“I remain eternally grateful for being allowed to offer myself for service to this great country” – Mathias Mpuuga bids farewell as Leader of the Opposition
Mathias Mpuuga, the outgoing Leader of the Opposition in the Ugandan Parliament, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to his constituents, his party, and his colleagues in his final speech on Tuesday.
Mpuuga, who represents Nyendo-Mukungwe Division in Masaka City, was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in July 2021 by the National Unity Platform (NUP), the largest opposition party in the country. He served in this role for two and a half years, leading the opposition’s efforts to challenge the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and its leader, President Yoweri Museveni.
In his tweet, Mpuuga thanked the people of Nyendo-Mukungwe for electing him to Parliament and giving him the opportunity to serve the nation. He also thanked the NUP for recognizing his capabilities and humble abilities to serve as the team leader of the opposition.
“I take the singular honour to thank the people of Nyendo-Mukungwe Division who brought me to the fore and made my party, the @NUP_Ug, recognize my capabilities and humble abilities to serve as the team leader over the last 2½ years.” Mpuuga Noted
Mpuuga said he was eternally grateful for being allowed to offer himself for service to the country and apologized to anyone who was offended by his approach. He said he always set out to do the best for the country and appealed to the House to accord his successor, Joel Ssenyonyi, the support that he needs to serve the common good.
Ssenyonyi, who represents Nakawa West Division in Kampala, is the spokesperson of the NUP and a close ally of the party’s leader, Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine. He is also a former journalist and a lawyer. Mpuuga described him as a young and reasonable leader who deserves the support of the opposition and the House.
Mpuuga said he hoped that Ssenyonyi would continue the duty that they started as NUP and the opposition at large in their quest to see a better tomorrow for their children and posterity. He said he hoped that history would remember them as people who met in the House, differed in opinions, but converged at the center to put forward the common good.
“The Hon. Ssenyonyi, young as he is, is very reasonable and deserves our support so that we take further the duty that we started both as NUP, a young party, and the opposition at large in our quest to see a better tomorrow for our children and posterity.”. Said Mpuuga
Mpuuga also revealed that he would give Ssenyonyi a book titled “How to Hug a Porcupine,” edited by Dr. Debbie Ellis, as a parting gift. He said the book was about how to deal with difficult people, who are part of life. He advised Ssenyonyi to not take things personally, to communicate effectively, to take care of himself, to focus on the positives, to be patient, and to seek support. He reminded him that he was not alone.
“To my young brother and now leader, I will give him a book titled “How to Hug a Porcupine,” edited by Dr. Debbie Ellis. The porcupine here means difficult people, but they’re part of life. You can’t change a difficult person, but set boundaries,” Mpuuga revealed.
This afternoon, I discharged my final roles as Leader of the Opposition in @Parliament_Ug.
I take the singular honour to thank the people of Nyendo-Mukungwe Division who brought me to the fore and made my party, the @NUP_Ug, to recognise my capabilities and humble abilities to… pic.twitter.com/W4uxErgwfJ
— Mathias Mpuuga (@MathiasMpuuga) January 9, 2024