Former Defence Minister Dr Chrispus Kiyonga has made a political comeback after a decade out of Parliament, having been declared winner of the Bukonzo County West parliamentary seat in the January 15, 2026, elections.
Dr Kiyonga polled 35,899 votes, defeating the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Mr Godfrey Atkins Katusabe, who garnered 26,399 votes.
Dr Kiyonga had previously attempted to reclaim the seat in 2021 but was unsuccessful. He was first elected to Parliament in 1994 and served for several terms before his defeat in 2016.
Previous defeats
In the 2016 elections, Dr Kiyonga lost after polling 28,289 votes, while Mr Katusabe won with 31,126 votes. The contest was complicated by the entry of Dr Kiyonga’s nephew, Mr Justus Sausi Capson, who ran as an independent and obtained 4,024 votes, splitting the NRM’s votes.
Following that defeat, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni appointed Dr Kiyonga as Uganda’s Ambassador to China, a position he declined, citing his desire to focus on personal initiatives, including public mobilisation on food security and coffee growing.
In 2021, Dr Kiyonga contested again but lost for the second time. He polled 28,520 votes, while Mr Katusabe increased his tally to 36,386 votes. The National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, Fatuma Cassim Sidrat, obtained 993 votes.
Why Dr Kiyonga won in 2026
Until July 2025, Dr Kiyonga served as the NRM Chairperson for Kasese District, a position he again lost to Ambassador James Mbahimba. Despite this setback, he remained politically active and continued mobilising NRM supporters to rally behind party flag bearers.
Bukonzo County West comprises eight sub-counties and town councils-Bwera, Karambi, Kitholhu, Ihandiro, Nyakiyumbu, Isango, Mpondwe-Lhubiriha, and Kithoma-Kanyatsi-with more than 130,000 registered voters. Dr Kiyonga, who is also the Chancellor of Makerere University, won in six sub-counties, securing a margin of about 9,000 votes, a difference his rival Mr Katusabe had not achieved in the two previous elections.
The constituency borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and hosts Bwera General Hospital, the only government hospital in Kasese District.
Campaign message
For three consecutive election cycles, Dr Kiyonga has consistently campaigned on food security, peace, unity, nutrition, and household income. His rallies largely focused on encouraging families to ensure food availability and proper child nutrition to address malnutrition in Kasese.
“Our children must be fed well. Kasese is leading in malnutrition, and this must stop through balanced diets,” Dr Kiyonga said during one of his campaign rallies. He further advocated for household livestock ownership, urging families to rear birds, goats, and rabbits as a source of nutrition and income.
Political analysts, however, noted that while his message resonated with rural voters, it did not directly address broader macro-economic challenges.
Youth mobilisation and cassava initiative
In a post-election interview, Dr Kiyonga attributed his victory partly to renewed mobilisation strategies that deliberately targeted the youth, especially boda boda riders.
“In my previous campaigns, I overlooked the youth constituency. This time, we involved them directly, and they freely mobilised voters and transported people to rallies,” he said.
He also spearheaded a district-wide cassava growing campaign across all 44 sub-counties of Kasese District, after realising that large quantities of cassava flour were being imported from Hoima and neighbouring districts and exported to Kasindi market in the DRC.
Dr Kiyonga mobilised three NRM Members of Parliament from Kasese, Mr Sowedi Kitanywa (Busongora County North), Mr Ferigo Kambale (Kasese Municipality), and Mr Gideon Thembo Mujungu (Busongora County South), each contributing Shs6 million. The funds were used to procure cassava cuttings, which were distributed through churches for multiplication and later extended to households.
“I realised our people were facing serious food shortages. With support from fellow MPs, we introduced cassava cuttings, and now many families have cassava gardens,” Dr Kiyonga said.
Border trade factor
Dr Kiyonga’s position on easing cross-border trade at the Mpondwe-Lhubiriha border also boosted his popularity among traders, who expressed optimism that his leadership would ensure more free movement to the Kasindi market in the DRC.
Opposition reacts
Following the elections in which the opposition lost all three parliamentary seats in Kasese District, party leaders from FDC appeared on a local radio station to fault the political environment.
Among them were Mr William Nzoghu, Mr Godfrey Atkins Katusabe, Ms Florence Kabugho, and Mr Sylvester Masereka, all of whom lost their races.
Mr Katusabe accused government officials and NRM coordinators, including Mr Godfrey Kabbyanga, Maj Okwiror Rwabwoni, the RDC Lt Joe Walusimbi, and NRM Chairperson James Mbahimba, of allegedly influencing the electoral outcome.
“We did not lose because people rejected us; we lost because the government feared us,” Mr Katusabe claimed.
Similar sentiments were echoed by the FDC District Chairperson, Mr Ronald Bwambale Kabuku. However, critics of Mr Katusabe argue that his political messaging failed to resonate with the largely business-oriented electorate of Bukonzo County West.