Mr Mathias Mpuuga (MP, Nyendo-Mukungwe) has some special problems. He considers himself a man of dignity and is not used to being embarrassed, especially by people he has previously shown reluctant respect for.
After his fall, he worked feverishly with various institutions to restore his reputation.
But no matter how noble its original intentions may have been, the ruling NRM has now created a vampire state.
As I noted earlier, it must be a great satisfaction for the NRM to select a smooth and educated opposition politician like Mpuuga and lump him together with the taxpayer-ripping vampires of the NRM.
The vampire state is not always illegal. Its clever creators are constantly testing existing laws or creating new ones to find or create loopholes through which they can (legally) sneak away with their prey.
themselves as well as illegal travel and other misconduct.
They are also constantly on the lookout for Guardians who are not always on guard. When the Guardians are in Parliament, they know exactly how and when to deceive the majority to give their prey the green light.
At least theoretically, a vampire state can be perfected by creating a framework of legality for every financial immorality.
But eliminating illegality does not eliminate immorality.
Although the court presided over by Justice Singiza acquitted Mpuuga and the other three commissioners who had arranged their own service awards, the judge also severely reprimanded the parliamentary secretary for failing to advise Parliament (presumably against the award).
In a perfect vampire state, a redeeming law would protect the employee from being made a scapegoat.
However, to rephrase another part of Singiza’s judgment, MPs legally earn so much more money than most other Ugandans that one would not expect them (honourable people) to award themselves such onerous ‘prize money’.
This is the crux of Mpuuga’s cross. It is a moral problem, a philosophical problem.
And Mpuuga has failed to provide an ethically sound argument as to why he should demand and receive Sh500 million over and above his clearly defined income in a society with so much state-induced inequality.
If the Church, at his behest, apparently approved Mpuuga’s escape game a few weeks ago, the Church has plenty of time to show whether it has examined the moral question carefully or whether it was guided by fraternal custom.
Singiza’s court also left the moral question more or less untouched.
Unfortunately, at every stage, Mpuuga believes he has delivered a knockout punch and wants his dignity back.
His recent demand for an apology from the National Unity Platform will be ignored. Neither the NUP nor its leader Robert Kyagulanyi have sued Mpuuga. Moreover, the demand is premature. That is, unless the moral issue is resolved in Mpuuga’s favour.
His indirect reference to serving the Kabaka (as youth pastor) when “you” were enjoying music concerts is correct but misleading.
Mpuuga was one of the first political youth leaders. Kyagulanyi was six years younger; a relatively young musician, for whom Mpuuga’s career path was probably still unimaginable.
Now 42, singer-turned-lawyer Kyagulanyi is the leader of Uganda’s main opposition party. Mpuuga, 48, is struggling to maintain his acceptance in the same party and is making futile attempts in parliament to achieve electoral reform in order to appear relevant.
This change in roles is difficult to live with. And while memories of his time as a youth pastor in Mengo may be comforting, that past does not oblige the Kabaka to be proud of him forever.
Nor is the legislature being uplifted by the restless New Youth, whose ethos is shaped by a growing awareness of the connection between the plundering of the vampire state and their miserable situation.
