NUP's Mathias Mpuuga Resigns as Parliamentary Commissioner Amidst Anita Among's Shs500m Cash Corruption Allegations

Former Leader of Opposition and Nyendo - Mukungwe MP  Mathias Mpuuga, a prominent figure within Uganda's National Unity Platform (NUP), has tendered his resignation from the position of Parliamentary Commissioner over Anita Among's Shs500m Cash Corruption Allegations.

In a statement posted on the party's official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the former Leader of the Opposition, also serving as NUP's Deputy President for the Buganda region, is accused of receiving Shs500 million under the guise of a 'service award'.

https://twitter.com/NUP_Ug/status/1763227317667516718

In an official statement released on February 29, 2024, the NUP expressed profound concern over the allegations of financial misconduct involving Hon. Mpuuga and three other Parliamentary Commissioners. The accusation suggests that these officials misallocated significant sums of taxpayers’ money, disguising the transactions as “Service Awards.”

Under this contentious scheme, Hon. Mpuuga was allocated an eye-watering sum of Shs500,000,000 (Five Hundred Million Uganda Shillings). This revelation prompted an urgent meeting convened by the President on February 28, 2024.

During this pivotal gathering, Hon. Mathias Mpuuga reportedly admitted to his involvement in the controversial allocation and issued a formal apology for his actions. Subsequently, senior leaders of the NUP, including all Deputy Presidents and esteemed legislators, strongly advised him to resign from his role as Parliamentary Commissioner, deeming it the most fitting response to the circumstances.

This decision is made against the backdrop of mounting allegations of corruption, particularly surrounding a substantial cash sum reportedly tied to Anita Among. 

The National Unity Platform (NUP) has firmly opposed corruption within its ranks, demanding the resignation of Hon. Mathias Mpuuga, the former Leader of the Opposition and current Parliamentary Commissioner. This decision follows Hon. Mpuuga's admission of receiving a substantial sum of Shs500 million, supposedly labeled as a "Service Award."

The revelation came to light amid an ongoing online protest, marked by the hashtag #UgandaParliamentExhibition. This digital movement aims to highlight the widespread corruption, abuse of power, and mismanagement affecting Uganda’s Parliament and other government entities.