The 2026 General Election campaigns are officially underway, with 83,597 candidates competing for 45,505 elective positions from President to Sub-County Councilor.
Door-to-door campaigns, mini and massive rallies, as well as media (digital and mainstream) are some of the tactics different Parliamentary candidates in Kampala have deployed to convince voters.
Records from the Electoral Commission (EC) indicate that 113 candidates were nominated between October 23 and 24, to compete for 10 Parliamentary seats in Kampala and the seats include; Makindye East, Makindye West, Nakawa East, Nakawa West, Kampala Central, Lubaga South, Lubaga North, Kawempe South, Kawempe North, and Kampala City Woman Representative.
Kampala central which has attracted only new faces, after its incumbent Muhammad Nsereko gave a shot at the country’s presidency only to be denied chance after failing to secure the required supporter signatures, has attracted numerous contenders from various political parties and Independents.
The key candidates in the Kampala Central race are; David Lewis Rubongoya, the Secretary General of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party, Ms Minsa Kabanda, the Minister for Kampala from the National Resistance Movement (NRM), and business man Abraham Luzzi.
The November 12, Daily Monitor poll titled: Who is your preferred candidate for Kampala Central MP?, that was ran on its official X-platform, and Facebook, both social media platforms, has placed Luzzi in the second position, after Mr Rubongoya. The poll which attracted at least 8,112 participants in 24 hours indicated that Mr Rubongoya would emerge victorious with 75.3 percent, if the polls were to be held today.
Mr Luzzi, an Independent candidate, who has gained fame especially on social media by de-campaigning the politics of giving money and other gifts to voters, holding rallies and urging Ugandans to vote people based on their potential to deliver services, would be the second in the race with 20 percent of the votes, while Ms Kabanda, would be in the third position with four percent of the votes.
Inside the vote hunt
Abraham Luzzi
Unlike other candidates who have launched physical campaigns, including holding rallies and moving door-to-door convincing voters to support them earlier this week, Mr Luzzi has been campaigning through mainstream and digital media.
He believes that rallies are just a waste of time because voters can be reached through the different media platforms instead of political rallies which disrupt their daily activities.
‘The world is going digital, and I completely object to the ordinary, loitering kind of campaigns. I want to set a new yardstick and benchmark with this campaign. I believe I am currently the most popular candidate not only in Kampala, but in the whole of Uganda and beyond,’ Luzzi told reporters while unveiling his digital campaignin Kampala.
He added, ‘People waste a lot of time on traditional campaign methods. I object to seeing youths moving around following politicians in crowds. They should be working instead. That’s why I say: stay at your workplace or your place of convenience and receive my message through digital platforms.’
His key priorities, according to his campaign manifesto titled ‘A better tomorrow for every Ugandan’, includes fighting corruption, reducing the size of the House from the current 556 to 80 MPs, limiting the Cabinet to 50 members, decongesting the Prisons, among others as his major key priorities as he seeks to be elected on January 15, 2026.
‘My manifesto outlines an uncompromising stance on corruption, emphasising immediate and severe consequences for those who misuse public resources. The plan introduces the death penalty by hanging for anyone found guilty of causing gross public financial loss or embezzlement of public funds. This includes offenses such as deliberate contract delays, bribery in awarding tenders or contracts, or any form of mismanagement of public funds’ he said
Among his key political reforms are; reducing Parliament to 80 MPs, and save Shs415 billion annually, limiting Cabinet to 50 Ministers, appointed on merit and not drawn from Parliament., abolishing by-elections, saving between Shs10 billion and Shs20 billion per year, shifting to digital and video-based campaigns, cutting election costs by 70-80 percent, and setting qualifications for MPs, including a bachelor’s degree, a minimum net worth of Shs500 million and an annual business turnover of Shs1.5B billion.
‘Key justice reforms include: replacing jail terms with fines for minor offenses to promote efficiency, reducing prison overcrowding by 40 percent through alternative punishments, introducing blood money as an option for murder cases, but only with consent from the victim’s family, establishing express 24-hour courts as a paid service for urgent justice, fast-tracking corruption-related cases, ensuring trials are completed within two months, and enforcing the death penalty or full recovery of stolen funds plus 10% annual interest for corruption crimes,’ he said.
Rubongoya
Unlike Luzzi who opted for the digital campaign, Mr Rubongoya officially launched his campaign at a rally in Kamwokya and set out urgent reforms aimed at transforming urban services, expanding economic opportunities, and improving governance in the capital.
He identified immediate priorities including overhauling the taxation system to ease residents’ financial burdens, upgrading education facilities and healthcare services, and improving roads, drainage, and waste management across the division.
He also emphasised the need to create more employment opportunities, promote economic empowerment, provide affordable housing for low-income earners, and enhance access to technology and internet connectivity.
He said, ‘Our commitment is to push for a Kampala which works for everyone. All these programs are better pushed if there is a government that truly represents the people, which is why everyone needs to play their part in the #ProtestVote2026.’
Minsa Kabanda
NRM flagbearer Minsa Kabanda has vowed to champion the welfare of market women and residents of informal settlements while challenging the notion that the ruling party cannot win in the city.
‘We are going to change the narrative. The people of Kampala Central deserve inclusive development, and the NRM has the means to deliver it,’ she said.