Kasibante To Muwanga: You Are Fighting Buganda Political Interests, Not Mpuuga Alone

Former Lubaga North MP Moses Kasibante has criticized NUP deputy president in charge of Buganda, Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, for his recent statements against Democratic Alliance national coordinator and Nyendo-Mukungwe MP Mathias Mpuuga.

Appearing on CBS’s Kkiriza Oba Gaana talk show on April 23, 2025, Kasibante said Muwanga had crossed acceptable lines in fighting Mpuuga.

Kasibante, a key proponent of the DA, expressed disappointment with Muwanga’s comments, saying he was speaking the truth without fear of likes or dislikes.

“I for one, I do not fear speaking the truth because I do not want likes, and I do not want a foolish person to understand me, and when a foolish person understands what I am saying, I feel bad,” Kasibante said.

Kasibante emphasized that Mpuuga had made a significant contribution to Muwanga’s political success in becoming an MP 13 years ago.

“If anyone comes here and you ask him to mention five people who helped Muwanga to join parliament for the first time, and does it without including Mpuuga, never allow that person to continue with the conversation,” Kasibante told the show moderator.

He added, “I have told you that to know that Muwanga and Mpuuga have come afar and Mpuuga has made the biggest contribution to make what Muwanga is…” Kasibante wondered how Muwanga could speak badly against someone who had sacrificed and stood with him in good and bad situations.

Kasibante expressed concern that Muwanga might have fallen into a trap, saying, “It is very possible that people like Muwanga and his likes fell into a huge trap; we do not know whether extermination of Mpuuga is the only way out for them to regain their freedom.” He added that if this was the case, it would mean huge traps exist without Ugandans’ knowledge.

Muwanga had declared Mpuuga’s constituency empty during a press conference at NUP headquarters in Makerere-Kavule, which Kasibante found extraordinary.

“For Muwanga to stand and declare Mpuuga’s constituency empty, he must be deep in the trap when the only available option is to destroy Mpuuga! A situation that makes Muwanga the leader of a war to destroy Mpuuga out of the political arena is extraordinary, and this should alarm us all to avoid falling into such traps,” Kasibante said.

Kasibante questioned the nature of the war Muwanga was fighting, saying it seemed to target only Mpuuga and other formidable Buganda politicians, and not NRM cadres, occupying other constituencies even within greater Masaka.

“Which kind of war Muwanga declared to fight that is similar to the war you have been knowing about Muwanga, which can preserve all constituencies occupied by NRM MPs in greater Masaka, which have not been declared empty when Mpuuga’s constituency and [Abed] Bwanika have been declared vacant?” he wondered.

Kasibante emphasized that NUP’s actions seemed to be targeting Mpuuga specifically. “We need to first study and understand such a war blind about NRM cadres and very loud and active against Mpuuga that Muwanga is fighting,” he said.

Muwanga’s actions were also questioned in the context of Buganda’s politics. “In Buganda, we have spent quite a long time worrying about the alleged action by the Museveni government to erase Buganda from the Ugandan Map,” Kasibante said, adding that Muwanga had fought against this.

Kasibante criticized Muwanga for declaring Rubongoya as the NUP flag bearer in Kampala Central without internal competition.

“On the platform, Muwanga declared Mpuuga’s constituency empty, which is the same platform he declared Rubongoya from the western region as the NUP flag bearer in Kampala Central in Buganda without an internal competition, even when there are people from the Central region who want the same constituency,” he said.

Kasibante wondered what kind of war Muwanga was fighting that necessitated him to declare Mpuuga’s constituency empty and replace him with Rubongoya. “What type of war is Muwanga fighting to necessitate him to declare from the opposition and Buganda nonexistent as he replaces him with Rubongoya?” he asked.

Kasibante also questioned the democratic principles of NUP, saying, “NUP is among the opposition parties fighting a dictatorial government, but does it openly to ring-fence some positions. Why can Rubongoya be declared unopposed when there are other people like Ssendegeya Kataabu who jostle for the same position?”

He added, “What makes a deputy president of NUP Muwanga in charge of Buganda use all his might to force a non-Muganda on voters in Buganda?”

In response, Muwanga maintained that he was speaking the NUP bosses’ position, and their resolve to fight Mpuuga and replace him with Rubongoya’s group still stands, after all, it would not be a new thing for Buganda to be represented by non-Baganda.