If I were him, I would step aside if it’s true because it is public knowledge. Probably he has a reason, which he should come out and clarify,” Ochan said.
Back ground:
The accusation against Nyendo – Mukungwe MP, Mathias Mpuuga, revolves around allegations of corruption and abuse of office during his tenure as a parliamentary commissioner. Specifically, Mpuuga is accused of receiving a substantial sum of Shs500 million as a ‘service award,’ alongside three other parliamentary commissioners, under the pretext of recognizing their service.
The National Unity Platform (NUP) party, to which Mpuuga belongs, issued a statement via its official platform, formally Twitter, calling for his resignation from the role of parliamentary commissioner. This call followed revelations from an ongoing online campaign aimed at exposing corruption within Parliament, where Mpuuga and his counterparts were accused of irregularly awarding themselves taxpayers’ money.
During an urgent meeting convened by NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, Mpuuga reportedly admitted to his involvement in the alleged wrongdoing and issued an apology. Despite this acknowledgment, the party stressed the importance of maintaining its core values, including discipline, integrity, and patriotism, and urged Mpuuga to step down from his position.
The accusations against Mpuuga are part of a broader movement on social media aimed at shedding light on corruption, abuse of office, and mismanagement of public funds within Parliament. Despite attempts to reach him for comment, Mpuuga remained unavailable at the time of reporting.
This incident adds to a series of conflicts between Mpuuga and the top leadership of the NUP, including his suspension of the party’s mobilization campaign in Greater Masaka without consulting party leadership.
