Why Did You Join NUP Addicts? – Bobi Wine Stings Mpuuga

The National Unity Platform (NUP) leader, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, has broken his silence over statements by his former Deputy Mathias Mpuuga. Mpuuga had said the Kavule party is being led by alcoholics and drug addicts.

The embattled Commissioner of Parliament made the remarks while at the burial of the mother of Mityana South MP Richard Lumu. In his address to mourners, Mpuuga said that alcoholics and drug addicts cannot take power from President Museveni.

Mpuuga went on to shower President Museveni with praises for being a teetotaler. Mpuuga wondered how drug addicts could manage to unseat someone who has never been intoxicated.

“If you want to be a politician, you must be sober 24 hours a day. The person we want to push away from power does not go to bars, he is always sober. And he does not even drink wine.” Mpuuga said.

Mpuuga NUP woes

These remarks by Mpuuga only widened the rift between him and the leadership of his party. Mpuuga and decision-makers at Makerere Kavule haven’t been on talking terms since he was fired from his role as Deputy President for the Buganda region. His firing was influenced by a Parliament expose that revealed information that he received a Shs 500m pay-off as a service award.

This was for his service as Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP). Mpuuga’s 500m was part of a larger Shs 1.7 billion that the Parliamentary Commissioners allegedly allocated themselves without Parliament’s authorization.

However, Bobi Wine, who rarely responds to criticism, didn’t take Mpuuga’s comments lightly. He tore into the Nyendo-Mukungwe MP at a press conference at the NUP headquarters in Kavule on Friday.

Kyagulanyi reminded the embattled Commissioner that he willingly joined the group of addicts he castigates.

“You came and joined a group led by Kyagulanyi, the marijuana smokers; they appointed you as Vice President. The same marijuana smokers made you Leader of Opposition.” Bobi Wine said.

Additionally, Kyagulanyi accused his former number two of playing to the gallery after the party found him guilty of engaging in corrupt practices.

“The marijuana smokers made you the Commissioner of Parliament. When you were found corrupt, they condemned you. But like I have said in the past, let’s educate our children.” Kyagulanyi said.