TOP STORY: Mpuuga’s DF Party Applauds Lukwago, Slams NUP Over Nakivubo Channel Saga
KAMPALA –
The Democratic Front (DF) party, led by Mathias Mpuuga, has thrown its weight behind Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago for opposing the controversial allocation of Nakivubo Channel to private developer Ham Kiggundu, while sharply criticizing the National Unity Platform (NUP) for alleged complicity and inaction.
Speaking in a widely shared YouTube video, DF spokesperson Moses Kasibante praised Lukwago for taking a principled stand to protect public land, and accused NUP of enabling corruption under the guise of opposition politics.
“Time has exposed the truth — Mpuuga wasn’t the problem. Corruption is thriving within NUP itself,” Kasibante declared, contrasting Mpuuga’s Shs500 million parliamentary handshake — which he defended as lawful — with what he termed as NUP councillors accepting “sweeteners and groceries” from the developer to look the other way.
Kasibante called on NUP to prove its zero-tolerance stance on corruption by mobilizing its councillors and elected leaders to actively protest the giveaway of the 9km Nakivubo drainage channel, which he described as a vital natural resource now at risk of irreversible damage.
The DF spokesperson singled out Zahara Luyirika, the KCCA Speaker and NUP’s Kampala Woman MP hopeful, accusing her of leading a council resolution that vetoed a report by the Lord Mayor and technical team, which had called for the arrest of the developer and compensation to KCCA.
“Zahara led her councillors to throw out that report. Now they pretend their councillors are innocent. Let them show leadership. Form their own resistance. Otherwise, we’ll mobilize Kampala to make it politically risky for Zahara and her colleagues to campaign in this city,” Kasibante warned.
He dismissed NUP’s press conference held at Kavule earlier in the week as “peripheral and underwhelming”, saying opposition supporters expected a stronger stance from a party that commands a majority in Kampala.
Kasibante also directly challenged NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, who has declared interest in the Kampala Central MP seat, to “lead from the front” in defending public property.
“This is Rubongoya’s moment to prove he’s not just after a seat. Let him demonstrate that he can fight for the people like Lukwago has done. Otherwise, he risks being seen as a facilitator of deals that betray the urban poor.”
He urged NUP to name and shame its councillors who backed the resolution in favour of the developer and to deny them party tickets ahead of the 2026 elections.
Kasibante, a former Rubaga North MP and seasoned political communicator, vowed to make the Nakivubo Channel giveaway a major campaign issue as the 2026 elections draw near. He accused Zahara Luyirika of a long history of betrayal, dating back to her alleged role in the 2013 impeachment attempt against Lukwago.
“Zahara has always been a Museveni enabler. How she passed NUP’s vetting process is beyond me,” he said, questioning her fitness to represent Kampala as Woman MP.
Kasibante also used the moment to educate viewers on the environmental significance of Nakivubo Channel, likening Uganda’s neglect to Egypt’s strong national investment in water protection.
“Water is a natural resource, and Nakivubo is not just a drainage — it’s public wealth. And now NUP is helping Museveni give it away to Ham,” he said.
The DF party’s fiery intervention adds a new dimension to the growing political storm around Nakivubo Channel, placing pressure on NUP’s Kampala leadership to clarify its stance as public outrage mounts.
