The last time Mathias Mpuuga, the former leader of the opposition, made news headlines was on October 28,.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!On that day, he addressed a press briefing at Parliament where he blasted the government for pushing through the enactment of the Coffee Bill which many opposition members and some people had opposed.
Since then, Mpuuga’s public appearances have been rare until this week when he made an unexpected appearnce at the General Court Martial in Makindye to attend the trial of Dr Kizza Besigye.
To be fair, Mpuuga shares a long political history with Besigye. After the 2011 elections, Mpuuga coordinated the walk-to-work protests whose main architect was Besigye. The two also worked closely together to try to fashion an opposition coalition ahead of the 2016 elections but it did not end well.
Mpuuga and other members of the Democratic Party (DP) decided to go with Amama Mbabazi leaving Besigye and FDC disappointed.
Therefore, one can’t help but feel that his sudden appearance in Makindye this week could be a last-ditch effort to salvage a political career that appears to be on the ropes
Having spectacularly fallen out with the National Unity Platform (NUP) following the Shs 500 million service award saga, Mpuuga has increasingly looked politically isolated and lost.
When he held a grand thanksgiving ceremony in Masaka in the midst of his troubles with NUP, some people believed that he would use the widely publicized occasion to make a big political statement. He never did.
Instead, he started speaking in tongues, saying while he had the qualifications to stand for president or launch a new political vehicle, that was not the path he would take.
Yet with 2026 just months away, there appears to be some urgency on Mpuuga’s part to clarify his political future.
At the General Court Martial, Mpuuga’s demeneor did not look inspiring. According to videos, he talked briefly with Winnie Byanyima, Besigye’s wife and Betty Aol Ochan, the former leader of the opposition fell flat.
But at some point the two women turned their backs on Mpuuga, leaving the Nyendo-Mukungwe MP smiling sheepishly, unsure how or when to rejoin their conversation.
Later, he was seen milling around talking to some opposition leaders and supporters at the court. It must have felt awkward for someone who only a year ago was the highest-ranking opposition member in Parliament.
He appeared lost and out of place.
High and Lows
Mpuuga’s political career has been defined by several lows and some highs.
He almost lost his life before the 2011 election after he was shot in a hotel room in Masaka. He lost the battle to reform DP to Norbert Mao and led an exodus of party leaders to NUP.
Before he could settle in his newfound political home, he was unceremonioulsy shown the exit.
Yet as the leader of the opposition, he carved a reputation as a strong debater and strategist. He is smart and intelligent. Mpuuga brought respectability and honour to an office that was in dire need of some redemption.
One of his critics told Bbeg Media that Mpuuga’s appearance at the court was less about principle and more about relevance.
“Mpuuga wants to ride on Besigye’s wave of activism to rebrand himself,” said the critic.
The coming weeks will reveal whether Mpuuga’s overtures mark the start of a sustained political revival or a fleeting attempt to reclaim the limelight using Besigye’s arrest as the springboard.
