Kampala Central MP Muhammad Nsereko has been in the news lately for his sharp words against Mathias Mpuuga, the leader of the Democratic Front party. In interviews on Radio Four and Sanyuka TV, Nsereko called Mpuuga a betrayer and a liar.
He said he would never help a thief escape a mob beating, because the mob might be right. This seems aimed at Mpuuga, who left the National Unity Platform (NUP) after a row over a Shs500 million service award.
Just months ago, Nsereko praised Mpuuga as one of Uganda’s smartest opposition leaders and spoke at the launch of Mpuuga’s new party in Masaka. Now, the two are at odds, and this fight has sparked talk that Nsereko might change his mind about leaving politics in Kampala Central.
Nsereko had said he would not run again for the MP seat after three terms, focusing instead on a presidential bid. But with his presidential hopes dashed, whispers are growing that he could contest the 2026 elections back in his old constituency.
This would keep him in Parliament, giving him a stage to stay in the spotlight until the 2031 polls. Without it, he risks fading away like Ken Lukyamuzi, the former Rubaga South MP and head of the Conservative Party, who lost touch with voters after years out of office.
Truth be said, Nsereko has been one of the few active legislators in Parliament. He is articulate, and when he speaks, he sounds like a well-informed person.
In 2017, he was one of the few MPs who fought hard against removing age limits for the president, earning cheers from opposition fans. He often took on big issues like over-taxation of business people, youth unemployment, and protecting green spaces, which fitted his later push for “ecological justice”.
His bold style won him fans across divides. Even when he jabbed at NUP leader Bobi Wine in the past, calling him unskilled or accusing his party of graft, Nsereko kept a big following in Kampala.
By last year, Nsereko had already started hinting about his presidential ambitions, which he formalised when he was named the president of the Ecological Party of Uganda (EPU), at a meeting in Entebbe.
He devoted so much time promoting his ideas on his social media platforms (especially TikTok), in the process winning some hearts and souls.
However, Nsereko’s path has not been smooth. Quitting the NRM in his first term made enemies in the ruling party, who saw him as a rebel. He even backed Gen Henry Tumukunde’s presidential run in 2021, only for it to fizzle out.
Elections brought him pain too, especially the last one when he just scraped through. Although NUP’s Fred Nyanzi challenged his win three times in court, claiming vote-rigging, Nsereko won each time and Nyanzi even had to pay him Shs38 million in legal fees.
Yet his presidential dream has now hit a brick wall. The Electoral Commission (EC) rejected his nomination over problems with supporter signatures, blocking him from the 2026 race. Nsereko called it a fix by President Museveni to pick his own rivals, saying the signature check was just for show. This low blow left EPU without its top candidate, raising doubts about the party’s future.
Mpuuga feud
The fresh clash with Mpuuga hurts most. Nsereko helped launch the DF in Masaka earlier this year, bashing NUP for pushing Mpuuga out over the service award money. But when EPU needed signatures for Nsereko’s presidential run, Mpuuga did not back him, Nsereko claims. He labelled Mpuuga dishonest and a “Museveni puppet”, regretting ever defending him. He even said their ties are “over for good”.
With the presidency off the table, Nsereko needs a way to keep fighting. Parliament is that stage. He has won there three times since 2011, building groups of loyal supporters in Kampala Central – from markets to mosques. These “structures”, as politicians call them, could help him win again, even if it’s hard against NUP’s strong hold in the city.
Staying in Parliament would let him push EPU’s ideas, attack the government, and build for 2031. Without it, like Lukyamuzi, he could slip into the shadows, forgotten by voters chasing the next big name.
Yet seeking re-election is no sure win. Nsereko has been MP for 14 years – some voters might be tired of the same face, wanting fresh blood. NUP’s rise in Kampala since 2021 makes it tougher.
His flip-flops could hurt too. He mocked Bobi Wine for years, then said last week he might back him if not on the ballot himself. Some say his row with Mpuuga push away other opposition friends, painting Nsereko as untrustworthy. And if EPU looks weak after the nomination mess, voters might ask: why back him now?
In the end, Nsereko’s next move shows how tricky Ugandan politics is. It is full of surprises and risks. Will he grab the MP ticket to stay in the game, or step back and plot something new? Only time will tell.
