The Mpuuga Thanksgiving Details: “Shouting Is Not Determination, But Articulating Issues Without Fearing Power…”
Nyendo-Mukungwe MP also Parliamentary Commissioner Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, held a colorful thanksgiving ceremony organized at a Church-owned Kitovu Sports Arena in Masaka city on June 21, 2024.
The former leader of the opposition used the occasion, which was organized amid inflexible opposition from leaders of his National Unity Platform (NUP), to caution Ugandans not to mistake “shouting” as determination to cause regime change.
“Shouting is not the determination, but articulating issues without fearing those with power or those who think they are the givers of power,” Mpuuga said to a cheerful congregation, “we need a unified and determined voice anchored on honesty, humility, and equity.”
“I want to call upon everyone who wishes to see a drastic change in this country free from a crush, to agree with me to move together. Let us talk, advise each other, and make confident decisions to change our country’s destiny without bloodshed,” he added.
He used the same occasion to tell a dozen lessons he had “learned over the last 3 or 4 years,” to his multitude of what he called “real friends” gathered in Kitovu Sports Arena on top of informing them about his intention to rejuvenate his unfinished business of pursuing the litany of Constitutional and Electoral reforms, before 2026 elections.
Accompanied by several Buganda region politicians alongside others from other regions across Uganda, religious leaders from different sects, the Catholic Church, the church of Uganda, the Muslim, Mpuuga received a huge delegation of Ministers and other dignitaries from the Buganda Government led by Owek. Robert Wagwa Nsibirwa, the third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, whom Katikiro Charles Peter Mayiga delegated as a chief guest.
The FactFileUg captured the occasion’s details, and below are excerpts of a slightly edited speech, Mpuuga gave to both physical attendees and the entire world, which watched live via Television;
Today, I will not speak English to annoy People. (Hon Medard) Sseggona spoke more than enough; I will not make a supplement.
Our elders, the clerics, and Katikkiro accept my heartfelt apology that the function is taking longer than expected, but we appreciate your valued patience. I am going to summarize my speech.
First, this is my dear Wife, Maria Mpuuga Nabbanja, a granddaughter to Kayita. My mother Gertrude Nsamba Nanyonjo is also present here (he called on her to come forth for recognition). My elder and young siblings are also around.
Katikkiro, in Buddu, we are cognizant, that wisdom originates from your clan. Therefore, if I have some wisdom in me, I inherited it from Nsamba (his deceased father). In the same manner, we know that conscience stems from the mother’s family.
My mother gave me the conscience. Dear mother, I have deemed it fit for these people to see and appreciate your contribution by clapping for you considering this is a thanksgiving ceremony. They should know that you devoted ample time to grooming your children.
My elders, my young brother Sseggona Akalya Amaggwa, invoked a couple of verses from the holy bible, which I had also prepared to do, but I am not going to do it anymore. Let me just refer you to one verse of John 15:19 which teaches us that ‘if you accept to perform a duty of any kind in the world, even if you are a water well keeper, it means you have accepted to be blamed, abused, criticized and vilified by people from all corners.’
I think, in accepting the responsibility, I had to be cognizant of all the above. For that reason, I pleasurably take all of them.
I would like to use the next 3 or 4 minutes to share with you the lessons I have learned over the last 3 or 4 years.
I have learned that it is easy to be happy in the world, but it is not common to remain humble amid enormous challenges. There is nothing wrong with being humble in life and forgiving those who have wronged you even when they may be doing it for fun and patronizing you.
Yes, forgiving them is acceptable and godly, though it would be an act of foolhardiness to reinstate full trust in them again. (Applause)
My Elder, Msgr. Ssebayigga, we have fully understood your pastoral message. On this note, we would like to ask you to deliver our appreciation message to Archbishop (Paul Ssemwogerere) who delegated you to this side of Eastern Lwera to give us this message. (Applause) Thank you for preaching to us.
During this period, I have learned a lifetime lesson that during our journey on earth, so many things are not in our hands and that some of these things, pass without our notice. I have learned that while walking earthly journeys, we should expect heartbreaks amid the worst pains.
I have learned that amid bad people, there are people God endowed with talents to preserve friendship and care about fastening the bondage. These people offer you a stepping-stone to guide you on the next step of action in the short and long term. I heartily thank you all for the friendship you have shown me today! (Applause)
I have also learned that if you get a cover of good people, you get to know however heavy the rainfall, thunder therein notwithstanding, will cease to the gaze of sunrise again (Applause).
I have also learned that rumormongering and words can cause hate and disgust. I have also learned that never judge someone based on hearsay in the world, you must be able to take off time to study the situation, make self-reflection, and make a personal, independent judgment.
If you are the kind of person who is easily moved by rumors, you are in deep trouble. As a person, you should avoid listening to anybody who is ever willing to volunteer information about others. Therefore, from today onwards, I will be very keen on observing people’s actions more than what they say while seeking to collaborate with them.
I have also learned this. Whenever you attempt to damage one’s name using malice, jealousy, and selfish interests, it is a sure debt for yourself that you will have to pay with interest. (Applause)
I have also learned that if you allow someone space to speak, you get the opportunity to understand his/her real motives. People are asking themselves, why I do not talk so much. I know that when you are speaking the truth, you do not need to speak much because the truth is easily understood. (Applause)
It is the dishonest person with bad and uncoordinated intentions to speak multiple times to convince people. Sometimes, you wish you could give your tormentors the same doze they throw at you-but you realize it is not your character. I do not avenge, I leave my God to avenge on my behalf. (Applause)
At the onset of the mass, Msgr wondered why I was organizing a thanksgiving occasion! It is only the Church that I know as a refuge. I do not know Nakayima’s place or Nabuzaana’s place because my Mother never took me there. I run to Church whenever I get anything worth thanksgiving. (Applause)
I thank God for giving me protection, but also for assisting me with enough wisdom to lead my colleagues in harmony. When I step aside from (opposition) leadership (in parliament), I think you overhear the fragmentary dissonance within. (Applause)
There is no way I cannot thank God for assisting with such wisdom because if he wants to take his wisdom from me, he can take it as he did to King Nabukadineeza who practiced self-exaltation enforcing himself on a Throne he did not have to.
He ordered people to make offerings to him before seeing them. Then God withdrew human wisdom from him and replaced it with animal wisdom where he grew wings and started feeding from grass like a goat in bushes.
Another thing I have learned is that if you live with your friend/friend who does not care about the mud thrown at you, you know that they have always not been your friends, but enemies who have not got the right time (to act.) (Applause)
But I have learned further today, that a person’s reputation is protected by God-it is very hard to be soiled, after you made the decision to turn up in huge numbers to stand with your son fathered by Nsamba and we understand him. (Applause)
Another thing I have learned is that a sign to see a mature person is to be factual that he/she possesses the power and capacity to commit wrongs and not do it, but decides to do the right thing. When a person has a chair with power or a microphone, and uses it well, join that person to thank God for that exceptional gift.
I have also learned that you should be very careful with whom you build something because there are so many ungrateful people where the moment you surpass the foundation stage together, they just outmaneuver you and get new people without any iota of what you build to finish with them. (Applause)
I have also learned that it is very easy for people to befriend you during sunlight, but abandon you in turbulent times. Stormy times help you to know your true friends. I thank you all for being my true friends.
I have also learned that sometimes, we should not get so angry when we have problems in our lives. It helps us get the opportunity to make focused assessments of many things we often do not give enough attention to during normal times. We should agree that some people are waiting for you to fall, abandon, or get disgusted. I wish to inform you all, these will have to wait for a long time-I am not going to abandon, get disgusted and I am not about to get tired. (Applause)
Everything I feared in the past has already happened to me and I have gone through it. So what more am I afraid of? I have gone through a smoke fire, people with intrigue, opportunists, and self-seekers, and that is more reason we should thank God today because I have seen it all.
My elders especially my friends in political leadership, what I wish to briefly tell you today after telling you my lessons is that this is the right time to invest our energies, wisdom, experience, and determination in all that we believe in, together.
We should embrace unity and we should re-embark on our long walk to the restoration of our people’s hopes in causing regime change. When you see somebody shifting energies on what he/she should do to focus on what he/she thinks you have not done, just know that is an enemy. These days, my life has continued to be bright and I can see where I am going. (Applause)
When I wanted to be a peaceful person, I did it. The big question would be; was it useful to me? This nature of life caused hate and disparagement for me. Unlike before, I am now a bit tougher-but I understand enough. (Applause)
I am not going to be cowed, but I will remain a peaceful person who cares about anything around me because that is my character. However, nobody is going to malign me or slander me again, and remain scot-free without introducing him/her to people or God.
We are in a period when serious and intelligent people have been pushed into silence because they fear that those with moderate knowledge and like-minded will fear to hear clever people speak. This has left people with moderate knowledge speaking alone in the leadership arena. What has made people endowed with knowledge go mute while those with moderate knowledge are exterminating this Country?
The countries you admire to travel to such as America and Canada, etc, get their best to lead them. The only difference with us here is that they agreed on the dos and don’ts (in their countries). Fear among our people whom God gifted with intelligence is appalling and if at any time, God comes for his wisdom, you will only have yourselves to blame.
The country needs everyone with a responsibility to be determined to rise in diversity regardless of political party, tribe, or religion, but every Ugandan should stand up to use different talents and gifts in serving his creatures.
My elders, among the things that have made me happy today, is seeing our friends from different political parties. I can see MPs from NRM including the Resident District Commissioners, the Jeema party president is here, the Conservative Party President is here, the NEED party leader is here, etc. All of them must be here with us. All these people are not our enemies, but our friends.
However, on the farm that was handed to us By God, everyone sows his/her seed. The time has come for us to agree on the type of food suitable for the garden God gave us so that the people he gave us to lead do not die of hunger.
For the last 62 years, we have been an independent country, but unfortunately, everyone has perceived each other as an enemy! When will we separate the dos from the don’ts in our country?
We are going to turn our inheritance into the one for the weakest generation because we live in a situation where everyone fears each other due to unclear interests. Regime tore our 1995 Constitution into pieces, there are no term limits, no age limit, and removing its cover page is the only thing left.
When I was the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP), I had started an interaction among the change-seeking forces with a view of at least, devising one voice on the Constitutional and Electoral reforms before another electoral cycle.
Some folks say, a vote is useless and I respect them because we have participated in various elections, but they have only caused bloodshed and chaos. Other folks say the elections should be hurried because they can won under the status quo.
Those voices need to be integrated with those who think like me saying that we need to participate in an election after fundamental constitutional, electoral reforms and other attendant laws.
I am thrilled to see my brother, Joseph Kabuleta, the leader of NEED. I closely follow your thoughts and you are among the leaders in this Country who have been denied time. How can a nation discard its best brains without listening to them?
A country grows by age and economy, but it seems, the fair share failed in our country. Everyone does what he/she wants. Is it possible to replace the decentralization system that we are running with the federalism system?
Are Ugandans happy with the way their leaders are elected?
Are citizens, considering the state of the economy able to sustain a blotted parliament?
One of my thoughts is that parliament is so big and we do not need it in its current size, even if I am one of those exiting it, we need to trim it. However, those thoughts need candid listening from each other with honesty.
Can the referee (Electoral Commission) who allows some players to walk with a whistle be an arbitrator for a game to end peacefully?
These are the things we should be thinking and deliberating on rather than other things that divide us to make us look like fools. These issues and many others, which are hinged on liberating our nation, are the ones I will be spending my time on from now on. It is not an easy task, but we were not born to do most simple things.
The task requires consultations, and listening to each other among not only our allies but even those, we call enemies because they are also stakeholders in the country’s inheritance.
Amid a cloud of cowardice, opportunists, and quick fortune seekers, we should summon determination to face the challenges that have politically, malnourished our nation.
Many people think like me but lack the guts to speak or to tell their friends about what is not going right. Can you imagine someone can tell you that ‘I was stopped from attending a thanksgiving ceremony?’ this is ironic, isn’t it? That a leader cannot make a simple decision.
Someone with a Christian name said and I wondered, do not go for the mass asserting that Mpuuga cannot organize a mass!
We cannot be frightened because some think that they are playing encircled politics where they are the ones to give you permission and authority to chess you out. Some of us have gone through that situation and there is nothing new.
Nevertheless, this time around, we have learned from the mistakes we have repeatedly made. We are not going to repeat them. We seeking the unity of all Ugandans who feel things are going wrong with some of our colleagues practicing self-exaltation and summersaulting.
We want to calm our people’s hearts that the seed of politics thriving on repugnance, extinguishing, and forcing others to cough gifts before meeting them will be stopped because it is harmful to leadership intentions in Buganda and Uganda.
It is on this point that I would like to thank my colleague MPs who have sacrificed themselves to stand with me during this challenging situation. They have stood on the truth amid intimidation. I never called any MP to ask him/her for assistance on the principle that I was under pressure.
I chose to leave it to MPs to make judgments, individually. His/her voters will be able to ask them the type of food they eat and what they do while others are transacting business in Parliament. An old man hailing from Buddu said that his motivation to vilify me stems from what he believes, my presence hinders his shining!
I want to call upon everyone who wishes to see a drastic change in this country free from a crush, to agree with me to move together. Let us talk, advise each other, and make confident decisions to change our country’s destiny without bloodshed.
We need a unified and determined voice anchored on honesty, humility, and equity. Shouting is not the determination, but articulating issues without fearing those with power or those who think they are the givers of power. (Applause)
Ugandans are honest, but charlatans who always have easy things for quick leadership fixes lead them. During our leadership, we are moving towards making only responsible things. We are not looking for titles or being worshiped but for restoration of our country’s hope. There is no other opportunity to do this, but now during our generation, which is partly here today.
Amid accepting to implement this task, there is no doubt, we shall encounter misunderstandings, but whenever we get them, we should not be cutting off our necks because God gave us heads to make judgments, fairly.
I would like us to leave this place aware that even those in power are feeling it hot. We have only three paths to removing power from them. Other paths are possible, others are dangerous. Some think we should go to the bush as they did.
Some think we take them on through the Arab Springs, but those thinking about that path just talk to keep their lips warm. In addition, some of us think we can mobilize Ugandans who want change to vote after the Constitutional and Electoral reforms and a new leader takes the oath. (Applause)
I would like to thank the Catholic Church once again for accepting to preside over my thanksgiving as their son and my family. I appeal to the church not to fear or get intimidated whenever there is an issue that needs truth and justice. This is what I know as the Catholic Church’s calling by God. Thank you, Msgr. (Ssebayiga) for delivering the Church’s clear message to us.
To those who have accepted the responsibility of leading in this difficult time, please do not withdraw from the frontline because we are in the course of writing history to be consumed by the next generation. This is the time to nurture the gist of leadership amongst our children and as I pledged in the last few months, I am going to give time to young people to continue to mentor you into doing serious politics, not aimlessness for entertainment gain.
Let me respond to a question that I have seen in many Ugandans’ mouths; What is Mpuuga announcing?
I have come here to announce the grace of God and to say that God loves me and he is still with me. (Applause)
They also ask what Mpuuga wants-does he like to stand as NUP president, Uganda’s presidency, or he wants to make a new political party?
Let me answer you now and write it. I can manage to do all those things I have talked about. (Applause). However, at this moment, I am going to devote time to seeking unity for those who want it. From across all the corners of Uganda, I am going to collaborate with everyone who wants change before the arrival of the next political period.
We want leadership with an intention to deliver this nation to its desired destiny, you and I from today, have started an intentional journey to save our country, and I am very ready to stand in the middle and guide this mission to remain on its main theme. All the positions I had wanted to be, I have been.
For information, Kabaka gave me a leadership position at 21-years-old, I have been an MP for 3 terms, and I have been a Leader of the Opposition, leading my colleagues in parliament. I was also youth chairperson in my village and later in Masaka district. At 48 years old, in our area, even my enemies would say in whispers that was youth leadership.
I would like to ask all political actors with different shades of opinion to discontinue resorting to solving misunderstandings by abusing each other as leaders. We should listen to each other. For this, I am committing myself to be among you all. Our people have been negatively impacted by politics of loathing each other to the extent that they just hear but do not listen.
My service has not been of an angel, but a human being who is vulnerable to making mistakes. Every day as a leader, I make 100 decisions, and over 20% of them are mistakes. This does not make me a phony person, they only help me make the people I lead that I am a human being.
I thank God for giving me the wisdom to know that if I make a mistake, I can discern it and say, it’s a mistake. In an instance where I make a mistake, I can explain to people and I can assure you that a person without spite and envy can understand that I am telling the truth.
May God protect you all for me!