Kyagulanyi trembles: Postpones appointment of new LOP to next year after key Buganda leader intervening

NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi has postponed the announcement of the new Leader of Opposition to next year.

The development comes after intense meeting that saw key NUP leaders, Medard Ssegona and John Baptist Nambeshe rejecting new positions in the party.

This website has learnt that after several engagements in the night, Kyagulanyi who had refused to change his position on the appointment of Joel Ssenyonyi as the new LOP with today’s announcement extended date of announcement to next year to manage expectations from different stakeholders.

The NUP President had called for a Press Briefing on Friday afternoon to announce the changes even when John Baptist Nambeshe refused to take on the new role as the Public Accounts Committee Chairperson from Medard Lubega Ssegona who had been transferred to become the new attorney general in the Shadow cabinet.

Determined Kyagulanyi who wanted to bring in Ssenyonyi was broken when the most influential leader in the Central region called in with a message not to have Mpuuga reshuffled.

Kyagulanyi, torn between respecting the leaders and his personal opinions decided to hold another meeting today afternoon. He had already made up his mind to make Mpuuga a Parliamentary commissioner replacing Zaake.

Kyagulanyi, a personal friend to Joel Ssenyonyi, according to inside sources wants to further understand the dealings in the Parliamentary Commission, for which Mpuuga does not fully divulge on the premise of swearing oaths of secrecy.

However, Kyagulanyi, trembling feared to make an immediate announcement after the most gracious message of the most influential leader within the region advising him against dropping Mpuuga.

Sources say, Mpuuga is considered the most respected politician, loyal to the two top most institutions in Buganda.

“They actually consider him their own. And he respects them and, they are the same foundations for which NUP can rely to continue leading the opposition. If Kyagulanyi defies them, consider that total disrespect,” the highly placed source, close to NUP President told this website.

It has been established that Kyagulanyi has called off the announcement today, postponed to next year as he manages people’s anger, feelings and expectations which sources say, may be important for the sustainability of the party.

Also, Kyagulanyi wants to explain to both key institutions on why he wants to make the changes.

Entebbe Post exclusively understands that, Kyagulanyi and Mpuuga agreed on a 2 and a Half year term for which a new entrant would take over leadership of the party. The verbal agreement was made in 2021.

Another source says, Kyagulanyi fears, the party would be torn apart as soon as Mpuuga and Nambeshe are ousted on grounds that they remain the most influential politicians in Opposition members of Parliament.

Also, the foot soldiers, no sooner had they realized that Kyagulanyi was replacing Mpuuga with Ssenyonyi than they started showing dissatisfaction saying, Mpuuga was a more generous person that Ssenyonyi.

Kyagulanyi respects foot soldiers at NUP more than all his Members of Parliament. Currently, the NUP leader still believes, he will convince key institutional leaders in Buganda to accept Ssenyonyi against Mpuuga and thus appoint him the next leader of opposition.

Both Ssenyonyi and Muwanga Kivumbi, the Chairperson of the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus are strongly lobbying to become leaders of opposition in Parliament.

A meeting held on Friday morning also failed to have consensus on who will take over from Mpuuga, despite Kyagulanyi’s love for Ssenyonyi.

Details follow