Kampala, Uganda – In what could become the most politically charged defamation case in Uganda’s recent history, former Leader of Opposition and Nyendo-Mukungwe MP Mathias Mpuuga has fired back at National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) and Makindye West MP Allan Ssewanyana, threatening court action over their recent statements linking him to the infamous 2021 Masaka Bijambiya killings.
At a press conference held this morning in Kampala, Mpuuga passionately rejected what he called “irresponsible slandering and defamation”, declaring he had instructed his attorneys to file a defamation lawsuit aimed at forcing both Bobi Wine and Ssewanyana to publicly account for their words under oath.
“The time for reckless accusations and underhand politicking is behind us,” Mpuuga stated.
“Let them come to court and tell the country and the families of the victims what they know.”
The lawsuit stems from remarks made by Bobi Wine and Ssewanyana during a rally and subsequent media interactions in which allegations were hinted though not directly proven that Mpuuga had knowledge of the chilling series of machete killings that swept through Masaka.
The gruesome attacks claimed over 25 lives mostly of elderly residents and sent shockwaves across Uganda prompting mass arrests and a military-led investigation.
At the time, both Allan Ssewanyana and Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya were arrested and charged with terrorism in connection to the killings, charges they claim were politically motivated.
This legal counterattack from Mpuuga is the latest in an increasingly bitter rift within the NUP, Uganda’s largest opposition party.
Relations between Bobi Wine and Mpuuga, once seen as political allies have soured drastically especially after Mpuuga refused to step down as Parliamentary Commissioner following a scandal over “service awards” payments including cash shillings 500 million.
Tensions reached boiling point yesterday when Bobi Wine, in a thinly veiled statement questioned Mpuuga’s integrity and hinted at his role during the Masaka killings crisis, remarks that Mpuuga now wants legally challenged and clarified before the country.
“These are not just political jabs, they are accusations with implications on life, death and national stability,” said constitutional lawyer Nicholas Opolot.
“A court process could either vindicate Mpuuga or open a Pandora’s box.”
Meanwhile, families of the Masaka victims remain caught in the political crossfire. For them, the promise of accountability has long been elusive, despite multiple arrests and prolonged court processes.
“We buried our mothers and fathers in fear,” said Samuel Kayemba, a survivor from Lwengo District.
“If these politicians know something anything let them speak in court. We want answers not politics.”
Mpuuga’s legal team is expected to file suit in the High Court of Uganda within the week seeking damages for defamation and a formal public explanation from Bobi Wine and Ssewanyana regarding their statements.
Also Read: Bobi Wine Speaks out on Alleged Torture of Eddie Mutwe in Military Custody
